Kids football parents going crazy

I fear for the future with some of the parents of our youngsters and their football watching.

Watching an under 9s game local to me yesterday with a 15 year old lad giving up his spare time on a Saturday to referee. Couple of parents constantly at him and also shouting to the players. Atmosphere was awful. Spoke the parents telling them he was 15 and then his mother got involved as did the welfare officer. Horrendous.

There was then a really fractious atmosphere on the pitch and two 8 or 9 year old lads squared up to each other.

I’m still angry now.

Too many parents trying to live vicariously through their kids. Failed sportsmen hoping their child secures their retirement fund.

The problem is systemic.
There should be tougher rules brought in around how the officials are treated in the professional game.
Players surrounding the referee.

I'm not surprised you're still angry. Just disgusting behaviour. A kid referring a kids football match. Poor lad.
Putting pressure on these little kids where it should just be about having fun and enjoying the game.
After all only a tiny percentage of kids make it pro. Let alone play for top clubs

Ive also seen a 15 year old ref walk off crying after abuse from parents.

I was the same, blood boiled and I made sure the clowns knew about it.

Its a disgrace.

Ive also seen a 15 year old ref walk off crying after abuse from parents.

I was the same, blood boiled and I made sure the clowns knew about it.

Its a disgrace.

I refereed the second game as the lad wasn’t going to do it. I was torn as I wanted there to be implications for their behaviour but the kids wanted to play and they weren’t the wrong uns.

The atmosphere was horrible. I offered them the opportunity to do a half as well which they turned down. A player went down with an injury so I blew the whistle to deal with that and while dealing with that two 8 year olds squared up to each other. The teams coach had a go at me for missing that and I said I was dealing with an injury and if you want to shout the odds about 8 year olds squaring up to each other speak to your dickhead fans who were also the reason for the previous ref walking off.
He called me out for calling them dickheads and said he was going to report me. I stood by my comment.

I’m really hopeful it does get reported. The 15 year old plays for my cricket team and I know his dad and they said he’s quite upset.

Ive also seen a 15 year old ref walk off crying after abuse from parents.

I was the same, blood boiled and I made sure the clowns knew about it.

It’s a disgrace.

Fair play to you mate.
Wish I was there to back you up. Chavy parents who would then run and cry when get put in their place.

Respect mate.

Ive also seen a 15 year old ref walk off crying after abuse from parents.

I was the same, blood boiled and I made sure the clowns knew about it.

Its a disgrace.

I refereed the second game as the lad wasn’t going to do it. I was torn as I wanted there to be implications for their behaviour but the kids wanted to play and they weren’t the wrong uns.

The atmosphere was horrible. I offered them the opportunity to do a half as well which they turned down. A player went down with an injury so I blew the whistle to deal with that and while dealing with that two 8 year olds squared up to each other. The teams coach had a go at me for missing that and I said I was dealing with an injury and if you want to shout the odds about 8 year olds squaring up to each other speak to your dickhead fans who were also the reason for the previous ref walking off.
He called me out for calling them dickheads and said he was going to report me. I stood by my comment.

I’m really hopeful it does get reported. The 15 year old plays for my cricket team and I know his dad and they said he’s quite upset.

Fair play to you mate.
Typical chavy self entitled parents.
I use to watch my nephew play the egg and most of the matches were vile to be at. Fight on pitch fights after fights between parents. Refs crying little brothers and sisters crying.
Matches abandoned. It’s a mess. I genuinely belive that the pro game in rugby is now feeling the effects of kids dropping out. Hope that football isn’t going the same way.

I would be all for the games played with just coaches and officials present. The kids will benefit from it I believe.

Ive also seen a 15 year old ref walk off crying after abuse from parents.

I was the same, blood boiled and I made sure the clowns knew about it.

Its a disgrace.

I refereed the second game as the lad wasn’t going to do it. I was torn as I wanted there to be implications for their behaviour but the kids wanted to play and they weren’t the wrong uns.

The atmosphere was horrible. I offered them the opportunity to do a half as well which they turned down. A player went down with an injury so I blew the whistle to deal with that and while dealing with that two 8 year olds squared up to each other. The teams coach had a go at me for missing that and I said I was dealing with an injury and if you want to shout the odds about 8 year olds squaring up to each other speak to your dickhead fans who were also the reason for the previous ref walking off.
He called me out for calling them dickheads and said he was going to report me. I stood by my comment.

I’m really hopeful it does get reported. The 15 year old plays for my cricket team and I know his dad and they said he’s quite upset.

Fair play to you mate.
Typical chavy self entitled parents.
I use to watch my nephew play the egg and most of the matches were vile to be at. Fight on pitch fights after fights between parents. Refs crying little brothers and sisters crying.
Matches abandoned. It’s a mess. I genuinely belive that the pro game in rugby is now feeling the effects of kids dropping out. Hope that football isn’t going the same way.

I would be all for the games played with just coaches and officials present. The kids will benefit from it I believe.

