The level of abuse acceptable by amateur players

[rockiesboy]

With the increase in club competitions such as the junior and intermediate championships and the chance to play in croke park, club players are being asked to give more and more to their clubs. the one downside to this is the level of abuse suffered by these players, whether it is abuse from management or fans. the pressures of club football are increasing all the time, but what can be described as an acceptable level?

[owenabue]

Do you mean physically abuse, as in over training, or the fools shouting at them saying they are useless??

[peadar]

wel i think that there are some managers that go over the top when it comes to shouting at players from the sidline. i was at a county championship game in north kerry there a few weeks back and i saw a manager roaring abuse from the sideline at players and literly jumping around the place with temper and this was directly in front of the stand for everyone to see and hear. Thank god i didnt bring my son to the game. he would have been turned off the game for life. This is an interesting topic and i believe there is a fine line between motivation and abuse. I dont think we really have this problem wit emmets but a few clubs in the north kerry area might want to be examined closely!

[rockiesboy]

im talking about both physical and verbal abuse. players are being asked to give up their free time to be driven into the ground and abused like dogs. the training part i have no problem with if the training is not medieval like some managers. as for the level of verbal abuse that players are being asked to put up with just to play for their clubs. i know a number of players who have packed in football because managers have no appreciation of the effort they give and the sacrifices that they make. with a lot of club players in the county living and working outside the county there are a lot of sacrifices being made.

[owenabue]

Rockies, it was only the other day I was discussing this type of thing with one of the lads at work. He said his young lad is playing under 12 and that even at that age coaches are losing the rag on the sideline. When coaches behave like that, how do they expect the lads to perform at all, or indeed in years to come when they see these same young lads attacking the ref, do they ever wonder why? Okay so you need to be passionate about the game, that’s a given, but it’s when you see your own supporters insulting there own team it’s gone beyond a joke.
From personal experience I know it very difficult with bringing children to games. You want to encourage them to be interested, but it’s hard when peoples day is being ruined by some feckin’ eejets who think we actually want to hear them insult people, be it the ref, the opposition or their own team. I know on the tickets for Croke Park they have something about it in the rules, but did anyone ever see someone being kicked out for it? Yet it’s a crime to walk on the grass…

[animal]

Shame if things are going that way. Personally when I played underage (many moons ago and badly) the only time yuo'd get a bollocking from the trainer was if you were indisciplined or gave mouth to the ref. We were never really given out to for footballing errors really (despite the frequent number!). It would be awful to think of U12 or U14 lads being under such pressure.

[owenabue]

Animal, I know things are a bit mad in Cork. A few years ago one of the local mothers went on a belted a fella cos he went in hard on her son. I ask you! It was minor if my memory serves me right. Could you ban her for life I wonder?

[kerrygold]

two words spring to mind when describing certain club managers,

ego's and gobshites

[branch]

I was playing with a club a few years back against Emmets and after a really hot-tempered game in which we won with a last minute goal!
The place went ballistic with supporters running and screaming at our players and a lot of the Emmets players and supporters practically chased the ref off the field only to be stopped by one of their own and told to leave the ref alone!! When asked why, this former Kerry player pinned his own man to the wall by the throat and said "Because I am f*cking telling you to!"
Also a certain corner forwards mother attacked one of our lads with an umbrella!!
I wouldn't mind but it was a home game for us!

[mickmack]

a hurling ref in Kerry.......... now that takes balls

[joan]

I heard a story of a kerry mother legging a lad at a game a few years ago with a brolly between brosna and cordal.. Thought it was funny when being retold with a few drinks in but on the flip side it really is bad when supporters abuse players.
I myself am have been guilty of a few choice words for the ref during the game I have to admitt but have got much better

[mickmack]

joan said:

I heard a story of a kerry mother legging a lad at a game a few years ago with a brolly between brosna and cordal..

sounds sore

[owenabue]

Do we see a pattern immerging? I thought mothers should show a good example!

[mickmack]

OUCH

[rockiesboy]

mothers have been known to have a few scrapes with officials and managers. most of the time its because their offspring arent getting on the team. i know of friends of mine who wont play senior football because of the abuse being handed out to them. i'd say something if it was constructive but most of it is pure crap. i know of one case of a 17 year old who played for a senior team this year for the first time and says he doesnt want to play anymore because of the abuse. sports such as soccer and rugby seem to take care of their players way better cos they dont have the same player pool as the football teams in the county.