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Original poster

Football in back gardens - serious debate!

89 replies

Cherryad3 · 03/07/2014 17:43

Hi, this is my first post - I am genuinely curious as to what is and what is not deemed unreasonable regarding the playing of football in a back garden.

I have one child who is 4. Next door have 3 boys of 8, 9 and 10 and now the weather is nicer they are predictably in their back garden kicking a large leather football around and about...often up until 9pm and sometimes later.

While I appreciate it is lovely that children are enjoying fresh air and exercise, at what point does this become harassment to neighbours. I am talking about the same heavy ball hitting my child hard in the face, squashing my carefully cultivated pot plants and garden shrubs and generally causing horrid noise and damage to 6ft fence as it bangs against it on a regular basis.

Should neighbours such as myself just tolerate such inconvenience as part of life and keep passing the ball back so that it can be kicked in again at a later date.

I know this is an issue for many many people - some the owners of little footballers and some the neighbours of them - I feel like there should be an official guideline on what is and is not acceptable...what do you think?!

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 03/07/2014 17:45

The noise isn't an issue to me - damage would be and the second it landed and broke a plant I'd be round there insisting the parents took the kids to the park or ceased.

I'm not spending hundreds on plants to have them fucked

Spanglecrab · 03/07/2014 17:48

I quiet word regarding the ball coming over numerous times would be ok. I wouldn't worry too much as its surely only an issue for 6 weeks per year.

Under no circumstances can you threaten to ""pop the ball if it comes over one more time". This will lead the children to speculate that you might be a witch or similar as per my 1980's chilhood.

SylvaniansKeepGettingHoovered · 03/07/2014 17:49

Your neighbours are being unreasonable and should take the kids to a field or tell them to stop/play differently.

I would be annoyed if the ball hit my child in the face or squashed any of my plants. They must be playing the same as they would in a big outdoor field! I'm not sure what's worse though, a football or a mega-sized trampoline.

FernMitten · 03/07/2014 17:50

It's a difficult one isn't it?

I find it one of the most irritating noises, whether we're at home, walking through the park or having a picnic, always that thump and the risk of being hit.

On the other hand, they should be free to play in their garden or the park Confused

Idontseeanyicegiants · 03/07/2014 17:50

I've banned my lot and their friends from playing football in our garden, we have young fruit trees and new plants for a start!
Mind you we have playing fields 2 minutes away so they happily go there instead - if we didn't I might have been more tolerant.

AnyoneForTennis · 03/07/2014 17:54

Is there a park nearby?

Maybe ask if they could compromise on type of football? A softer lighter one?

It's still light at 9

cricketballs · 03/07/2014 17:55

So we have numerous posters who don't want children playing in the street and now they can't play in their own garden Hmm

Idontseeanyicegiants · 03/07/2014 17:57

I never said mine can't play in the street, in fact they do if they cba to go to the playing fields. Just not football in the garden. Everything else is ok.

cricketballs · 03/07/2014 18:01

In a lot of other threads idont posters often complain about children playing in the street, I didn't aim my comment a you, just MN in general!

Andro · 03/07/2014 18:02

I tend to reach the end of my tolerance when the balls start doing damage - I have lost count of how many panes of glass I've had to replace in my greenhouse (the greenhouse was there long before there were kids next door) and how many very expensive plants that have been damaged or killed.

On the third collection or the first incidence of damage, I refuse to return the ball until mum/dad come with them - seems to concentrate their minds a little.

Original poster
Cherryad3 · 03/07/2014 18:04

Wow, thanks for replying so quickly...I guess the noise of football annoys some more than others. Personally I find the sound annoying, especially when it is so close to me in the next garden, however appreciate there are lots of other noises that can annoy people too.

cricketballs - thanks for your reply - I think the key point here is when children playing in their own garden becomes their ball coming into my garden - which is not just a lawn and thus not set up for football games. I would find the noise much easier to deal with if I wasn't tensed waiting for the inevitable crack against my fence of the whump as it lands near me or in my plants.

