Youth games

I just did u15 friendly and it was crazy it’s shocking how disrespectful they can be even after the game they have enough courage to come and say you are **** ok handball ref probably will never do young lads again

Yes. If you are not used to unsolicited character assessments from overconfident teenagers it can definitely be confronting. Having said that, this is a good age group to build your skills in terms of player interaction and game management. I tend to take a particularly firm position on dissent for these youth games even if they are so called ‘friendlies’.

They're copying what they see from adults - except these lot will fold immediately under pressure. I sent one off for calling me a f*cking pr*ck and he burst in to tears... guess he'd not heard of OFFINABUS

Its a societal thing rather than being football specific. A 13 year old kid from the local school tried to start on me in the street a couple of months ago because I "disrespected him" for not moving out of his way. His school mates dragged him away, but there's no way on earth kids would have behaved like that to an adult when I was growing up. What he didn't know is I've been friends with the school deputy head for 25 so I had the last word after a quick phone call.

If they abused you after the game shove a red card up their noses if you are still on the pitch, otherwise put an extraordinary incident in, that will knock them down a peg or two.

On social media they see a player aggressively tell an official to f off three times and no action is taken as if it's the norm. Come to think of it, form what I have seen/read it probably is the norm. How can you expect anything different from them?

one said:

On social media they see a player aggressively tell an official to f off three times and no action is taken as if it's the norm. Come to think of it, form what I have seen/read it probably is the norm. How can you expect anything different from them?

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You’re forgetting that it’s okay for those pro players to do that, as the officials don’t want to upset or surprise anyone……. So they’ll just randomly enforce other laws at random points to upset, confuse or annoy people instead

cancan said:

I just did u15 friendly and it was crazy it’s shocking how disrespectful they can be even after the game they have enough courage to come and say you are **** ok handball ref probably will never do young lads again

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Yup! I had u15 top div the other week. In the first minute the mild dissent started. I calmy warned the main offender and explained he has to show me and the rest of the match, parents and coaches proper respect. Basic stepped approach stuff and calm but it worked.

He went on to score the winner and then get DDN - two yellows for delay of game! Kids today!

one said:

On social media they see a player aggressively tell an official to f off three times and no action is taken as if it's the norm. Come to think of it, form what I have seen/read it probably is the norm. How can you expect anything different from them?

Click to expand...

Let's not pretend this is anything new though. In 1989, pre-dating the Premier League and PGMOL, there was an experiment where David Elleray was mic'd up for Millwall vs Arsenal, this was the end result. This was far worse than what we have today, and involving the strictest referee around at that time, he just gave him a warning for clearly calling him a f***ing cheat, and for all it is bleeped I'd guess the abuse thrown at the AR by David O'Leary was far worse than the Sheffield United player in this topic.

I'd then ask is the behaviour of youth players worse now than it was 36 years ago, and the answer can only really be yes. But it is also much worse in general society, so I'd argue it probably isn't really football and what they see at the top level that has caused this, there are other more likely factors like gangs, influencers, social media, and so on. My cousin is a school teacher and she had a 12 year old attack her with a chair a couple of years ago, I don't recall anything like that happening when I was at school, and I went to a very rough Sheffield school.

Anyway, video here, enjoy