Football Hooligans and Thugs
Discussion
Football hooliganism, thuggery and violence is here to stay.
Last week my son's team played a team whose manager seemed to enjoy abusing and mocking our players. It got quite personal, and his players also waded in with the name calling. It wasn't in the spirit of the game, especially when you consider that whilst the 14-15 year-olds on the pitch look like young men, they are still kids under the protection of adults.
The problem was, their parents joined in too and got on the referee's back, then started on the linesman (a player's dad). The name calling started with calling one of our players rubbish, to calling the linesman, 'too slow because he's fat'. You could see how much the manager was enjoying it because he was turning around to his bench and laughing after almost every comment. It was clear a big part of their game was to get into the players' heads. Some parents (of our boys) commented that the manager was making monkey chants in the car park. When you see the teams, it might be said that the chants were aimed at one or two of our players.
Yesterday the boys played another team - a top of the table clash - and their manager addressed the referee as 'oi' every time he wanted his attention. This was usually followed with 'f
k off...' before launching into why he was questioning the on-field decision. At one point, our manager said something about some shirt pulling, to which that same manager looked him in the face and said, "fk off you little prick". A parent taking pictures told our manager to leave it and walk away from the abusive man and he himself was told by the man's assistant to foxtrot oscar. An exchange ensued and the manager threatened to, 'come over there and sort' that parent out. He jumped over the rail but stopped seemingly anticipating that someone would hold him back, which someone eventually did (but more to tell him to get back). The referee said he didn't hear the exchange but warned any further nonsense will be punished. Towards the end of the game, a final warning was given to that same guy.
As the incident died down in the technical area, an oppo player's mum marched over to stand behind our subs who were stood next to the dugout. She then started shouting support for her own team. This 'support' was very loud and clearly an act of solidarity for the heated exchange moments earlier. The mood on the pitch changed too as the tackles got more aggressive and the players (oppo) constantly shouted at the referee and linesman. There were also some jibes aimed at our manager.
Whilst there is a strong case for 'talking' during game play to be part of the game, what I saw in these two games was how one person: the manager, is influencing the next generation of thugs. It's a problem that isn't going away. Fining these teams does nothing more than pay into the league coffers. Tougher sanctions are needed, such as lengthy bans, points deductions or even ejection from competition.
This is my first season as a parent after having been heavily involved in running the team my son was playing in previously. I do miss it, but I'm enjoying watching my son play more than having my eyes, ear and mind on 16 players during the game! I also love footy, but was a rugby player in my day; the football banter can be very entertaining between fans but this is an ugly side of the sport which, in my opinion, the governing bodies can do more now to make it a better environment in the future.
Jumping over the pitch banners to 'go and sort out' a parent is a disgraceful act and should be enough for that person to be sanctioned some time away from football to think about his actions.
Last week my son's team played a team whose manager seemed to enjoy abusing and mocking our players. It got quite personal, and his players also waded in with the name calling. It wasn't in the spirit of the game, especially when you consider that whilst the 14-15 year-olds on the pitch look like young men, they are still kids under the protection of adults.
The problem was, their parents joined in too and got on the referee's back, then started on the linesman (a player's dad). The name calling started with calling one of our players rubbish, to calling the linesman, 'too slow because he's fat'. You could see how much the manager was enjoying it because he was turning around to his bench and laughing after almost every comment. It was clear a big part of their game was to get into the players' heads. Some parents (of our boys) commented that the manager was making monkey chants in the car park. When you see the teams, it might be said that the chants were aimed at one or two of our players.
