RE THE article in the 18 July Daily Echo about facilities for athletes at the sports centre.

There is indeed much more that could be done to improve the centre – the ancillary facilities have been poor for ALL sports for many years.

They do however have an all-weather track and I do not believe in times of massive cutbacks by councils they are the worst in the country.

Many clubs have to share facilities – the track at Portsmouth is used by more than one.

Southampton City AC could do more to help themselves instead of giving the impression that they expect others to make improvements for them by using the pages of the Daily Echo to promote their cause.

The current portacabins were originally purchased by Team Solent as part of their effort to upgrade facilities.

That these are now in such a poor state should shame the current occupants as should their failure to take forward the planning permission for a clubhouse previously granted to Team Southampton and now expired.

Despite this the best facilities in the country do not make good athletes.

Good coaches do this. Iwan Thomas, Roger Black, Kris Akabusi and many more came to Southampton to be coached by Mike Smith, not for the facilities.

No-one complained. One venue was Thornhill Youth Club with no athletic equipment and where athletes bounced over the backs of chairs as part of their training – impressive to watch but hardly top class facilities.

Mike didn’t retire. He plus other coaches were usurped by the new committee when they abandoned the heritage and excellence of Team Solent/Team Southampton.

It seems they shot themselves in their collective spiked feet!

Jo Smith, Thornhill