Penny for the Band!

[A Century United]

Letter in Monday's Times I though worthy of wider circulation:

Sir, Instead of throwing coins back into the crowd (report Nov 14), today's footballers should be thankful that decimalisation has reduced the size of the average missive (sic).

In the 1950's, as an 11 year old, I was employed by Southend United to trawl around the pitch perimeter at half time holding one corner of a large sack while crying out "penny for the band" for the local Salvationers who played at half time.

My pain threshold was tested weekly as bored sections of the crowd aimed those big old pennies at the sack draggers rather than the sack itself. In damp weather conditions I still feel the odd twinge.

VICTOR LEWIS
London N6

Nice story. Just one quibble, surely the band was the supporters club's, and not the Sally Army's?