Topic: Underlining the problems in british (youth) football?

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Just saw this on the Echo's site and it's not a good read at all. Is it this bad all over the country or is it more to do with the Liverpool / Manchester rivalry?

A Merseyside under 10s team was thrown out of a football tournament  after raging parents invaded the pitch and reduced a teenage referee to tears.

Trouble flared when the Litherland Tigers took on Manchester team Platt Lane City in a quarter final at Bispham, Blackpool.

Both teams face a Football Association investigation after sickening allegations of abuse aimed at the 15-year-old official during the competition.

 A tackle that went unpunished late in the game sparked ugly scenes with parents of both teams spilling on to the pitch to vent their fury.

 One witness  said: “At the start they were having a go at each other but then they turned on the referee.

“They were swearing at her and saying some disgusting things, calling her a ‘stupid b****' among other things.

 “The poor girl was in floods of tears and ended up walking away.”

 After speaking to the distraught referee, tournament officials expelled both sides from the competition.

 Litherland Tigers chairman John Ellison, who was not present at the Saturday game, said: “I’ve spoken to the tournament organiser and have asked for a full report of the incident.

 “We will also be writing to the girl who was refereeing and her mother to apologise for what may have happened.

 “Apparently it was something and nothing that turned into a Liverpool/ Manchester thing with the two sets of parents.

“Our parents retaliated verbally. We don’t condone the behaviour and will be carrying out our own internal review.”

 Platt Lane City boast that they are linked with Manchester City on their website.

 They could not be reached for comment. Manchester City declined to comment.

The tournament is one of the biggest in the country with more than 250 teams involved.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/shameful---bullying-parents-reduce-5789018

[Alan_X]

Not sure that's a comment about problems in football - it seems to be about parents behaving like complete arseholes.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Not sure that's a comment about problems in football - it seems to be about parents behaving like complete arseholes.

That's a fair comment Al, just noticed I missed a ? off the title as well. I was just wondering how prevalent it is in the younger game. I'm sure i've read on here before people talking about how bad the parents are at a lot of the matches for the young kids?

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

That's a fair comment Al, just noticed I missed a ? off the title as well. I was just wondering how prevalent it is in the younger game. I'm sure i've read on here before people talking about how bad the parents are at a lot of the matches for the young kids?

Very. It's a global thing, not just British. Although Australia had its perks when I was (slightly) involved with youth tournaments there....hot parent mammas!

I digress, but it's something going in, that refs / linos except anyway, away from the spotlight of the paid tournaments, people get away with many things.

Edit: To be fair, depending on the organisation and the class of people able to afford certain social clubs, you'll get better treatment for the officials, but those are exceptions.