Yesterday the boys played another team - a top of the table clash - and their manager addressed the referee as 'oi' every time he wanted his attention. This was usually followed with 'f
k off...' before launching into why he was questioning the on-field decision. At one point, our manager said something about some shirt pulling, to which that same manager looked him in the face and said, "fk off you little prick". A parent taking pictures told our manager to leave it and walk away from the abusive man and he himself was told by the man's assistant to foxtrot oscar. An exchange ensued and the manager threatened to, 'come over there and sort' that parent out. He jumped over the rail but stopped seemingly anticipating that someone would hold him back, which someone eventually did (but more to tell him to get back). The referee said he didn't hear the exchange but warned any further nonsense will be punished. Towards the end of the game, a final warning was given to that same guy. As the incident died down in the technical area, an oppo player's mum marched over to stand behind our subs who were stood next to the dugout. She then started shouting support for her own team. This 'support' was very loud and clearly an act of solidarity for the heated exchange moments earlier. The mood on the pitch changed too as the tackles got more aggressive and the players (oppo) constantly shouted at the referee and linesman. There were also some jibes aimed at our manager.
Whilst there is a strong case for 'talking' during game play to be part of the game, what I saw in these two games was how one person: the manager, is influencing the next generation of thugs. It's a problem that isn't going away. Fining these teams does nothing more than pay into the league coffers. Tougher sanctions are needed, such as lengthy bans, points deductions or even ejection from competition.
This is my first season as a parent after having been heavily involved in running the team my son was playing in previously. I do miss it, but I'm enjoying watching my son play more than having my eyes, ear and mind on 16 players during the game! I also love footy, but was a rugby player in my day; the football banter can be very entertaining between fans but this is an ugly side of the sport which, in my opinion, the governing bodies can do more now to make it a better environment in the future.
Jumping over the pitch banners to 'go and sort out' a parent is a disgraceful act and should be enough for that person to be sanctioned some time away from football to think about his actions.
Nothing in your post surprises me.
I'm not a lover of football, not because I don't like the game - I actually find it really enjoyable to watch.
It's the fans that have always put me off. I've been to a few games and every time you feel like you're about to get the st kicked out of you.
I've never understood it, and when the time comes I'll be trying to steer my lad towards rugby instead, which you'd think would be a far more violent sport but emotions never seem to run so high as in football.
I'm not a lover of football, not because I don't like the game - I actually find it really enjoyable to watch.
It's the fans that have always put me off. I've been to a few games and every time you feel like you're about to get the s
t kicked out of you. I've never understood it, and when the time comes I'll be trying to steer my lad towards rugby instead, which you'd think would be a far more violent sport but emotions never seem to run so high as in football.
Glassman said:
Football hooliganism, thuggery and violence is here to stay.
Last week my son's team played a team whose manager seemed to enjoy abusing and mocking our players. It got quite personal, and his players also waded in with the name calling. It wasn't in the spirit of the game, especially when you consider that whilst the 14-15 year-olds on the pitch look like young men, they are still kids under the protection of adults.
The problem was, their parents joined in too and got on the referee's back, then started on the linesman (a player's dad). The name calling started with calling one of our players rubbish, to calling the linesman, 'too slow because he's fat'. You could see how much the manager was enjoying it because he was turning around to his bench and laughing after almost every comment. It was clear a big part of their game was to get into the players' heads. Some parents (of our boys) commented that the manager was making monkey chants in the car park. When you see the teams, it might be said that the chants were aimed at one or two of our players.
Yesterday the boys played another team - a top of the table clash - and their manager addressed the referee as 'oi' every time he wanted his attention. This was usually followed with 'fk off...' before launching into why he was questioning the on-field decision. At one point, our manager said something about some shirt pulling, to which that same manager looked him in the face and said, "fk off you little prick". A parent taking pictures told our manager to leave it and walk away from the abusive man and he himself was told by the man's assistant to foxtrot oscar. An exchange ensued and the manager threatened to, 'come over there and sort' that parent out. He jumped over the rail but stopped seemingly anticipating that someone would hold him back, which someone eventually did (but more to tell him to get back). The referee said he didn't hear the exchange but warned any further nonsense will be punished. Towards the end of the game, a final warning was given to that same guy.
As the incident died down in the technical area, an oppo player's mum marched over to stand behind our subs who were stood next to the dugout. She then started shouting support for her own team. This 'support' was very loud and clearly an act of solidarity for the heated exchange moments earlier. The mood on the pitch changed too as the tackles got more aggressive and the players (oppo) constantly shouted at the referee and linesman. There were also some jibes aimed at our manager.
Whilst there is a strong case for 'talking' during game play to be part of the game, what I saw in these two games was how one person: the manager, is influencing the next generation of thugs. It's a problem that isn't going away. Fining these teams does nothing more than pay into the league coffers. Tougher sanctions are needed, such as lengthy bans, points deductions or even ejection from competition.
This is my first season as a parent after having been heavily involved in running the team my son was playing in previously. I do miss it, but I'm enjoying watching my son play more than having my eyes, ear and mind on 16 players during the game! I also love footy, but was a rugby player in my day; the football banter can be very entertaining between fans but this is an ugly side of the sport which, in my opinion, the governing bodies can do more now to make it a better environment in the future.
Jumping over the pitch banners to 'go and sort out' a parent is a disgraceful act and should be enough for that person to be sanctioned some time away from football to think about his actions.
Why don't you contact the FA or League with your comments?Last week my son's team played a team whose manager seemed to enjoy abusing and mocking our players. It got quite personal, and his players also waded in with the name calling. It wasn't in the spirit of the game, especially when you consider that whilst the 14-15 year-olds on the pitch look like young men, they are still kids under the protection of adults.
The problem was, their parents joined in too and got on the referee's back, then started on the linesman (a player's dad). The name calling started with calling one of our players rubbish, to calling the linesman, 'too slow because he's fat'. You could see how much the manager was enjoying it because he was turning around to his bench and laughing after almost every comment. It was clear a big part of their game was to get into the players' heads. Some parents (of our boys) commented that the manager was making monkey chants in the car park. When you see the teams, it might be said that the chants were aimed at one or two of our players.
Yesterday the boys played another team - a top of the table clash - and their manager addressed the referee as 'oi' every time he wanted his attention. This was usually followed with 'f
k off...' before launching into why he was questioning the on-field decision. At one point, our manager said something about some shirt pulling, to which that same manager looked him in the face and said, "fk off you little prick". A parent taking pictures told our manager to leave it and walk away from the abusive man and he himself was told by the man's assistant to foxtrot oscar. An exchange ensued and the manager threatened to, 'come over there and sort' that parent out. He jumped over the rail but stopped seemingly anticipating that someone would hold him back, which someone eventually did (but more to tell him to get back). The referee said he didn't hear the exchange but warned any further nonsense will be punished. Towards the end of the game, a final warning was given to that same guy. As the incident died down in the technical area, an oppo player's mum marched over to stand behind our subs who were stood next to the dugout. She then started shouting support for her own team. This 'support' was very loud and clearly an act of solidarity for the heated exchange moments earlier. The mood on the pitch changed too as the tackles got more aggressive and the players (oppo) constantly shouted at the referee and linesman. There were also some jibes aimed at our manager.
Whilst there is a strong case for 'talking' during game play to be part of the game, what I saw in these two games was how one person: the manager, is influencing the next generation of thugs. It's a problem that isn't going away. Fining these teams does nothing more than pay into the league coffers. Tougher sanctions are needed, such as lengthy bans, points deductions or even ejection from competition.
This is my first season as a parent after having been heavily involved in running the team my son was playing in previously. I do miss it, but I'm enjoying watching my son play more than having my eyes, ear and mind on 16 players during the game! I also love footy, but was a rugby player in my day; the football banter can be very entertaining between fans but this is an ugly side of the sport which, in my opinion, the governing bodies can do more now to make it a better environment in the future.
Jumping over the pitch banners to 'go and sort out' a parent is a disgraceful act and should be enough for that person to be sanctioned some time away from football to think about his actions.
tele_lover said:
Why don't you contact the FA or League with your comments?
Two years ago, by assistant, a (then) 20 year-old uni lad - who had his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder - was punched in the same shoulder (as well as a glancing blow to the face) after a match. The incident was witnessed by everyone present and one parent managed to catch the tail end of it on his phone. There was no hearing, and based on the available evidence, a £15 fine was sanctioned (same as a player getting a yellow card). The 'investigation' was a joke and I get the feeling that a lot of these people in higher places have history with some clubs or the people in them...
Football is run by morons in the main. I was involved with two local clubs (non league) where the constant demand for money is what the daily fight is about. However, there are too many attracted to these clubs who don't know how to behave, can't discipline their players because they themselves have no discipline or moral standards. It's all toxic. And yes, the local FA are are mates and chums with these turds that infect the clubs. So there is no point in complaining.
It is the reason I no longer get involved. The mental stress of it all it incredibly tiring.
It is the reason I no longer get involved. The mental stress of it all it incredibly tiring.
What frustrates me here is how the referees don't deal with this, either by retrospective reporting or using the authority they have to sanction. I used to go and mentor younger refs and this was my biggest issue in terms of development, half the time they are young kids so I understand they don't have the authority or just get picked on, but it needs to be addressed on the day.
I didn't do kids or grassroots football for very long, but if I had heard or seen what the OP was describing, I'd be sticking people in the car park or just abandoning the game.
I didn't do kids or grassroots football for very long, but if I had heard or seen what the OP was describing, I'd be sticking people in the car park or just abandoning the game.
Jefferson Steelflex said:
What frustrates me here is how the referees don't deal with this, either by retrospective reporting or using the authority they have to sanction. I used to go and mentor younger refs and this was my biggest issue in terms of development, half the time they are young kids so I understand they don't have the authority or just get picked on, but it needs to be addressed on the day.
I didn't do kids or grassroots football for very long, but if I had heard or seen what the OP was describing, I'd be sticking people in the car park or just abandoning the game.
I think referees (of all ages) are intimidated and fear for what might happen. They need better protection and the first step would be to ban anyone that abuses them. The cameras might prove to be a good installment in the grand scheme, but chuck out some points deductions and retrospective bans. That's what'll hurt 'em most. I didn't do kids or grassroots football for very long, but if I had heard or seen what the OP was describing, I'd be sticking people in the car park or just abandoning the game.
Team walking off en masse or the referee sanctioning or abandoning the game for parents behaviour is the only way. Difficult wiht young people starting their officiating journey and stamping their authority but the only way these people will learn is the children missing out due to their thick as fk parents behaviour.
You can all picture the demographic of the worst offenders as well. Knock off Air Max wearing jack in the boxes who spend their Saturday nights in Wetherspoons bogs hammering the Columbian marching powder thinking they are Rocky Balboa
k parents behaviour. You can all picture the demographic of the worst offenders as well. Knock off Air Max wearing jack in the boxes who spend their Saturday nights in Wetherspoons bogs hammering the Columbian marching powder thinking they are Rocky Balboa
bigpriest said:
I'm guessing if you withdrew your team from the game there would be a fine on its way to you and a non-existant appeals system? Sometimes it's the only way, the decent teams in the league simply refuse to play the thug teams.
Trouble is, withdraw the team for what?Some name calling and winding the opposition up?
Whilst it's immature and massively annoying, it's not grounds to abandon a game.
The OP mentions monkey-chanting, which should definitely be called out in the strongest terms. But other than that, you can't abandon a game for the participants being t
ts, more's the pity.Football, unfortunately, seems to be an outlet for a certain type to vent all their aggression and anger into. Whether that's as players, managers, coaches, supporters or otherwise. I can see why people choose to just watch at home.
It’s basicly bred into players, I’ve seen it and experienced it at just about every level. I stopped playing a few years ago now but a few incidents stick in mind as both a fan and player.
I was told as a player to never ever shirk a tackle and if someone gave you a bad one the next one you would dish out the retribution tenfold. I was never a dirty player but I remember one of my first managers when I was 12 giving me an absolute dressing down because a player had done a bad tackle on me then I bottled out the next one. I simply wanted to play football and as a speedy winger crunching tackles wasn’t a part of my game till I was older and more developed.
