8 year olds banned

[derekgas]

The news says that 8 year old kids are to be banned from playing competetive football, what on earth is that about?

[cashman]

well i heard some ridiculous things in my time, but that takes the biscuit, whose bright idea is this?

[derekgas]

I think they said it was fifa's, bunch of nutters!

[cashman]

Originally Posted by derekgas

I think they said it was fifa's, bunch of nutters!

ah well at least its not one of blazeys pearlers.

[Mancie]

I think it depends on what you men when you say "competetive football".. all games are competetive.
I would be apprehensive about 8yr olds having the pressure of a career in football put on them.
I do have an example.. a few years ago one of my son's played in a tournament held at Crystal Palace ground.. it was in two batches, 10-12yrs and 14-15yrs..my boy played in the 14-15yrs final held at the Arsenal ground (Highbury)..Fulham and Chelsea and of course Arsenal had scouts watching and 4 players were asked to return..all were 12yrs old!
They take em young!..but I was most proud of my boy when he refused to have his photo taken in the Arsenal trophy room..Good lad!

[lancsdave]

Go and watch a football match at that level and you will see what the problem is, some over zealous managers and even more over zealous parents.

Kids at that age should be playing football for fun, the ones I mentioned above put far too much pressure on them.

[derekgas]

I think they were aiming at football clubs as mancie says dave, I was told by an everton scout that they like to get kids at between 5 and 7 years old, these days, unless exceptional, 15 is considered old, you are right about some parents going overboard at kids matches though, have seen many a major fall out at kids footy matches.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by derekgas

I think they were aiming at football clubs as mancie says dave, I was told by an everton scout that they like to get kids at between 5 and 7 years old, these days, unless exceptional, 15 is considered old, you are right about some parents going overboard at kids matches though, have seen many a major fall out at kids footy matches.

It's not aimed at the big clubs, in fact I think you would struggle to find any of them with teams of that age. Yes they like to sign them up at that age if they recognise they have exceptional talent.

The ban has been brought in to try and encourage them to develop more technical skills. It's been brought in by the FA, and I would guess it's only the first step. Trevor Brooking would actually prefer the ban to extended to Under 11's

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7477154.stm

[lancsdave]

While I was looking for the BBC article I came across this which sums it up really

What you will see is lots of adults standing on the touchline of a small football pitch shouting at their eight-year-old children. One of the adults may be dressed in a tracksuit, with initials embroidered on his chest. He will be shouting the loudest, most often the instruction "get stuck in" occasionally varied with "just clear it".
Have fun: Trevor Brooking wants under-eights to enjoy the game
At some point there may be a confrontation between several of the parents, following a disputed goal. If, for instance, you are watching a game in Devon things might conclude, as they recently did, with one of the watching fathers becoming so irate that he marched off, only to return at the wheel of his 4?x?4 - which he proceeded to park in the middle of the pitch, refusing to move until the referee changed his decision. What you are unlikely to see is any of the small children concerned having much in the way of fun.

[derekgas]

Thanks for that lancsdave, was looking for a link, in light of the full story, I have to say I agree with the new ruling, kids football should be about the kids, not the parents ego's.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by derekgas

Thanks for that lancsdave, was looking for a link, in light of the full story, I have to say I agree with the new ruling, kids football should be about the kids, not the parents ego's.

Thats the trouble a lot of parents live their own fantasies though their kids as they were never good enough to make the grade, sadly these kids are pushed way beyond theirown abilities just to please their parents

[cashman]

i was thinkin more in the lines of school teams etc which is competitive, there was no meat on the bones of the opening post, i agree parents n clubs should have no involvement in pushing kids of that age.

[Studio25]

That's nothing: An eight-year-old in Sweden has had his birthday invitations confiscated because he "discriminated" against one kid he didn't like and another who hadn't invited him to an earlier party.

And here's me thinking that dumb stuff like this only happens in our country.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Studio25

That's nothing: An eight-year-old in Sweden has had his birthday invitations confiscated because he "discriminated" against one kid he didn't like and another who hadn't invited him to an earlier party.

And here's me thinking that dumb stuff like this only happens in our country.

whats that to do with 8yr olds playing football?

[Studio25]

Originally Posted by cashman

whats that to do with 8yr olds playing football?

It's adults and politics meddling with the affairs of children, as in the original post.