Spitting in football: an open letter to FIFA

Dear Mr. Blatter
FIFA

As a new season of Premier League football approaches, I would like to appeal to you to make the sickening and offensive practice of spitting and discharging of nasal mucus on the pitch a yellow card offence.

Spitting is not necessary; indeed the retention of fluids in the body is beneficial in sport. Furthermore, since football is a contact sport, players will fall to the ground where they must come face to face with the body fluids of others. It is therefore, at the very least, a health and safety issue.

This unedifying and unhealthy practice b rought directly, through the medium of television, into the sitting rooms of houses is seen and copied by youngsters replicating the actions of their heroes. Now, ahead of the next World Cup where the game will be watched by billions of people, is the time to call a halt to the practice before it brings the sport into disrepute. Enough is enough.