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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU kids with football in street

53 replies

Daisby · 28/06/2014 18:26

My neighbours over the road have four "children", 20, 16, 16 and 15. They never appear during the day but at around 8.30pm without fail, at least two of them, usually three, come out and start kicking a football (big heavy ball not a soft ball) around. The constant "thump, thump, thump" of the ball during the evening is driving me to bloody distraction. It goes on until around 10pm give or take.

My DH is of the opinion this is antisocial behaviour. Anyone who has asked the parents to stop this is met with "they are nice children, who never bother anyone" (or similar) and refuse to stop it.

AIBU to think that a) they shouldn't be doing this during the evening when people want a bit of peace, and b) they're a bit bloody old to be kicking a footy in the street, and should go to the nearby field (1 minute walk away).

The amount they practice with the ball, they should be like Pele.

OP posts:
sanfairyanne · 28/06/2014 18:28

doesnt sound a big deal on the face of it
no shouting?
is it a risk to cars?

EatShitDerek · 28/06/2014 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bowlersarm · 28/06/2014 18:31

It would drive me nuts too OP. It is actually one of the reasons we bought our very rural house after experiencing it in our London house. (we didnt move because of it though, i hasten to add) It is difficult to explain why it is so so irritating, but it is. I'm with you and your DH.

Original poster
Daisby · 28/06/2014 18:33

Yeah they've hit a neighbour's car, no damage to any of our stuff though. The issue for us is that the constant noise is incredibly annoying when there's a field within spitting distance.

If it were my kids, I'd be saying bugger off elsewhere, or telling them that they can't be making repetitive noises after a certain time. I'm not trying to spoil their fun, they can sit in the street for as long as they want, just to stop the bloody noise.

OP posts:
pudcat · 28/06/2014 18:35

I have this as well. It drives me potty. They have scooters as well which they do stunts on. I now sit in a back room with all the doors and windows shut with a fan on. It helps, as I know I cannot stop them. But how pleased I am when it rains hard.

CheeryName · 28/06/2014 18:35

My DS is 9 and understands how annoying football noise is! He has certain area of yard and times that he is allowed to do it (NEVER when next doors baby is in bed), not for longer than 20 mins. YANBU

Original poster
Daisby · 28/06/2014 18:36

Derek - no, never too old for kicking a footy around, my DH loves a kick :)

But it must be possible for them to go elsewhere, they are nearly adults and perhaps don't need to do it right in front of their house? Especially as there's a field they could use.

Everything we do is punctuated by the constant banging, tv, sitting quietly etc. Even my DD1 (surgically attached to headphones/phone etc) complained that they were getting on her nerves when she was revising.

OP posts:
TruJay · 28/06/2014 18:37

Of course never too old for a kick-about but every evening 8.30-10 without fail would get on ny nerves without a doubt.

and if there is a field so close by surely kids of that age would prefer it there so they can boot the ball as far/hard as they want and set up goals, have a proper game etc.

i think if maybe it was say 6-7 it wouldn't be as big an issue but its when u have had your tea and are settling down for the evening, i do that they are being inconsiderate.

on the face of it u think "oh its just kids having a kick-about, no big deal" but every night at the same time, late evening, yeh that would grate on me!

Original poster
Daisby · 28/06/2014 18:39

They've got the ball out now, but we are all going out tonight thank feck!

OP posts:
TruJay · 28/06/2014 18:39

i do think that they are being inconsiderate.

samsam123 · 28/06/2014 22:37

live at end of cul de sac and 4 of neighbours kids go out every night with scooters ,football, bikes where they think that all the front gardens are their playground. Drives me mad esp.when car or front of house is hit by a football, I do actually go out and shout at them, if they want to play go and play in their back gardens. so YANBU

GreeboOgg · 28/06/2014 22:47

Does sound a bit irritating. An air rifle will pop a football, and the pellets are cheap as chips so it won't be a problem if they go out and buy another one.

(There are rules and things about shooting stuff near highways* though, so you'll need to hide at an upstairs window, sniper style).

*And probably unsuspecting teens, now I think on it.