OP posts:
MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 03/07/2014 18:04

Would a different ball not largely solve the problem, as Anyone suggests? I have little footballers aged 8, 6 and 3 but a football field and playground right by the house and I tiny garden. If we had a big garden and no open space within a short walk I would absolutely let my kids play football in their own garden all day if they wanted (they often play for 4 straight hours with friends and drink and snack breaks) although I would try to fond a solution to ball going over fence (light weight indoor ball and heigh netting maybe).

getthefeckouttahere · 03/07/2014 18:06

yeah you are. Kids play footie in garden - shocking. 9pm isn't late, better than them being indoors playing computer games.

WillWorkForMoney · 03/07/2014 18:07

The boy next door does this. The garden is less than 20 x 20 sq ft. Does my nut in! Luckily I have no plants to be squished and I have a dog so if she pops the ball its his problem.

TheFairyCaravan · 03/07/2014 18:09

If the ball was coming over frequently and they were doing nothing to try prevent it happening again, I would not be handing it back for a couple of days straight away.

My boys played football in the garden, but we told them to keep away from the neighbour's fences and if it went over more than once or twice they were sent to the park!

Idontseeanyicegiants · 03/07/2014 18:10

Cricketballs it's ok I was just giving rest of my point if view, wasn't taking offence Smile
I should also have mentioned that my lad and his mates are teens and tend to hoof the ball as though they're at Wembley therefore the fields are the best place for them Grin
Not near my apple trees..
The noise has never bothered me though, it's like lawnmowers on a sunny day, it just blends into the background.

AnyoneForTennis · 03/07/2014 18:10

Kids noise is noise, no matter what it is.... Water play/bikes/trampoline/football..... You can't single out footie as a different noise

World Cup is on so they might be more inspired than usual. That's not a bad thing

If they are damaging property then speak to the parents again.... What have they said so far op?

Marylou62 · 03/07/2014 18:10

We have a fairly large garden which all the local lads came to play in...rugby, cricket and football. We were lucky in they were quite good so ball didn't go in neighbours garden much!! Park a busy road away. Kicking it against the house constantly was a no-no. DS2 ,who was desperate to play with his big brother (7 years older) and his friends often got hurt....but got on with it. The garden is empty now...all left home. I stopped the playing at 8pm as neighbours had baby. Its a hard one but soon it will be your DS and his friends in your garden. Their DCs will be older. I tried to teach my DCs that they didn't need to kick it so hard that it could break neighbours plants etc. Didn't work everytime....

TheFairyCaravan · 03/07/2014 18:10

9pm is late when you have a 4 yo and it is bloody inconsiderate to be banging a ball against a fence at that time!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/07/2014 18:14

When a ball does damage it's time to have a word.

Your child will be the noisy one kicking a ball around at 9 pm soon enough so I wouldn't mention the noiseWink

cricketballs · 03/07/2014 18:16

Fairy, just wait till your 4 year old is older......

HavantGuard · 03/07/2014 18:21

I'd have a word with the parents about the ball coming over all the time and hitting your DS and damaging your plants. I think you're stuck with the noise, but that takes the piss. Better to deal with it before the schools break up and they're playing all day.

HavantGuard · 03/07/2014 18:23

And if they don't rapidly improve their ball control skills I'd give them one free return and then make them wait to get the ball back. 20 minutes at first, then 40 minutes, then an hour.

minniemagoo · 03/07/2014 18:24

I think a lot of this is lack of parental consideration and supervision I have no problem with my kids playing in our own garden but if they haven't the capacity to keep it in our own garden they wouldn't get to continue. I usually give them 1 free pass but after that it's game over. Gardens are usually only big enough for a tapping kind of game.
Similarly we have a cul de sac out front and a gorgeous big green 4 houses up. It astonishes me how young teens walk past the green to play on the road in the cul de sac using our driveways as goals, bashing the ball off plants and cars.
I probably sound like a Grinch but I do blame the parents.

cricketballs · 03/07/2014 18:25

Fairy, just wait till your 4 year old is older......