I like dogs as much as the next person but I don't understand why dog owners feel the need to bring them to the side-lines of their children's sports games. Even if they are on a lead, they still have a tendency to trip the unsuspecting Mum or Dad supporting their little June or Johnny. It also creeps me out when they urinate precisely in the spot – usually around the half-way line – where most kids throw down their drink bottles. And then there are the kids that are scared of dogs and have to take to the sports field following an anxious game of ‘dodge the canine'. Please leave them at home.

I Goldsmith, Bureta.