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Original poster

Footballs in garden

18 replies

Homelife124 · 22/06/2019 21:15

Just looking for some thoughts, we live in a terrace house and our neighbours son kicks footballs over the fence all the time, he hits them so hard the fence has been broken in places. We have in the past thrown them back over ( with out him asking or apologising ) we have had up to 6 footballs in our garden ( he just seems to get new ones) recently we stopped throwing them back and again they built up. I was just reading in the garden when the boy started to climb over our fence to get them back ( With the help of his parents and a ladder) they said they had knocked the door but I’ve been outside so didn’t hear . I was pretty surprised and a bit annoyed ( which I think was pretty obvious ) I threw them all back and said it was getting annoying how many balls keep coming over ( banging against the fence and squashing plants) they didn’t apologies and it was pretty hostile. I hate conflict and now feel so worried and stressed. I was already stressed so was perhaps not as polite as I would otherwise have been. ....

OP posts:
Dobbyelf · 22/06/2019 22:02

oh i feel your pain. We have a kid next door who does that, on purpose I might add! Its gotten to the point now that I don't give them back and just let my boy play with them instead!.
It came to a head when it was just constant and I was so fed up of having to get up from sunbathing to throw them back, so now I just don't bother.
When he asks I tell him if henwas that bothered he wouldn't chuck them over in the first place so there ours now!!Wink

BrokenWing · 23/06/2019 12:00

If you are happy you were calm/polite and they were hostile stick all the balls that come over indoors or in a locked shed until they come to the door and they discuss the issue and the damage to fence/flowers calmly. If it gets hostile again tell them calmly you will only speak to them if they are calm and then close the door.

I have no problem with balls coming over and get them from current ndns. ds kicked lots of balls over the fence as a child, but luckily we stayed somewhere where two sides of the fence were public ground so we pointed him in that direction and ndn didn't get many balls.

DugHug · 23/06/2019 12:03

Stop handing the balls back. Stick a knife in them, dispose and deny all knowledge. They’ll soon realise they need to stop doing it otherwise they’ll have no balls left.

Original poster
Homelife124 · 23/06/2019 14:12

Thanks everyone, I didn’t shout or anything but they could tell I was p*d off about it. I wasn’t rude but I also wasn’t as nice as usual. I did say it was getting annoying how many balls keep coming over. I think the way he had never ever come round and asked for any back or to say sorry had been getting on my nerves. It was his dad who had knocked the door. He has a pile of footballs and as soon as one is gone he just starts using the next. It makes a huge crash every time he belts it into the fence ( usually while we are eating ) I just hate things to feel awkward.
Been searching right Move for detached houses!

OP posts:
BiscuitDrama · 23/06/2019 14:15

We have a detached house and balls still go over the fence though (at a rate of about one a fortnight though).

RosaWaiting · 23/06/2019 14:19

you might find that after being less polite, it's less of a problem

the fact that he was about to climb into your garden would give me the rage. Is it trespass?

tomboytown · 23/06/2019 14:29

Omg- why do people get annoyed about this?
We all just throw them back over

rollingpine · 23/06/2019 14:34

Omg - why do people get annoyed about this?

Because when you have invested a considerable amount of money and time (sometimes years of tender loving care) growing plants in your garden you don't want them squashed to buggery by a careless kid, that's why.

tomboytown · 23/06/2019 14:44

Jesus- Im a v Keen Gardener and really can’t get worked up about this

PrawnoftheShed · 23/06/2019 14:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Iwantacookie · 23/06/2019 14:45

It annoys me when parents constantly let their dc get balls back.
All my dc knew they could only go to any neighbour once per day to get their ball back otherwise they would have to wait for it to be thrown back.

RosaWaiting · 23/06/2019 15:15

tomboy OP said clearly that parts of the fence have been broken

it's not just complaining about an occasional football coming over.

tomboytown · 23/06/2019 16:35

Breaking the fence is a different issue to flowers getting broken or balls getting thrown back.
If the kid is damaging the fence, then that’s a legitimate complaint, but not throwing balls back is just mean.

Original poster
Homelife124 · 23/06/2019 16:40

appreciate all comments and if it was just once in a while I wouldn't have a problem however its not, at times we have had 6 or more balls in the garden ( in a few hours not days)
Our garden is very narrow and its not just a ball gently falling onto the grass they are being kicked really hard ( he is around 13 -14 ) hard enough to even smash through part of the fence, they come crashing down damaging plants ( I had a £25 plant snapped in half) my husbands veg grown from seed squashed, pots broken and the ball has crashed into our windows. He has never said sorry or asked for a ball back ,when a ball comes over he just gets another one straightaway and starts snacking it around and into the fences again. I did chuck them back for a while but gave up as he never said thank you then either or even acknowledges it. There is a park at the end of our road. I also sometimes work from home so would sit with my laptop outside and coffee and don't want to be hit by a football when I am within my own garden. I guess if you don't mind then that's cool but if someone does mind and its having an effect on how they can spend their time and enjoy their own garden then it would be considerate to stop doing it as its a bit crap to do something which has a negative effect on your neighbours

OP posts:
RosaWaiting · 23/06/2019 16:58

well with your update they sound even worse

I would go round and talk to them about how much damage has been caused. They might get their son to be more careful in future!

Original poster
Homelife124 · 23/06/2019 17:36

Thanks @RosaWaiting I just really hate conflict which is why I’ve ended up posting on here and spending all weekend worrying about it.. I found another ball so did go round yesterday to have a chat about it but there was no answer .. will try again I’m sure our ball collection will be growing again soon

OP posts:
RosaWaiting · 23/06/2019 17:42

you say "our" so you live with someone who can go round with you?

that's helpful. I live alone and the only neighbour trouble I had, I found softly softly got me nowhere. When I lost my rag and yelled, things got much better!

Kidssendingmenuts · 23/06/2019 18:05

My dog really loves playing and popping footballs. Maybe you could borrow her 🤣

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