AIBU to ask the pub landlord to stop football in the garden?

[CogDiss]

I've lived backing on to a pub for years. There is noise on the summer, but I bought a house near to a pub, so I can't complain about that!

However of late it's become a lot more common for kids to play football in the garden. Smashing balls into my fence and those of the other surrounding homes, balls coming into my garden, my evenings being disturbed by kids knocking on my door asking for balls back (which I can't always do as they've disappeared into my large bushes and I'm not about to go crawling around in there looking for them!). On one memorable occasion a parent just 'popped their child' over the 6ft high fence and I wandered into the living room to see a random child in my garden!

It's getting worse though and kids are often out playing football in the pub garden well into the evening, screaming and shouting and kicking against the fence. Last night they will still there at 10:30. Having checked the license, kids have to be off the premises by 9pm. I have audio of the kids at 10pm. I also assume (though don't know for definite) that the kids are unsupervised, as their parents are inside the pub.
I'm dreading a summer of constantly interrupted evenings where I can't sit out peacefully in my garden. Would I be unreasonable to go and see the landlord and point out that he's in breach of his licence if kids are out there past 9pm, and also ask if he could consider doing something to prevent football being played in the pub garden? I'm even happy to offer to make a contribution towards play equipment, which the pub used to have, as footballs were never a problem when that was there.
While I'm not a pub drinker, I do see the importance of them for communities, so I would be reluctant to actually shop him for breach of licensing conditions (not least because I suspect there would be repercussions for me), but it would be nice if they could be slightly more considerate neighbours.
(FYI I tried to call the pub last night and ask them to tell the kids to quieten down, but their published phone number does not work)
So: YANBU - go and have a conversation with the landlord, see if there is a solution to be had.
YABU - you bought the house where you bought it, the landlord has a right to let kids play football if that brings custom. Suck it up and get used to noise.

I would probably take legal advice before doing anything. I would certainly not go in and threaten to report him for breaching the terms of his licence.
Find out where you stand legally first and maybe contact him politely by email and get your neighbours to co-sign.
Failing that, a visit to the council regarding the noise nuisance, not the licence.

I would go and talk to the landlord and just say there were kids playing really loudly outside late, and can he stop ball games in the garden. Shut up and see what he says. Don’t over explain just state a couple of facts and see what he says. I am also a big user of pubs especially one that is very community oriented and family friendly but what you describe is unreasonable

Is it your fence because presumably it’s getting damaged with this too.

You could try your local councillor . They are often helpful about stuff like this. Mine is helpfully on the licensing committee!

I wouldn’t write off reporting for breach of licence, no landlord wants/needs that. Where I live breaches of licence get taken very seriously. I live opposite a pub, the owner started parking his stupidly big car outside in a way that makes the roads around very dangerous as it totally obscures the view turning from two side streets into a very busy main road. There’s plenty of on road safe parking, he just couldn’t be arsed to park safely. We reported him to traffic control - they sent traffic wardens but he didn’t seem to care about getting 5,000,000 parking tickets.

as a last resort we reported him to licensing - he never parked badly again. The licence will have something in about not causing a nuisance, especially when they are in residential areas.

but - I’d try an informal approach first and see that happens.

Ask him to install one of those nets in front the g the fence. It will stop the balls or as many balls from coming over and it will stop the banging against the fence. You really have no way to insist so I’d be nice and see if they’ll help.

I think if you mention the noise they will say they cant stop the kids from shouting, but they could do something about the type of activity so maybe concentrate on that.

I don't think pubs are that important for communities anymore. They used to be in a different time but not now.

I'd complain.

Depends where you live. Rurally, they’re still very important.

I didn’t mean never to bring up the licence, but that is the ace up your sleeve, so don’t lead with that.

dont offer to pay any money either !

Go and speak to them. Point out that it was better when they had play equipment for kids, but don't offer to pay for new things, tell them you have people at your door and in your garden as a result, and allude to the fact that kids are still there at 10pm (possible followed by a silence and 'Paddington Bear hard stare'.
They won't want trouble with the neighbours, it's bad for business.

You could start by speaking to your neighbours and see what they say. Approaching the pub as a representative of a group is far more powerful than as an individual. This would also lend weight if a complaint to the local authority wes required.

In the meantime get a ring type doorbell and dont be going to trouble returning any balls when asked. Maybe just do it once a week by chucking them back over into the pub or out into the street. Certainly dont go chasing into the bushes for some random kid. When balls come into my garden (rare) they stay there until my nephew throws them out into the street for any local child to claim.

The brighter weather. The ball smashing up the fence. Loathe it but I always get told on here I’m a misery. Sympathies x

There’s a pub in Cornwall that have just banned kids from playing football in the beer garden because of a neighbour complaining, so I think you could win this one.

Absolutely, many are warm hubs and there are multiple examples of locals jointly buying pubs that have gone out of business in order to keep them going as places for people to congregate and often get a warm meal.

I had something similar a few years ago when I was eating in the pub garden and the kids were wild. One was on top of the shed roof throwing a branch down 😮

it was during a football game so nobody supervising.

Anyway I wrote a polite email the next day. It was dealt with and I was offered a free drink.

I presented it that the landlord clearly didn’t know what was happening out there - and the parents were scary!

so yeah I’d basically go with the ‘did you know..’ approach as it might just be solved that way.

Any neighbourhood dispute needa to start with attempt at polite reaching out in person

It's such a bad idea to go steaming in with council complaints.

The pub may have a simple remedy and may respond politely given they will know the licensing repercussions

Id also say... Is it really so bad having kids okay football ? We are so hard on children and their play.

You could ask the pub to rearrange the garden so that balls don't come over your fence though I think the odd ball is part of having any neighbors at all pub or otherwise

You could also ask them to keep kids away from your end after a certain time

I agree with this approach.

Thanks everyone. I wasn't intending to go in threatening with reporting straight away, but it's good to hear that most think I'm not being unreasonable to have a conversation. I think I'll probably leave it a couple more weekends and see whether we have any more repeats, but it's definitely worrying me that kids are been put over my fence to retrieve balls!!

To the poster who says what's wrong with kids playing football? Nothing but where we live there are several large fields where they could do this within 5 minutes walk of the pub... but that would require parents leaving the pub to supervise them, so 4 hours of them playing in the pub garden it is. (And it was at least 4 hours. I got home at 6:15 and they were still going at 10:15. As the match finished at what, 5pm?, it's safe to assume that it was actually at least 5 hours!

Anyway, I'll monitor and maybe chat with other houses that surround the pub. Thanks for the opinions!

Personally I'd drop in this week for a quick drink rather than wait. Assuming you are in England next weekend is bank holiday Monday and start of school holidays. It needs nipping.in the bud now.

They just need a no ball games rule and surprised they don't have this due to risk to their customers/glasses etc.

Strongly disagree with this. Villages and communities with a decent pub are still highly sought after. I know lots of people that wouldn't buy a house unless there was a good pub nearby.

a big net is the way to go. as high or wide as required to protect your property.

i suppose you could always offer to contribute if the landlord is struggling.

either that or not football in the pub garden rule.

either way it’s hopefully not a difficult fix.