youngblue66
Player Valuation: £750k
What could be more pleasant than a parent taking their child to play football for their local team on a weekend?
Well, if we can overlook the mimicking of their professional heroes as they feign an injury or do not respect the judgement of match officials, there has been an underlying issue for many years that seems to be now becoming more prevalent. It is an issue that should be addressed by the FA Chairman's England Commission tasked with improving our game from grass roots level as this could drive youngsters out of the game. What is the issue?
It is the abusive and aggressive behaviour of spectators, many of them parents of the players, who are threatening the very lifeblood of our game. A recent survey of 100 such spectators revealed that only one would consider becoming a referee because they would not be able to withstand the abuse they themselves were witnessing. These referees taking such abuse are sometimes very young and still learning the game and should they say 'enough is enough' well, no referee - no game, full stop.
Mal Lee, the founder of Don't X The Line Campaign and based in Liverpool says 'The touchlines at our junior leagues have become a breeding ground for verbal abuse, mainly directed at referees.
'Some of these pushy parents feel that they have to show their aggression and anger in front of the children. Do they realise what sort of message they are sending out to these children; the future of our country'.
It's not just verbal abuse, rival spectators have been seen facing up to each other with baseball bats leaving children crying; chasing referees from the pitch, forcing matches to be abandoned; and committee members leaving because of the violence and abusive language.
There are now too many parents living out their own 'football manager dream' at the expense of their children. Children as young as ten are being shouted at for 'not holding the line', not tackling hard enough because their opponent has recovered immediately - 'put your foot in' being the phrase, and remember this is on a full size pitch. Some youngsters don't know what 'a sweeper' is although they have been playing in that position all season. The kids don't know who to listen to at times, the parents or the manager.
Well, if we can overlook the mimicking of their professional heroes as they feign an injury or do not respect the judgement of match officials, there has been an underlying issue for many years that seems to be now becoming more prevalent. It is an issue that should be addressed by the FA Chairman's England Commission tasked with improving our game from grass roots level as this could drive youngsters out of the game. What is the issue?
It is the abusive and aggressive behaviour of spectators, many of them parents of the players, who are threatening the very lifeblood of our game. A recent survey of 100 such spectators revealed that only one would consider becoming a referee because they would not be able to withstand the abuse they themselves were witnessing. These referees taking such abuse are sometimes very young and still learning the game and should they say 'enough is enough' well, no referee - no game, full stop.
Mal Lee, the founder of Don't X The Line Campaign and based in Liverpool says 'The touchlines at our junior leagues have become a breeding ground for verbal abuse, mainly directed at referees.
'Some of these pushy parents feel that they have to show their aggression and anger in front of the children. Do they realise what sort of message they are sending out to these children; the future of our country'.
It's not just verbal abuse, rival spectators have been seen facing up to each other with baseball bats leaving children crying; chasing referees from the pitch, forcing matches to be abandoned; and committee members leaving because of the violence and abusive language.
There are now too many parents living out their own 'football manager dream' at the expense of their children. Children as young as ten are being shouted at for 'not holding the line', not tackling hard enough because their opponent has recovered immediately - 'put your foot in' being the phrase, and remember this is on a full size pitch. Some youngsters don't know what 'a sweeper' is although they have been playing in that position all season. The kids don't know who to listen to at times, the parents or the manager.