Good points made there mate.
I’ve seen it in rugby at a terrible level, luckily my grandsons football is very well run with extremely respectful parents who are glad that referees give up their time to help.

We watch the oldest grandson (8) every weekend, first it was baseball & now it's football (U.S. version) and some of the parents are ridiculous, thankfully they get told to sit down & behave most of time although the son in law did get into it with a guy at the baseball once because he wouldn't sit down and stop shouting abuse at the umpire.

Thankfully it didn't end in fisticuffs because a few other parents stepped in but it can get very dodgy here because some crazy might take offence, go to his car & come back wielding a gun, which the wife has to remind me of sometimes.

I'm involved with our local footie club.

We've recently removed a few players from one of our teams and the club as a whole due to an incident at a match involving the lads and parents. The coaches concerned have our full club support to do this, as do coaches at all our played levels.

Several of our coaches hold reffing tickets and indeed do ref around matches as time permits in our leagues and surrounding leagues, so they see quite a lot of this.

I've often at some matches had to step in and remind parents and indeed young lads about respect even if you feel agrieved at a decision - the ref's word is final.

I've try before home matches to have chats to refs/young refs and their parents to encourage and thank them for their efforts - its a small thing, just touch base - offer bottles of water, keys to ref changing room so they can come and go as they need and feeling their gear is secure as they hold the key to the room. Also, make sure the ref fee is there ready for them at the start - don't make them have to chase their fees at the end.

Refs are an essential part of youth football - without them it often decends into an even worse situation with hefty claims of bias etc - we try on unreffed games to agree a 50/50 split on reffing with opposition so a willing member from each side does a half each. That way, it does seem to level the playing field and fend off bias arguments - not all teams go for it mind. We will as is the norm do a 50/50 split on lino's. Further to this if our younger teams are playing a side without numbers - we will offer up some of our subs to them so its a more level game - it also means lads get game time even if they are playing against us for some of that time but that only seems to affect the younger ages upto about 10/11 we've found.

Been told that in the Netherlands, parents are forbidden from saying anything from the sidelines.

Too many parents trying to live vicariously through their kids. Failed sportsmen hoping their child secures their retirement fund.

Hit the nail on the head there mate. When my lad was 8 and playing on a Saturday morning I couldn't believe some of the parents attitude. Kids were fine but some of the adults took it so seriously and got quite aggressive.

I used to help run a kids u12s in the 80s
Refs were few and far between in those days In one game
I was getting abuse, one woman shouting break his leg
I stopped the game and went over to the group in question and told them to stand outside the park
On other occasion a father said to me he was going to bury my head in the ground after the game
I stopped the game and said do it now mate

I see it most weekends unfortunately.

I see parents and coaches trying to live through 7-8 year olds. Screaming at them, arguing over stupid things.

It puts pressure on kids that is not needed, they should be enjoying the game, not worrying about an adult’s reaction.

Most parents thinks their kid is going to be the next Ronaldo, when in reality they will be lucky to be a semi pro.

I see it with kids rugby parents screaming at the ref or kids every Sunday it's ridiculous.

My lad plays rugby for his union club, regional district's union, his school team and rugby legue when union is finished for the season so I've seen it all from parents with kids, It's amazing how many parents think there in the principality stadium watching Wales with a professional ref giving him dogs abuse not u13s rugby match in some random valley in Wales or over the Severn bridge somewhere

I sent emails to their secretary and welfare officer and heard nothing back. Pretty frustrated.

I have both coached and refereed junior rugby in the past from ages from 8 upto 14 and to be honest rarely had problems with the young players. The parents however were a different matter shouting abuse from the touchline when many didn't have a clue about the rules! If it got too bad i would stop the game and walk over to the one shouting the loudest and hand them the whistle and tell them to ref the rest of the game! That would stop them them in their tracks and i could then get on and ref the rest of the game in peace!

I have both coached and refereed junior rugby in the past from ages from 8 upto 14 and to be honest rarely had problems with the young players. The parents however were a different matter shouting abuse from the touchline when many didn't have a clue about the rules! If it got too bad i would stop the game and walk over to the one shouting the loudest and hand them the whistle and tell them to ref the rest of the game! That would stop them them in their tracks and i could then get on and ref the rest of the game in peace!

Brilliant. Yeah I offered the gobshite the second half. He didn’t accept my kind offer.

I remember reffing a game of under 11s around 20 years ago and a player called me a ‘feckin cheat’.
I walked over to their coaches (2 parents) and said ‘I’ve just been sworn at by your number 8. Either take him off, or the game finishes now.’
His reply was ‘We’re not taking him off he’s just really competitive. What’s wrong with you?’
The game ended there and then and tbf when a few parents asked me what happened as I walked off nearly all of them said that it was the right thing to do and a few went up to the coaches asking why the player wasn’t taken off.
Some people think that referees are there to be abused and it’s ’fair game’.