Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be able to enjoy my garden without nuisance footballs

27 replies

ButryMashPot · 12/07/2025 08:55

We bought our house 20 years ago and there has always been a small youth community centre backing on to us, there was a small grassed area that backs on to our garden and they would use it for fetes and dog shows and sometimes the youth club kids would have a kick about on it and for the first 10-12 years we didn’t really have any issues with them, the odd football would come over a couple of times a year.
Then the centre decided to transform this area into a 5 a side football pitch and rent it out to all and sundry and since then it’s been a nightmare. From about March-October not a week goes by when a football doesn’t come flying over the fence, sometimes multiple times a week. The balls have broken plant pots, hit our windows, knocked my clothes airer over whilst trying to dry my washing. We were outside eating with family last year and a ball came over and hit my SIL in the back. I’ve had kids climbing over the fence and into my back garden wandering around trying to find their balls.
I have been back and forth with the people running the centre and they have begrudgingly compensated me for the damages. They have raised the height of the fence and it’s made no difference, they have told me they can raise it a bit higher but I don’t think that’s going to make a difference. Last night 2 balls came over in the space of 30 mins. The 1st one, DH threw back but when the 2nd came over he was in the shower. One of the kids climbed the fence and asked to the throw the ball back. I refused (mainly because I am disabled and the fence is too high and I’d never get the ball over). I said if he wanted his ball back then I wanted whoever was supervising them to come round and get it, he then called me a fat cunt and climbed down. It’s got to the point where whenever we’re in the garden we can’t relax if the pitch is in use and I get really anxious. We’ve not had any holidays for 6 years and have spent the money on the garden, outdoor kitchen, new furniture and I don’t feel like I can enjoy it for fear of being hit.
I don’t want to be that person that stops kids getting out and having fun but equally I want to have enjoyment of my garden.
I don’t know what the solution is, can anyone suggest what they would do in my position?

OP posts:
ButryMashPot · 13/07/2025 16:00

I’m not sure if this image will show but the white line is our back fence, then the red line shows a chain link fence that backs in to our fence, then there is an alleyway between our garden and the pitch and then the purple line is the fence of the pitch.
The chain link fence behind our fence doesn’t run the whole way along the back of all the gardens, it finishes half way along the back of my neighbour on the right, so what happens is the kids climb on my neighbours fence and then using the chain link fence to hold on to they shimmy along until they reach our garden.

To be able to enjoy my garden without nuisance footballs
OP posts:
Ireallywantadoughnut36 · 14/07/2025 11:22

All the pitches/astro turfs round here have huge net/wire fencing, I'd guess maybe 15 foot high (not good at guesstimating tbh), I think mainly to stop all the lost footballs as much as anything! I assume that they'd need planning permission if they've changed their usage. Maybe speak to the local council about it and check they're actually allowed to do this too. I do think if they extend the fencing, whilst noisy and annoying it would stop the physical destruction of balls coming over at least - I know you say it won't make a difference, but theres only so high a football can be kicked, so at the right height it will stop them all, it obviously needs to be much higher though.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread