I've got 2 boys, playing U15 and U11 this season. It's felt like 50% of the games for both this have been unpleasant to attend, mostly due to the antics of coaches and occasionally parents.
Some people have no idea how to behave around kids football, and sadly it's reflected in the behaviour of the kids themselves on the pitch.
My eldest has a quick temper and has been prone to rash, unnecessary fouls. It happens and there are untold kids playing like that. I've spent the last season and a half talking to him about it and encouraging him and he's really grown up this season. Yesterday in his match I saw a real leg-breaker of a challenge , which the referee spoke to the player about. For the rest of the match the kid's Dad was praising him for it and encouraging him to keep getting stuck in like that.
30 minutes later he was booked for lashing out, and his teammates spent the rest of the game shouting at him to calm down. There are some very strange, win at all costs attitudes in kid's football. Sadly, a lot of the fun that should be in it seems to be disappearing.
I used to go and watch my cousin play in a league in Oxford when I used to go and stay for the weekend, my cousin was in a pretty special side they used to win 15+ -0 most matches but the coach would keep the team locked in the changing room if they didn't win 13-0 or more! I found this very strange and it began to get to my uncle aswell! They was also a kid always sub who wasn't as good as the rest but just loved playing but when I was there once the coach bought him on and to my amazement the parents started shouting "he's shit! "Why bring him on"! It was terrible to hear and I felt for the lad! Anyway my uncle was also a very good footballer who was actually taught in PE at school by our Lennie Lawrence! Anyway my ancle convinced my cousin to only want to play for Charlton so while he was being scouted by Oxford, Swindon and Sunderland he turned them down coz they weren't Charlton! He now regrets it and wishes he had gone for trials , he's playing Sunday league football getting kicked up in the air coz he's to quick thinking for them!
It does seem to be peculiar to football only. Rugby doesn't suffer from this at junior levels, nor does cycling (both of which are pretty competitive at junior levels and have a very high level of parental involvement due to the chance of serious injury). I've seen some pretty horrible riding at junior races prior to races I've ridden in - but there's never any aggro from parents.
It does seem to be peculiar to football only. Rugby doesn't suffer from this at junior levels, nor does cycling (both of which are pretty competitive at junior levels and have a very high level of parental involvement due to the chance of serious injury). I've seen some pretty horrible riding at junior races prior to races I've ridden in - but there's never any aggro from parents.
People I work with out here speak of it happening at Ice Hockey - one guy here who coaches his kid's team will come in with a story about a punch up in the stands between Dads at least once or twice a season, so outside of the UK at least it isn't just football.
Of course, it shouldn't happen full stop, regardless of the sport or the venue.
I was playing as a kid (under 18's I think) in Sittingbourne (it could have been the arse end of rainham) and we had a couple of really, really good players and a lot of very hard working 'do the simple stuff well' players. We were always competitive but when games got feisty, as things can when a team from the bright lights of rochester comes to Sittingbourne, a few of the players would go missing.
Now my best mate played in goal, I think he lurks about here but doesn't post so ill be as honest as I can.
He got smashed by a really late, nasty knee high job by the oppositions centre forward. The referee had a chat with the boy who did it, and didn't do anything else.
I wasn't happy with this, so decided justice had to be put into my hands. And he was very good this centre forward I will add.
His centre half whacked a ball up for arsehole number 9 to chase, I could see out centre halves weren't necessarily going to get to where they needed to be in time, I made my own mind up that I could. And goddamit I would. So I sprinted as fast as my fie foot ten frame would allow and as the ball predictably bounced over our centre halves head and right into the line of the 9 I slew myself in front of it, launching the ball into the main road and absolutely wiping this buck toothed streak of piss out. Mud all in his boat, and rolling everywhere. He got up and fronted me about it, giving me the schoolboy classic shove in the chest, saying 'my dad's here you fucking prick'. As I laughed my teenage nuts off I told him mine was as well, and did he want to make something of it or just run along for some carrots, or something equally as funny.
His dad was Derek hales, and him and my father knew each other from way back when. Or my dad knew his uncle, something like that. I was also substituted at half time as unbeknown to me (at the time) he was also on charlton's books. To be fair he was mustard. And I had upset him and his manager enough to convince the referee to speak to our manager and remove me from the field of play. Which I thought then, and still do now, was a wanky thing to do.
He then whacked in four or five goals pretty much uncontested from anyone playing for my side.
I hope that doesn't go on today, but then I doubt any half decent kids are unnoticed at that age anyway nowadays or even allowed to play local football on a Sunday
Almost dreading one of my boys wanting to play football and having to deal with arsehole dads and coaches thinking kids stuff is the World Cup just because they were frustrated in their own footballing failures.
Remember thinking as a kid that the dad who always stood 50ft away from everyone else was a bit odd. Now I know he was the only sensible one of the lot
For football my dad used to drop me off at the game and then pick me up after.
And for cricket, he used to sit in the bar with an occasional look out of the window.
His approach stemmed from when he watched my first cricket game from the boundary and got frustrated because I struggled (and gave me a bollocking after).
Next day, he apologised and said he'd never do that again....and he didn't. But he did make sure I got to all the games across the UK and all the net practices around the North Circular! I remain very grateful for his support in those early days.
His dad was Derek hales, and him and my father knew each other from way back when. Or my dad knew his uncle, something like that. I was also substituted at half time as unbeknown to me (at the time) he was also on Charlton's books.
Guess that was Leigh Hales you went up against then?
His dad was Derek hales, and him and my father knew each other from way back when. Or my dad knew his uncle, something like that. I was also substituted at half time as unbeknown to me (at the time) he was also on Charlton's books.
Guess that was Leigh Hales you went up against then?
Yes, I've come across him since and he was pretty funny company. We've got a few mutual friends and I've heard he's also really good at golf. The bastard!
Comments
Of course, it shouldn't happen full stop, regardless of the sport or the venue.
I was playing as a kid (under 18's I think) in Sittingbourne (it could have been the arse end of rainham) and we had a couple of really, really good players and a lot of very hard working 'do the simple stuff well' players. We were always competitive but when games got feisty, as things can when a team from the bright lights of rochester comes to Sittingbourne, a few of the players would go missing.
Now my best mate played in goal, I think he lurks about here but doesn't post so ill be as honest as I can.
He got smashed by a really late, nasty knee high job by the oppositions centre forward. The referee had a chat with the boy who did it, and didn't do anything else.
I wasn't happy with this, so decided justice had to be put into my hands. And he was very good this centre forward I will add.
His centre half whacked a ball up for arsehole number 9 to chase, I could see out centre halves weren't necessarily going to get to where they needed to be in time, I made my own mind up that I could. And goddamit I would. So I sprinted as fast as my fie foot ten frame would allow and as the ball predictably bounced over our centre halves head and right into the line of the 9 I slew myself in front of it, launching the ball into the main road and absolutely wiping this buck toothed streak of piss out. Mud all in his boat, and rolling everywhere. He got up and fronted me about it, giving me the schoolboy classic shove in the chest, saying 'my dad's here you fucking prick'. As I laughed my teenage nuts off I told him mine was as well, and did he want to make something of it or just run along for some carrots, or something equally as funny.
His dad was Derek hales, and him and my father knew each other from way back when. Or my dad knew his uncle, something like that. I was also substituted at half time as unbeknown to me (at the time) he was also on charlton's books. To be fair he was mustard. And I had upset him and his manager enough to convince the referee to speak to our manager and remove me from the field of play. Which I thought then, and still do now, was a wanky thing to do.
He then whacked in four or five goals pretty much uncontested from anyone playing for my side.
I hope that doesn't go on today, but then I doubt any half decent kids are unnoticed at that age anyway nowadays or even allowed to play local football on a Sunday
And for cricket, he used to sit in the bar with an occasional look out of the window.
His approach stemmed from when he watched my first cricket game from the boundary and got frustrated because I struggled (and gave me a bollocking after).
Next day, he apologised and said he'd never do that again....and he didn't. But he did make sure I got to all the games across the UK and all the net practices around the North Circular! I remain very grateful for his support in those early days.