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Football in the garden

77 replies

AliceR1 · 19/02/2023 19:18

My kids, 8 and 11, are into football. Neighbour always used to throw balls back over the fence but recently started hogging them so I went round to collect - he got really stroppy - I deliberately have the goal away from the fence to stop the ball hitting the fence (my fence, merely to stop the noise) so any ball flying over the fence from now on is a complete no-no… I came up with a plan to erect a frame with a net which I’m planning on building up to 3 metres which should stop anything going over… I know the regs stipulate fence being no more 2 metres tall. It’s all going to be neat, uniform colour, black… where do I stand if he kicks off about that? Just so I’m prepared lol

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Eastereggsboxedupready · 19/02/2023 19:20

Find a park?
My dc plays for a proper team. He plays in the front field or the park near home. My neighbours are never affected..

Brefugee · 19/02/2023 19:23

Neighbour always used to throw balls back over the fence but recently started hogging them so I went round to collect - he got really stroppy

you're pretty lucky he doesn't stab them. did you apologise? are they doing damage? Send them to a park

AliceR1 · 19/02/2023 19:32

Of course I apologised - always say to the kids that they’re not to play if they have the washing out… I do take them to the park but am running a single parent home, work full time, the garden is just so much simpler. I’m trying not to take the mick…

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tirednewmumm · 19/02/2023 19:51

Sorry but if it's a relatively small garden there's much better games for them to play. Or get one of those footballs on a strap connected to a belt for them to practise keepy ups

gettingalifttothestation · 19/02/2023 19:54

Our previous neighbours let their boys play football and it make our life miserable. Ball was constantly banging the fence and coming over into ours.

AliceR1 · 19/02/2023 19:57

That’s what I’m trying to achieve with the net but don’t want him to get funny because of the height. I’m trying to be reasonable and put the goal away from the fence, always say no football before 9am weekends, but by equal measures, should an 8yo be banned from playing footy in the garden, I think not…

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AnyMucca · 19/02/2023 19:57

Footballs are a nightmare for most neighbours. Kids always knocking on the door asking for them back, flowerbeds ruined, windows through, can't enjoy your garden. Thump, thump, thump when you've settled down with a book....

Overthebow · 19/02/2023 19:58

They either learn to play without kicking balls over the fence or they don’t play football in the garden. Not fair on your neighbour to have balls coming over and you can’t erect a 3m goal net.

Overthebow · 19/02/2023 19:58

should an 8yo be banned from playing footy in the garden, I think not…

yes if they can’t keep the ball in their own garden.

AliceR1 · 19/02/2023 20:01

should an 8yo be banned from playing footy in the garden, I think not…

yes if they can’t keep the ball in their own garden.

Well that told me… thanks. Just what I needed just as I’ve just picked up DH’s ashes from the undertakers.

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UrsulaPandress · 19/02/2023 20:03

Every time I walk my dog round the block he finds an expensive football kicked over a high garden wall. He brings it home, releases it after a couple of hours in the futility room and I then bin it.

Polik · 19/02/2023 20:09

We erected similar to what your suggesting in our garden.

We had existing 5ft fences. I then added a 3m length of deck boars to the top and bottom fence post on either side. I drilled a hoke in the top of the desk board and ran a taught rope through it. Then I hung a 6m net down from the rope to floor. Tent peg the net yo the ground, tight, about 1m away from the fence. This allows for enough give to catch the ball without it banging the fence.

I had planned to add a 'ceiling' net between the left-side and right-side ropes.but found it was never needed. 5m of netting on both sides solved the issue.

My children gave played footy in the back garden for well over a decade this why.

baxterstockman · 19/02/2023 20:11

God ignore the miserable arseholes on this thread! Do people prefer kids to be inside on video games getting fat, with no social skills? I think what you are planning is more than fair. Where I live kids play in gardens and out in the road and on a grass patch at the end. Does this cause noise? Yes. Does it sometimes cause balls to come in my garden? Yes. Can I manage this minor inconvenience and remember that I played out or in my garden and did these things as a kid? