Had a good natured U11s game yesterday with some good football played and a generally good attitude from most involved.
I say ‘most’ as there was one lad on the away team who let himself down.
The first thing that seemed to annoy him was my insistence that he retake a few of his throws (with guidance from me about what he was doing wrong). Then we had an incident with the corner flag. He took it out and threw it to the side as it was ‘in his way.’ I blew the whistle and went over and put it back and told him he couldn’t remove it. He removed it again. I put it back again. He then placed the ball about two feet from the flag (there were no marked corner circles) so I made him move it back. He was clearly not a happy bunny but eventually he seemed to get over himself and get on with the game. His team went on to win 3-2.
After the game, the home assistant coach came over to away assistant and said that during the handshakes after the game the same lad had told one of the players ‘they were too fat to play football and should go to the gym’
After the game, in my league report I ticked the option that ‘there were incidents of poor behaviour’ from the away team as a result of the behaviour of this player.
Fast forward to this morning when I get a phone call from the home coach to say that a parent had made a complaint as the same lad had called the only girl on their team ‘a transvestite’ and used some other derogatory sexual language that has made her not want to play football anymore. The club welfare officer had asked him to contact me to find out whether I had heard him say it. I told him that I hadn’t heard anything offensive from the player and that if I had I would have been obliged to take action.
Which brings about the question… Would it be correct to show a red card to an u11 player for OFFINABUS?
The sad finale to all this was that as I was leaving I saw the same player leaving with his team’s MotM medal around his neck.
I say ‘most’ as there was one lad on the away team who let himself down.
The first thing that seemed to annoy him was my insistence that he retake a few of his throws (with guidance from me about what he was doing wrong). Then we had an incident with the corner flag. He took it out and threw it to the side as it was ‘in his way.’ I blew the whistle and went over and put it back and told him he couldn’t remove it. He removed it again. I put it back again. He then placed the ball about two feet from the flag (there were no marked corner circles) so I made him move it back. He was clearly not a happy bunny but eventually he seemed to get over himself and get on with the game. His team went on to win 3-2.
After the game, the home assistant coach came over to away assistant and said that during the handshakes after the game the same lad had told one of the players ‘they were too fat to play football and should go to the gym’
After the game, in my league report I ticked the option that ‘there were incidents of poor behaviour’ from the away team as a result of the behaviour of this player.
Fast forward to this morning when I get a phone call from the home coach to say that a parent had made a complaint as the same lad had called the only girl on their team ‘a transvestite’ and used some other derogatory sexual language that has made her not want to play football anymore. The club welfare officer had asked him to contact me to find out whether I had heard him say it. I told him that I hadn’t heard anything offensive from the player and that if I had I would have been obliged to take action.
Which brings about the question… Would it be correct to show a red card to an u11 player for OFFINABUS?
The sad finale to all this was that as I was leaving I saw the same player leaving with his team’s MotM medal around his neck.