When I was 14 I had a full on fist fight on a pitch because I shoulder tackled a player from a team that sounds similar to the OP’s, game abandoned and the opposition manager locked our changing rooms so that I would have to walk through a gauntlet of the opposition family and then through their changing room where I had another fight, they were essentially waiting for me so they could attack me. Even had one of them pick a rock up to hit my dads car and if my dad hadn’t got out and threatened him then the window would have went in. All starting from a shoulder tackle. Played the player I fought a few years later and he was an absolute mouse because he didn’t have 10 other brainless idiots backing him up.
A friends team was kicked out the league after their captain had got his third ban (which was 6 games) and in the chaos after his sending off one of his teammates head butted the ref.
My dads team back in the 80’s kicked a player out there team after he pulled a knife after the opposition tackled him, we drive by the pitch regularly and he mentions it every single time and still sounds in disbelief at it
As a fan I had a big Croatian try and hit me with a lit flare before a rangers vs Osijek game. Guy missed catching my face by inches and I had to hit him in the face with an unopened can of irn bru to stop him. He got a bit of tanking afterwards from the people I was with. There was also 2 stabbings during that and I saw the immediate aftermath of one which was horrendous. Turns out it was an organised fight on the main road in which thousands of regular fans walk up to ibrox. fking morons couldn’t find a field somewhere to engage in there pavement dancing instead of in front of innocent people going to the game.
https://youtu.be/G1zrGHsnBJY?si=9KuMW1LY-TRbzPWf
I was told as a player to never ever shirk a tackle and if someone gave you a bad one the next one you would dish out the retribution tenfold. I was never a dirty player but I remember one of my first managers when I was 12 giving me an absolute dressing down because a player had done a bad tackle on me then I bottled out the next one. I simply wanted to play football and as a speedy winger crunching tackles wasn’t a part of my game till I was older and more developed.
When I was 14 I had a full on fist fight on a pitch because I shoulder tackled a player from a team that sounds similar to the OP’s, game abandoned and the opposition manager locked our changing rooms so that I would have to walk through a gauntlet of the opposition family and then through their changing room where I had another fight, they were essentially waiting for me so they could attack me. Even had one of them pick a rock up to hit my dads car and if my dad hadn’t got out and threatened him then the window would have went in. All starting from a shoulder tackle. Played the player I fought a few years later and he was an absolute mouse because he didn’t have 10 other brainless idiots backing him up.
A friends team was kicked out the league after their captain had got his third ban (which was 6 games) and in the chaos after his sending off one of his teammates head butted the ref.
My dads team back in the 80’s kicked a player out there team after he pulled a knife after the opposition tackled him, we drive by the pitch regularly and he mentions it every single time and still sounds in disbelief at it
As a fan I had a big Croatian try and hit me with a lit flare before a rangers vs Osijek game. Guy missed catching my face by inches and I had to hit him in the face with an unopened can of irn bru to stop him. He got a bit of tanking afterwards from the people I was with. There was also 2 stabbings during that and I saw the immediate aftermath of one which was horrendous. Turns out it was an organised fight on the main road in which thousands of regular fans walk up to ibrox. f
king morons couldn’t find a field somewhere to engage in there pavement dancing instead of in front of innocent people going to the game.https://youtu.be/G1zrGHsnBJY?si=9KuMW1LY-TRbzPWf
Edited by dalzo on Monday 12th February 12:59
Reminded me of this YT short I saw the other day, just listen to the mouth breathers in this.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmRLP8zaJ6w
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmRLP8zaJ6w
Muzzer79 said:
bigpriest said:
I'm guessing if you withdrew your team from the game there would be a fine on its way to you and a non-existant appeals system? Sometimes it's the only way, the decent teams in the league simply refuse to play the thug teams.
Trouble is, withdraw the team for what?Some name calling and winding the opposition up?
Whilst it's immature and massively annoying, it's not grounds to abandon a game.
The OP mentions monkey-chanting, which should definitely be called out in the strongest terms. But other than that, you can't abandon a game for the participants being t
ts, more's the pity.Football, unfortunately, seems to be an outlet for a certain type to vent all their aggression and anger into. Whether that's as players, managers, coaches, supporters or otherwise. I can see why people choose to just watch at home.
