Well.. My sons team South Hiendley Harriers played Ecclesfield red rose away today. Nearly all game one of their players was standing on my sons toes with his studs, ragging his shirt all over, pushing him constantly… etc. eventually my son got a bit fed up of it and started using his body to stand him up and using his strength.. he got pushed again so my son pushed the player back but then ref gave a free kick to other team. He suddenly saw a push but never saw any of others what’s was happening, as the ref awarded the free kick the other kid turned round to my son and punched him straight in the face. This is U11s!!!! The kid got a red card (first one I’ve seen at this age) but obviously I wasn’t happy and started clapping the referees decision and said well done ref.. The kids mother was stood next to me and started having a go at me.. how in the right mind can she even think about having a go at me when her son as just punched another kid in the face on a football pitch. I obviously didn’t just stand there and let her mouth at me, told her she’s raising a brilliant little kid if he’s able to do that in a match. It was really a good job r lass was working and couldn’t come to the match or that little argument we had would have been something a little different.
I’ve seen worse behaviour at grassroots level compared to grown adults tbh and it’s usually the parents that are the worst behaved tbh.
Must have been something in the air today. I was embarrassed by two sets of parents/and coaches behaviour. Seriously considering if I want to continue helping with the coaching.
Kids generally follow how they are brought up. If they are brought up to play fair, be respectful and generally play the game right, they will. If they have pricks as a parent, then their kids will generally be a ***** on the pitch. The end
Some of the behaviours on display at kids football is thoroughly depressing. At a TRAINING session my lad was at, some kids Dad at the fence shouting ‘go through him’ from the side. Which his lad duly did. 9 years old these kids. I can definitely see how trouble flares up between parents. I told the bloke to chill out and his response was basically ‘it’s part of the game, if they can’t handle it they shouldn’t be playing’. If it had been my lad on the receiving end of that tackle, it wouldn’t have ended well with me and his dad
My Grandson been playing since u6s and fortunately only felt uneasy on a couple of occasions. We all want our kids to do well some parent's and on some occasions coaches are beyond the pale. Big question granty did you win that usually shuts them up .
Hope he is okay and it hasn't put him off playing. Grass roots football is hard sometimes I find it's the pushy parents who are the worst and spoil it. My lad has played since u7s and I've seen and heard some poor stuff in that time mostly from parents.
25 years ago my lad started at U7's. played for 10 yrs and it was just the same as described in these posts. worse when we were in Sheffield and Hallam league but still came across behaviour like it in Huddersfield when we joined them. and ye it's the parents not the kids.
Wow at 9 years old? This is what's wrong at grass roots. It's now a well known fact that you have to keep kids interested. And enjoy it. And that can take well into being 13 at least. No wonder many fail, its purely down to the pressure that kids have from the very own parents. And 9 times out of 10, it's because the parents were crap as well. Kids that age just want to play. And that's it
We had one who his kid was a fairly decent player but still made mistakes as all kids do. If another kid would get the ball and loose possession he would be getting stressed or saying stuff under his breath like pass the ball or should have done that etc negative stuff. But his child would lose the ball... nothing. So many times I wanted to pull him on it but when the football stopped he was the nicest bloke ever just brings out the worst in some people.
I had a very unsavoury incident when refereeing at U10s level - they don’t bother having paid refs so I was just doing it to help out. long and short of it some parent screamed at my “you cheating xunt!!” Across the pitch then tried to headbutt one kids grandad as he was told to go sit in his car. Absolute madness, team were from Athersley.
When I was coaching we always had issues at Red Rose. They had a number red cards and revolting parents. It was one of those fixtures you hoped you’d get a strong ref and a good result. I think we played them quite regularly from u12 to u16. One lad who caused a lot of issues and I think got sent off a couple of times against us had tattoos at 14!
Unfortunately fell to a 3-1 loss but how they lost was beyond me. Was the way better team, just couldn’t put the chances away
I dont know what power refs have. But can parents be told to leave the vicinity of the pitch out of sight. If they don't. Abandon the game. Maybe they'll get the hint and those reasonable ones demand they be removed from the club. And why dont clubs ban em and their kids till they behave responsibly. Sure little Jonny wouldn't be pleased. And if they have to register. Withdraw applications to join a club at league organisation level. And pass on to other associations.
My lad plays for Holmfirth Town U10s in the Huddersfield Junior Football League. Clubs from Halifax, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield all play in this league. By far and away the worst clubs weve encountered are Wakefield / Leeds based. It appears to be a "win at all costs mentality" and a different brand of football! We had numerous incidents in a game at Horbury last season where their coaches were telling the referee every decision from the sidelines and that included denying us 3 clear and obvious penalties! It was absolutely disgraceful the way they behaved that day and it's junior football for goodness sake!