Over the past four years your newspaper has belittled the thousands of local non-league football players and supporters nearly every week, with comments about football below League 2.

But your chief football writer Jon Murray went too far recently, when he stated that ‘Oxford United can again bask in the glow of being back in proper football’.

That’s a real smack in the face to every non-league football club in the county, from Southern league sides like Banbury, Oxford City and Didcot Town, right down to the Sunday league pub sides – who, I assure you play proper football every week.

It is also an insult to the vast army of volunteers who run these clubs and teams, and the fans who support them, many who, I’m sure, buy your newspaper.

Let me remind you that Oxford United came from Southern League football not all that long ago, and it’s a lot easier to fall back into that level, than get out of it, as United themselves will confirm.

History will also confirm that United have spent more time below League 2, than in and above it, either as Oxford or Headington United and I’m sure, during all that time, those involved believed that they were playing proper football.

So please remember, all footballers – whether full-time professionals or part-timers – play proper football with the same size ball, on the same pitches and to the same rules. It’s just the standard that is different.

Tim Englefield Green Close Didcot