The manager of the visiting team jumped over the advertising boards/railing around the pitch to 'sort out' a parent. He stopped when he got over and there was a pause as he looked like he waited for someone to hold him back (which they did) and he gave it a load more verbal once he was pulled back.
I found out today that the mum that marched around the pitch to get involved was his wife.
I found out today that the mum that marched around the pitch to get involved was his wife.
At this age, I guess this is grassroots we're talking about and not some kind of academy type stuff? ALL the basic rules of grassroots football prevent against this kind of thing. We reported another team a few weeks ago for one of their supporters jumping around and goading our striker after the final whistle and thats a VERY rare occurrence (second time in years and years such a thing has been reported to the local FA).
The type of language being used is wrong. Supporters should be on the opposite side of the pitch from the teams/managers and behind a respect line etc. It should all be reported...
The type of language being used is wrong. Supporters should be on the opposite side of the pitch from the teams/managers and behind a respect line etc. It should all be reported...
I think the various governing bodies need to issue clear guidelines/rules on acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by anyone associated with any affiliated club, along with the penalties that will be applied to transgressors. Those penalties need to be bans from competitions, points deductions, individual bans and financial penalties etc..
Maybe all games should be videod by both sides.
It's been like this for years, but you only have to look at the very poor leadership from FIFA and the FA to see why we haven't moved forward. It's also easy to see why there is a shortage of good refs at all levels.
Maybe all games should be videod by both sides.
It's been like this for years, but you only have to look at the very poor leadership from FIFA and the FA to see why we haven't moved forward. It's also easy to see why there is a shortage of good refs at all levels.
Good news is as the kids get older it gets worse.
My son’s 18 now and in the last year. A few games have had a mass brawl both in the pitch and at full time.
A few teams have folded who caused trouble.
The biggest issue is that some refs won’t give out yellow cards or call fouls so you can see after a short time which games are going to end up in fighting.
Swear at the ref yellow card, tackle and break someone’s leg, nothing.
My son’s 18 now and in the last year. A few games have had a mass brawl both in the pitch and at full time.
A few teams have folded who caused trouble.
The biggest issue is that some refs won’t give out yellow cards or call fouls so you can see after a short time which games are going to end up in fighting.
Swear at the ref yellow card, tackle and break someone’s leg, nothing.
Downward said:
The biggest issue is that some refs won’t give out yellow cards or call fouls so you can see after a short time which games are going to end up in fighting.
Swear at the ref yellow card, tackle and break someone’s leg, nothing.
I've seen this. The team I mentioned above - within 30 seconds one of their players went through one of ours (my son) which could easily have broken his leg. Ref gave nothing - his justification was the game was only 30 seconds old which. We also had an incident earlier in the season where an opposition player "went for the ball" which resulted in our keeper getting studded in his cheek and had to go off injured. Again, not even a yellow card. I coach u14s and at this level there seems to be teams and players who want and can play football and then there are players who seem to be included into teams purely for their size and are utilised to just run around smashing other players and bullying. Swear at the ref yellow card, tackle and break someone’s leg, nothing.
Tribalism is pitiful in all its forms but there’s something especially reprehensible and pathetic about the sort of football fan who denigrates another team’s fans, or is generally so emotionally immature they get upset, angry, or aggressive because of something someone else is doing. It is meant to be enjoyable and it is only a game. It’s the fans that put me off the sport, and a friend used to take me to Stamford Bridge to try and get me into the game (Vialli era) and the oafs in the ground and in the pub before and after put paid to that: When the police have to use horses for control / self defence because people are so drunk / angry, something is definitely fked up. I don’t know is petulance and entitlement flow from the players but this ain’t going to end nicely. Too much is laughed off “banter” - usually by the hard of thinking.
ked up. I don’t know is petulance and entitlement flow from the players but this ain’t going to end nicely. Too much is laughed off “banter” - usually by the hard of thinking. Gassing Station | Football | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff