17/04/2014 00:00
TW
0

Rugby Centre of Excellence
Dear Sir,
When I read my old Irish “mucker” Captain Patrick Griffith’s letter in today’s Daily Bulletin, I thought “Aye aye, he’s been on the ‘medianas’ again down in Toni’s bar in Binissalem.”
Your comments about “when (not if) Real Mallorca get demoted” really cheered me up no end. Nice to have a kick in the teeth when you’re down and nearly out.
I’m guessing you’ve never seen Mallorca play in all the years you’ve lived here and are another armchair critic who couldn’t give a monkeys about the local professional football team. I even come and watch Binissalem occasionally!
Rugby has blossomed on Majorca and I know your goodself and the late John Rule were instrumental in making it more popular to the masses.
Yes, Patrick, Real Mallorca are in deep do-do at the moment, as are 99.9% of all Spanish teams. It doesn’t help matters when we’re being run by egotistical Neanderthals who’ve made a monumental mess of everything.
By all means bring more “egg-chasers” to the Son Moix (which by the way we only rent from Palma Ayuntamiento) but there’s no way Real Mallorca as a footballing institution will die after 98 historical years. The club needs investment big time from wherever, but whatever happens we’ll rise again like a Phoenix from the ashes!
I’m all in favour of ground-sharing with rugby clubs, it happens in the UK and France so why not here? Maybe Scotland’s rugby team could be the first side at the Centre of Excellence. God knows, like Mallorca, they also need as much divine intervention as they can get.
Visca Mallorca!
Monroe Bryce

Cyclists
Dear Sir,
With more than 225,000 kms of cycling experience, 50,000 kms of which is in heavy urban traffic, 20 years of racing, the lead on cycling safety legislation in my home country (Canada), I can tell you the main culprit in the recent cycling accidents in Majorca.
It is the cyclists, not vehicular traffic! In my fifteen months over five years of cycling here, I am amazed at the recklessness of cyclists here. Running red lights, riding on the wrong side of the road, taking the race line down mountain switchbacks (i.e. cutting the corner ... oh my, there is now a car heading at me!), all lead to many of the accidents we now read about. Here are some things that need to be done:
(1) Police start handing out tickets. Good on the police for ticketing, two weeks ago, the cyclist that ran a red light. That news ran through the local cycling community like wild fire. For half a day, post a police officer on the Col de Soller. Hand out tickets when the descending cyclists cut the corners on the switch backs. Better than one of them going through the wind shield on an oncoming car.
(2) Cycling tour group leaders must brief their newly arrived cyclists on the rules of the road. Having ridden with some of these groups, these tour group leaders are failing in their ‘duty of care’. These riders are all over the road!
(3) Regulators need to clarify whether two abreast riding is legal or not in Majorca. Nobody knows. On  major arterial roads, then ticket those riding three/four/more abreast. Don’t bother ticketing on the quiet country lanes. And in closing, I am getting a little tired of climbing in the mountains fearing that I am going to be hit by some descending fool that has decided to cut the switch back corner.
Peter Dwyer
Santa Catalina

Floodlights

Dear Sir,
I would like to say that I am impressed with the floodlights on Magalluf beach. Unfortunately not all of them have been positioned correctly.
The one outside Nawaab, and the one outside Wave House, have been erected parallel to the palm trees. This means that the only thing lit up of a night is the palm tree, and not the beach. As pretty as it looks, it will not solve the problem of robberies on the beach at night. These are the lights that are supposed to shine on the sun beds, where most of these robberies occur. That part of the beach is still in darkness!!
As for security during the day, it is non existent. I sat on the beach today, and every couple of minutes was approached by illegal Chinese massage girls/ boys.
There must of been about eight of them, (four from years gone by, and some new recruits).
These along with the sunglass sellers, do not make for a pleasant day on the beach. No police in sight all day.
Sue
Magalluf