Crisp

Sir: In an otherwise fine obituary of Minnesota Fats (24 January), Mike Shamos did give the impression, unintended I’m sure, that Fats was something of a lightweight when it came to playing pool.
Nothing could be further from the truth: Fats was the most respected, if not feared, pool player of his generation, the hustler’s hustler, the real article. In some of those televised matches with Willie Mosconi, at least the ones I recall from the 1970s and early 1980s, Fats’s on-air challenges to put down some real dough were rebuffed by his smoother, more polished rival.Good reason, too: Mosconi knew the difference between playing a meaningless exhibition for the benefit of a mainly ignorant audience and playing for real stakes. Fats would have had Mosconi – and indeed had him numerous times, away from camera shot – for lunch.Sincerely,George R CrispLondon, W14. From Mr Peter Tatchell

Sir: Your thoughtful, compassionate editorial (“Sad tale of a modern- day Juliet”, 25 January) on the hounding of the 13-year-old child bride, Sarah Cook, was a much-needed corrective to the hysterical, heartless reaction of the Turkish and British authorities. Although her marriage may be unlawful, there is no evidence that Sarah was coerced into, or harmed by, the relationship with Musa Komaegae. Indeed, she appears to have been very happy – until the heavy-handed intervention of officialdom.
Why the authorities should want to (or be allowed to) break up the love between these two teenagers is beyond my comprehension. Isn’t there enough emotional unhappiness in the world without adding needlessly to it? Moreover, in an era when youth promiscuity is widely condemned, one would expect society to welcome Sarah’s and Musa’s love and fidelity, rather than seek to destroy it.The authorities claim that they have Sarah’s welfare at heart.

However, it’s hard to envisage that her welfare is best served by forcing her to undergo the humiliation of a so-called “virginity test” and by charging- the man she loves with rape, despite the evidently consensual nature of their relationship.Astonishingly, even though Sarah has talked of suicide if she is kept apart from Musa, officials seem prepared to risk the possibility of such a tragedy. Yes, there is real harm being done to this young girl, but it’s not being done by her boyfriend.Yours faithfully,Peter TatchellLondon, SE1. From Ms Josephine Toynbee

Sir: I agree that Harriet Harman’s choice of school for her son was a purely personal, family decision that she had to take in his best interests, within the context of this Government’s relentless underfunding of non- grant maintained schools.
I am just amazed that Clare Short could publicly criticise her sister MP, saying she must “answer to her constituents for her choice”. I am a member of Ms Short’s own Ladywood constituency Labour Party Here there has been no answerability for nearly a year. Our constituency has been suspended and we were forbidden to hold meetings and excluded from the important national debates at the Clause Four and annual conferences.We are still unable to get a clear reply from the Labour Party on the grounds for these suspensions, the progress of its inquiry or what we can do to be reinstated. Meanwhile, Clare Short, as sitting MP is very likely to be imposed as candidate for the next general election, bypassing all local consultations or selection procedures.Yours faithfully,Josephine ToynbeeBirmingham22 January. From Mr W K.

Harper

Sir: Tom Wilkie (“Journey to the beginning of time”, 24 January) puts The Almagest of Ptolemy (2AD) as the beginning of the advance of astronomy, but it was in fact a retrograde step that began a 13th-century interlude from Greek science until the recovery of Copernicus and Galileo in the 15th century. This was because the Catholic Church adopted, and made into dogma, The Almagest, its Earth-centred solar system and “divine” universe, and all scientific progress was blocked in Christian Europe.
In 390BC, Heracleides suggested that Venus and Mercury may orbit the Sun; Democritus (c.380BC) described the Milky Way as being composed of stars, the Moon as being similar to the Earth and matter composed of atoms; Aristarchus of Samos (c.270BC) asserted that the Sun is the centre of the solar system and the planets revolve round it.Aristarchus estimated the distance of the Sun from the Earth by observation of angles; Erastothenes of Cyrene (c.240BC) calculated the circumference of the Earth as 28,000 miles, and Hipparchus of Nicea (c.130BC) used a total eclipse of the Sun to determine correctly the distance and size of the Moon. Waugh plundered the Sri Lankan attack for 170 in a marathon seven-hour innings before Mark Taylor, the Australia captain, declared an hour before the close on 502 for 9.
The tourists reached 80 without loss at the close, still needing 223 runs to avoid the follow-on and the likelihood of a third successive Test defeat. Sri Lanka faced a daunting task to avoid defeat in the third and final Test after the all-rounder Steve Waugh lifted Australia to a formidable first- innings total with a fine century in Adelaide yesterday. Pool B: Spain 10 Slovakia 2; England 10 Austria 1; England 11 Slovakia 4; Spain 12 Austria 0.. Sophie Llobet forced in a 15th-minute corner at the third attempt and the Germans could find no way past the French defence, in which Llobet and Sophie Le Jossec were outstanding.EUROPEAN INDOOR CUP (Kelvin, Hall, Glasgow): Pool A: France 1 Germany 0; Scotland 12 Denmark 1; Germany 10 Denmark 1; Scotland 4 France 0. There was a goal each for Wright, Marsden, Bollington and Cullen.In the other pool, Scotland made short work of Denmark winning 12-1.

Wendy Fraser scored three as did Susan Gilmour, including two in the first five minutes of her indoor international debut.The shock result was France’s 1-0 win against Germany, who had never been beaten by a European country. Crook converted five corners, although she again failed with a penalty stroke and Nicholls scored two including one marvellous effort after riding two heavy challenges. Further goals followed from Nicholls and Cullen before Lucy Culliford, with her first touch in an indoor international, rounded a defender and laid on Marsden’s third.England’s destruction of Slovakia, who lost 10-2 to Spain in the opening match, was even more emphatic, with eight goals coming in the first half. Jane Smith converted a corner to make it four with less than 10 minutes gone and Lynne Bollington added the fifth in the last minute of the half.Jackie Crook and Sam Wright had both scored from second-half corners before Crook hit the post with a penalty stroke. Lorraine Marsden snatched two early goals and in between Tina Cullen finished a delightful flowing move. But he will play,” Barry Switzer, the Dallas head coach, said of the defensive end missing for two months with back trouble.Just about the only thing the underdogs do have going for them is history. The Steelers’ cornerback Rod Woodson will play for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in the opening game of the season, but the Cowboys, too, are buoyed by the return of an outstanding defensive player, Charles Haley “How many snaps he will play I don’t know.