Actually, don't shoot their ball. There are flaws with the plan. There's always flaws with my evil plans. That's why they never come to fruition. Fuck Sad

saoirse31 · 28/06/2014 23:05

I really really cant see how four lads playing football is that annoying. However why not talk to them or their parents re them using park if you feel you have to...

goodasitgets · 28/06/2014 23:29

Footballs are the (small) bane of my life. My car was damaged by one child and being woken up at 7.30am by said child booting it about isn't ideal. Child isn't allowed to go to field 1 minute away as mum wants to "keep an eye on him" (not that she does)
Would be fine if it was a sponge type ball

Luggagecarousel · 28/06/2014 23:51

Doesn't sound like a major problem to me.

VegetarianHaggis · 29/06/2014 00:09

It's annoying to have the thud, thud, thud of a football outside your house.

Grab some of the other neighbours then go out and join in the game. Be really bad at it. Make embarrassing small talk with the lads. Do it every night. They'll soon bugger off to the park!

EvenBetter · 29/06/2014 00:51

I was seething earlier as a crowd of kids aged 8-14ish chose to bounce footballs repetitively right in front of my house, in the road, for hours, including hitting my fucking car. There's a green about 10 metres away. No need.

AnyoneForTennis · 29/06/2014 00:56

Gosh shouldn't they be in front of a screen or something?? Hmm

Darkesteyes · 29/06/2014 00:59

I have them kicking a football against the side of my block of flats constantly Its not very soundproofed and its going to get worse over the summer holidays.

goodasitgets · 29/06/2014 01:26

Not saying they should be in front of a screen. But why choose (in my case) a tiny tiny space when 1 min away there's a playing field, and about 2 min away a huge field that nobody ever plays football on!
Trying to sleep after a night shift with a football thudding/child screaming at 7.30am and then getting up to find a damaged car is beyond normal playing. I would have been dragged in for screaming in the street like these do, and damaging someone else's property would have got me grounded

IamRechargingthankYou · 29/06/2014 02:43

I'm sure they must be doing it to deliberately annoy you. You absolutely must go out there with a timetable so they know when they can kick a football around in the street. Futhermore, you must give them a map showing where they are allowed to do it. I know OP this is a very difficult time at the moment but don't worry very soon everyone will know to stay indoors and not have any informal interaction with anybody or risk upset by breathing other people's air. Tough one but soon the hardship will be over.

PickleMobile · 29/06/2014 02:49

Yanbu. I hate the thud it makes. Next door neighbours son either hits his against their front wall so it reverberates through our house as well, or kicks it against the back fence. We've had to come inside a few times in the summer when he's done that as it's so loud it makes you jump.

We have a field at the bottom of our gardens as well.

kawliga · 29/06/2014 03:14

OP is not saying the neighbours must not be allowed to play football in their lives ever, and should instead be locked indoors growing fat in front of the telly and die sad miserable deaths. No. She is saying that constantly kicking the ball outside her house, thump thump thump every evening, is becoming stressful for her family.

This is not about football, for those saying 'how can lovely football be annoying'. Noise is stressful. Even nice noise, like people who play the piano or have those waterfall features or windchimes in their garden, can be very stressful to neighbours if it goes on every fucking night and the neighbours are forced to listen to it in their homes and cannot escape this noise that they did not choose. People say 'oh, but the piano is a lovely instrument, oh, but waterfalls and windchimes are so soothing', totally missing the point. This is not about football, really. OP, I agree with your DH that it is antisocial behaviour.

I would have a completely different view if there were no nearby park for them to play in, or if they did it just sometimes or for a short while every day but not every fucking night until 10pm. OP YADNBU.

KneeQuestion · 29/06/2014 03:57

YANBU

They are more than old enough to go to the field/a park on their own.

Up to 10pm is taking the piss too.

Mouthfulofquiz · 29/06/2014 04:35

I have the annoyance of the neighbours kids football in my garden all bloody evening. It really pisses me off. The ball gets lost. They're trampling my borders. I'm going to lock our gate at 9pm from now on which will end the game if it goes in my garden. They must have hit my car a few times too because the petrol cap door was open and also a cracked little side light. All of the gardens are big enough and flat enough for a kick about so why don't they just bloody well do that! Urrrrrrgggggh.