"I Wonder About Football Today.."
Thu 24th February 2011 | Leek CSOB | By Ian Templeman
As previously reported on the League website, the League Management Committee has taken the decision to sign up to the FA's Respect campaign.
Since the announcement, League officials have received positive feedback from a number of clubs who are keen to improve the standards of behaviour at games in our league.
Stan Lockett, Secretary at Leek CSOB, is a firm supporter of the campaign, and has long been an advocate of sportsmanship and good behaviour in the game. Stan penned an article on the subject of behaviour in football in the Old Boys match programme for their game at home to AFC Darwen last week, which he entitled "I Wonder About Football Today". It is worthy of a wider circulation and is reproduced below.
I do wonder about football these days, what with the professional game and all the money that swishes about in the Premiership. The transfers and players changing Clubs, and it is all about money and self-greed.
Then on the other side of it, we are forced to listen to the bad language that is taken as the' norm' around football. I read a letter in the Evening Sentinel sent in by a Grandmother, who informed that her grand daughter had won two tickets for the Stoke City v Sunderland game last week.
She was with her Dad in the Family Stand and after 20 minutes of the game she asked her Dad to take her home, why? Because of the foul and abusive language going on all around her during the match. She felt so intimidated that she just wanted to go, and she added she never wanted to go to Stoke City again.
I ask, where on earth have the morals gone in our society and country? For heavens sake it is only a game of football. Last season I stood behind the dugouts at all our home games, and on one occasion the opposition Manager was effing and blinding at the Referee at the top of his voice, standing just behind me were the Red Cross Ladies.
After a while. I could stand it no more, so I shouted to the Manager concerned (who shall be nameless) to request him to curb his language, as there were children and women all around. I found it disturbing, it must be my age!! You know what his reply was? Well, I will tell you, he yelled back at me and said, "What the F****** hell is up with you? It's a football match for F**** sake?"
I thought to myself, "what is the use of trying to reason with a Loud Mouthed Uneducated Moron." That is the sort of person that is not needed in Grassroots Football, but I am afraid there is too many of them on and off the field.
In the Pro game Rooney, Terry and that ilk, are typical examples who you see on TV giving the Ref some at every game they play, when they don't agree with a decision. At our level it is even worse because we have such small crowds everyone can hear the bad language. A player hits a bad ball and he shouts out aloud to himself 'F*** O**, WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?
Respect starts with oneself. I don't need the FA to tell me about respect but it is fairly obvious Respect is needed within the game and it should start with the Pro Managers insisting on better behaviour.
I know I am wasting my breath, but I like to think that perhaps somewhere, there are other people that may agree with my views. At times, I will be quite frank, I think to myself that I have been involved with grassroots football for over 50 years and do I want to be involved when this sort of behaviour is the norm!!
I have always loved the game and I would like to think I have given something back to the game for the many enjoyable and happy playing hours I experienced. But I have to say. I do not care for the way the game appears to be travelling.
I keep hearing from others," That is how it is these days"! But surely that is because everyone just accepts poor standards as the norm - and I don't mean playing standards, I mean moral standards in the game today.
Stan the Man (Leek CSOB)
"I Wonder About Football Today.."
Thu 24th February 2011 | Leek CSOB
By Ian Templeman
As previously reported on the League website, the League Management Committee has taken the decision to sign up to the FA's Respect campaign.
Since the announcement, League officials have received positive feedback from a number of clubs who are keen to improve the standards of behaviour at games in our league.
Stan Lockett, Secretary at Leek CSOB, is a firm supporter of the campaign, and has long been an advocate of sportsmanship and good behaviour in the game. Stan penned an article on the subject of behaviour in football in the Old Boys match programme for their game at home to AFC Darwen last week, which he entitled "I Wonder About Football Today". It is worthy of a wider circulation and is reproduced below.
I do wonder about football these days, what with the professional game and all the money that swishes about in the Premiership. The transfers and players changing Clubs, and it is all about money and self-greed.
Then on the other side of it, we are forced to listen to the bad language that is taken as the' norm' around football. I read a letter in the Evening Sentinel sent in by a Grandmother, who informed that her grand daughter had won two tickets for the Stoke City v Sunderland game last week.
She was with her Dad in the Family Stand and after 20 minutes of the game she asked her Dad to take her home, why? Because of the foul and abusive language going on all around her during the match. She felt so intimidated that she just wanted to go, and she added she never wanted to go to Stoke City again.
I ask, where on earth have the morals gone in our society and country? For heavens sake it is only a game of football. Last season I stood behind the dugouts at all our home games, and on one occasion the opposition Manager was effing and blinding at the Referee at the top of his voice, standing just behind me were the Red Cross Ladies.
After a while. I could stand it no more, so I shouted to the Manager concerned (who shall be nameless) to request him to curb his language, as there were children and women all around. I found it disturbing, it must be my age!! You know what his reply was? Well, I will tell you, he yelled back at me and said, "What the F****** hell is up with you? It's a football match for F**** sake?"
I thought to myself, "what is the use of trying to reason with a Loud Mouthed Uneducated Moron." That is the sort of person that is not needed in Grassroots Football, but I am afraid there is too many of them on and off the field.
In the Pro game Rooney, Terry and that ilk, are typical examples who you see on TV giving the Ref some at every game they play, when they don't agree with a decision. At our level it is even worse because we have such small crowds everyone can hear the bad language. A player hits a bad ball and he shouts out aloud to himself 'F*** O**, WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?
Respect starts with oneself. I don't need the FA to tell me about respect but it is fairly obvious Respect is needed within the game and it should start with the Pro Managers insisting on better behaviour.
I know I am wasting my breath, but I like to think that perhaps somewhere, there are other people that may agree with my views. At times, I will be quite frank, I think to myself that I have been involved with grassroots football for over 50 years and do I want to be involved when this sort of behaviour is the norm!!
I have always loved the game and I would like to think I have given something back to the game for the many enjoyable and happy playing hours I experienced. But I have to say. I do not care for the way the game appears to be travelling.
I keep hearing from others," That is how it is these days"! But surely that is because everyone just accepts poor standards as the norm - and I don't mean playing standards, I mean moral standards in the game today.
Stan the Man (Leek CSOB)
