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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to destroy this man?

185 replies

thesungoesdownthestarscomeup · 17/05/2019 08:49

I've name changed for this as potentially outting;

Please help - I need some advice. And it’s a long one, sorry!

Long story short is DS football coach and I don’t get on, all stems back to presentation evening last year when I was sat opposite him and could hear him slagging me off to a host of people (at the time he was just another parent, not a coach), to save a massive scene at the time and DH flattening him in front of children etc we left and I sent him a message explaining I had heard him and of course if he had an issue he could of spoken to me face to face like an adult, queue him denying it, and running back to the then coach saying I had started a war with him for no reason etc, huge frosty atmosphere which resulted in him turning quite a few parents against me and making out I was deluded with pregnancy hormones at the time. What he didn’t know was that it was the current coaches wife who actually told me what he was saying as I could only decipher parts from across the table with loud music on!

Anyhow, fast forward almost a whole year and this delight of a bloke has now muscled in on the team and seems to be running the team and coaching, subs to be paid to his wife etc.

Since the day he’s become more involved with the team he’s set out to make my life hell, reflecting on DS.

Some examples are; was asked to pay £5 for a tournament as a matter of urgency I was out in the car at the time so offered to drop payment off if he told me his door number (I knew the street!) - he ignored my message on the group WhatsApp and then did an arsey status about me not paying 🤨

Was told to pay £10 per month subs as a bank transfer to his wife’s current account 🤨 money was to be paid irrespective of whether child could attend or not, it was paid to keep their space and ensure they have the same as others for presentation night/Christmas, have always paid this monthly despite my DS not being able to play/train with them since January as he’s had a pneumo-empyema which he was in hospital for a month with, now long road to recovery. One month, I think it was March, I was late paying subs due to everything going on as well as a newborn baby, he took it upon himself to remove DS from team and me from WhatsApp/Facebook groups as I hadn’t paid 👀 he couldn’t even take the time to drop me a quick message asking what the situ was or prompting payment?! It was humiliating as once I had discovered what he had done, I messaged him, repaid subs and then was added back into the groups 🙈 like some naughty school girl!

Based on what’s been going on obviously DS hasn’t played/trained much but I’ve had to put his welfare first. Anyhow, last weekend there was a tournament it’s the first time DS has been back, he played (was subbed mostly!) and had a medal at the end, the coach then messaged me again on the group WhatsApp stating parents have noticed DS only turned up as there was a medal 🤨🤨🤨🤨 so, I explained I thought I was paying subs for him to have the same as others but he was welcome to have the medal back if he wished! Lo and behold for another message to come through again on the group WhatsApp directed at me saying irrespective of reason if your child doesn’t train they don’t play. Now, I back this to a certain degree, but it’s hardly like my son has had a cold! I thought he would be encouraging of all children, and appreciate they are only children who ultimately are there to enjoy and wouldn’t single any child out for disability basically making it impossible for him to ever inter-grate back into the team as he may not train one week if his chest is particularly bad/hosp appt etc.

Final straw came this week when we were asked to order t shirts for tour, again on the WhatsApp group, I ordered what I needed and was about to make payment by bank transfer to his wife when it said my banking app was updating, so I wrote a message asking could she wait up to four hours for payment or if not could I drop cash off to her. Again my message was ignored, come Monday morning a message appears stating all those who ordered and PAID for their t shirts your order has been placed and for anyone else tough luck! To save DS missing out I messaged the older teams secretary to ask if I could order with her, she said yes, so I messaged coaches wife and said I was going to place my order with older team sec as she hadn’t placed her teams order yet. Queue a private text from her husband telling me I obviously don’t want DS to be part of the team as I couldn’t even order in the same manner as everyone else 🤨🤨🤨🤨

This constant nit picking has gone on too long, and I told him so, which resulted in him quitting with immediate effect unless I removed DS from the team after I messaged him asking why he had made everything as difficult as possible and questioned whether it was purposeful for him to push DS out via me in the hope he wouldn’t return to the team, of course I was rail roaded into removing DS by other parents making passive aggressive remarks that they don’t want to lose coach so would rather lose DS as he hasnt trained/played for months 🤨🤨🤨

Yesterday was particularly upsetting as DS broke his heart coming home from school because his friends were going training but he couldn’t go, anyway, I took him to a different team and he seemed to enjoy, and in all it seems a better team in terms of management and training.

But, I really don’t agree with this coaches conduct and I want to know how best to address it. Is it worth going to the chairman of the club? Or the committee? Or do I just leave it lay?

I’m so upset but equally annoyed this has happened!

Oh and by the way if you think this post is about your husband then it probably is, and my opinion is he's a cunt!

OP posts:
summerof68 · 17/05/2019 09:20

What a truly nasty man. Hopefully other parents will soon see his true nature, people like him can’t stay nice for long. I hope your son excels in his new team.

Kedgeree · 17/05/2019 09:25

You need to join another club, or change to a sport that is more accommodating of your DS' needs. Horrible man.

PurpleDaisies · 17/05/2019 09:26

Don’t bother wasting any mental energy on this. Just find another club.

Butchyrestingface · 17/05/2019 09:27

But, I really don’t agree with this coaches conduct and I want to know how best to address it. Is it worth going to the chairman of the club? Or the committee? Or do I just leave it lay?

Why didn’t you escalate this well before now?

Find another club. This man will start picking on another parent and - eventually- they’ll get the measure of him.

Picklypickles · 17/05/2019 09:36

Just leave him to his little power trip, now that he doesn't have you and your son to assert his authority over he'll probably start on someone else and so on and so on and sooner or later other people will start to see him for what he really is. Maintain the moral highground and forget about him.

shitholiday2018 · 17/05/2019 09:37

It sounds like they are a bit off but I think you could help yourself too. Things like the T-shirt thing - don’t give them an option, just get the money there on time. The training point is standard - my nephews’ teams operate the same way - you don't train, you don’t play, illness or injury irrelevant. Harsh, but that’s how competitive sport works. Even at grass roots.

This team is just your child’s hobby. Don’t make it more. Be scrupulous in what you do so you can’t be criticised, and then forget about it. Ignore snide comments. Better still, make your husband the whatsapp link and come off the thread. You need to distance yourself from this, and ignore any politics.

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 17/05/2019 09:37

Oh, OP, don't be unfair. Of course the coach is not a cunt. Cunts have warmth and depth.

Personally, I would now move on and focus on DS's new team. Unjust though these things are, I think if you complain to the club you will get nowhere. It's obvious the other parents are not backing you - they've made it clear they would rather your DS not come back to the team than lose their peach of a coach - so any support or even evidence for such a claim seems to me unlikely.

It's infuriating when a bully gets away with it and a victim is removed from that scenario rather than the bully themselves. I get that. But I really think it would be a waste of your energy.

As for the other parents, they're stuck with the coach they deserve. When he moves onto another target - and he will; bullies always need targets and when one goes they move onto the next one - they will have reaped what they sowed.

Good luck to DS with his new team. I hope at some point they'll play the old one and beat them hollow!

Smelborp · 17/05/2019 09:37

I would escalate it every way I could, but also move your son.

kalopali · 17/05/2019 09:40

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Ellisandra · 17/05/2019 09:43

A very small number of children’s sport volunteer parents are complete arseholes.
In my anecdotal experience, it’s always football!

I’m glad your son is well enough to play again and you’ve found him a new team 👍🏻

The old one sounds very disorganised with all these last minute payments!

As you have group WhatsApp messages, can you screenshot those before you’re kicked out of the group? You can probably ultimately go to the FA, whatever area deals with the affiliated youth teams.

The only thing I would say, is you’ve given 3 examples where you didn’t pay on time. If I ran a club, I wouldn’t want people putting money through my door. My address isn’t their business, I don’t want the risk they’ll knock and start interrupting my leisure time, I don’t want the risk that they drop off £10 when it should be £20 and then lie! You wouldn’t, but some might. Online payments is a nice record of who has paid and not. I’ll be honest - given the other late payments (and I appreciate the first example was them giving little notice!) I’d have seen your message about online banking and think “FFS!”.

You could definitely complain, but I think I’d just move on.

Butchyrestingface · 17/05/2019 09:44

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Message withdrawn as it quotes a deleted post.

Springwalk · 17/05/2019 09:47

Really you have given so much time, energy and head space, it’s really not healthy!
Cut ties and change clubs.

23chilton · 17/05/2019 09:47

He is a bully and is picking on you because you're vulnerable.

Now that you've moved your son and he is happier, why don't you get your DH to meet him face to face and tell him exactly what you think of his behaviour.

Sadly escalating these type of issues formally tend to go nowhere as the bullying is subtle and hard to prove and any investigation done by the club will only be a whitewash as they'll stick together.

I agree, he is a cunt!

kalopali · 17/05/2019 09:50

Butchy

It is the nuclear option and a truly evil thing to do but likely to absolutely destroy someone especially when they work with kids.

Ellisandra · 17/05/2019 09:51

Also, although he does sound like a bullying arsehole...

Your son hadn’t played since Jan, you stopped paying subs in March...
He dropped you from the group.
It’s not a bad assumption that you don’t turn up for a significant time, you stop paying = you’ve decided to leave but not bothered to tell them.

I want to say he could have chased payment, double checked - it’s only a text.

But that “only a text” when you run a team is quite a lot of texting, chasing, making exceptions etc when you multiply it up.

So I actually think you’re over reacting to say you’re being treated like a naughty girl over that.

You appeared to have quit. You told him you hadn’t. He added you back.

So if you’re going to complain about him, you need to be really honest and really specific. That example just isn’t a good one. You have others that are.

bert3400 · 17/05/2019 09:51

It sounds like he is on a massive power trip. Move your son & report him to the FA. I expect they take this conduct seriously . Also a bit dodgy his wife collecting all the money , who is accountable for this ?

Ribeebie · 17/05/2019 09:51

Kids football politics is just awful. There are some ridiculous egos. I would move your DS to another team - be the bigger person. The other parents will get the measure of this guy doing d more will leave. Don't put yourself through this anymore.

Marmablade · 17/05/2019 09:52

Ultimately he must be responsible to some accredited body if he is a coach. Report him there. You have text evidence of the bullying.

LillithsFamiliar · 17/05/2019 09:52

Don't waste any more energy on this. You've had a stressful time with pregnancy and your DS' health issues. Fighting with the coach may have become your pressure valve from everything else but it's not helpful to your DS to spend any more time on the coach.
Throw yourself into the new team. Don't say anything about the old one. See this as a new start for DS.
The old coach will be found out eventually. His type always are.

bert3400 · 17/05/2019 09:52

Report the coach to the FA , not you son 🙄

Drum2018 · 17/05/2019 09:52

Is this a club? If so there is no reason anyone should be getting money paid into their account. There should be a club account, a committee with chairperson/secretary/treasurer. There is no way I would pay money to an account that wasn't in the clubs name. To hell with him - stay the hell away. Other parents will soon see what a dick he is. Meanwhile hopefully your Ds will settle into the new club.

CIT80 · 17/05/2019 09:52

Having been in a similar situation as yourself you will be glad and so will your son that he is now with a new team !
Best thing my son ever did was leave and take away the power from these type of men !
He now does a completely different sport and has socially and emotionally flourished !

You can also lodge a complaint with the local football league about the coach if you wish to go down that route x

badlydrawnperson · 17/05/2019 09:53

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Message withdrawn as it quotes a deleted post.

mummyhaschangedhername · 17/05/2019 09:54

He sounds like a complete dick and I would escalate it as his behaviour is extremely inappropriate.

However, you also gave several examples of where you paid late and I get this is frustrating for clubs and if payment is due by a certain date and people are consistently late I get why people would be removed or miss out. The last example you said you couldn’t as the webpage was updating and that you could in a few hours then you didn’t, you waited what sounded like several days until he said that no more orders would be taken and then you reacted. So it does sound frustrating when parents don’t pay on time and then react when they miss out.

Saying that, he does sound like a bully. Is he the only one managing this team? Sounds like you’re better off away from it all to be honest.

bluebell34567 · 17/05/2019 09:55

ask your money back and present all the misconducts to the relevant authority.
yes, at the same time continue with the new club.

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