Have we found another Serevi?

Has anyone else noticed the similarity, in both looks and physique, between Tigers' new recruit, Veroniki Goneva, and a former Tiger, Waisele Serevi?

Early reports suggest he may play equally well. Let's hope so.

Mrs R Taylor, Gaulby.

Attached to the Leicester Mercury's report of the match versus Burton Albion were the "match stats" and player ratings (August 29).

All the Leicester City players were given at least six marks out of 10, which I calculate as being above the average.

They lost the game 4-2.

In my humble view, this strange arithmetic has a serious effect.

Supporters see this information and think the players are performing better than they actually are.

Fans deduce that the players are above average, whereas, in this instance at least, they patently were not.

This leads to fans being disappointed, as they expect the higher performance of the players suggested by the Mercury's ratings.

Markings such as these are repeatedly given in the Mercury.

Whoever gives these marks and the sports editor should be realistic and give a true report and impression of the game to those who didn't attend the match.

Mike Stevens, Leicester.

Very grateful thanks to Becky, from Oadby, who kept 12-year-old Amelia company on the late train from London St Pancras on Saturday. Amelia got on the train, her family did not.

Are fellow travellers aware that once the doors on new high-speed trains are closed, they will not reopen, from the inside or out?

Also thank to Denise and Michael (train operatives) who helped get grandma, mum and daughter reunited at Leicester station.

It is a long-held belief that a kindness given will be returned and I trust this will be so in this instance.

Joan Turville, Leicester.

I agree with every word written by David Abbott, of Stoke Golding, ("Gifted and talented students will shine", Mailbox, August 29).

I grew up in Burbage in the 1930s and attended Burbage Church School and Hinckley Westfield Modern.

I started work at Hinckley Tech during the Second World War, when the college had been changed to munitions work for the Air Ministry.

After a working day I attended evening classes for maths, physics and engineering drawing.

In 1982, when I was in my middle 50s, I decided to attend evening classes at the Tech once more for O-level English language.

After the first few nights, I was amazed to find how little they knew of the things I had been taught at Burbage and Westfield.

General knowledge of the world was completely lacking.

These students had failed their O-level English exams and were trying once more. Bear in mind, as David Abbott wrote, these exams were far more advanced than the GCSEs of today.

I would love to attempt the latest GCSE English paper that all the fuss is about.

Can anyone supply me with a copy? I promise I won't Google or Wiki the answers!

Ps I did pass my O-level – grade A.

Brian Simpson, Burbage.

I was intrigued by Dominic Shellard's First Person column on August 27.

I appreciate that the academic world is the financial beneficiary of young people not being able to find gainful employment.

However, in these days of public sector cutbacks, I find it hard to understand how even a cash-rich university can justify having a chair of modern holography and, presumably, a whole department.

Is it just to provide the vice-chancellor with a fancy table in his office?

It sounds like a sheltered life and a different world from the real one most of us live in.

What is the cost benefit behind this? Perhaps Dominic will enlighten us in his next column!

Jeffrey Rosenthal, Bushby.

I am not sure how David Adams (Mailbox, July 31) and Gordon Newton (August 25) came to conclude that I regard religious belief as "absurd" ( their word, not mine).

A main point of my letter was to deplore this sort of easy labelling.

It would be foolish indeed to deny the historical influence of religion over individuals and groups.

I argued it was an inevitable and understandable phase in human development, but with increased awareness of our existence will play a diminishing role.

Chris Lymn, Oadby.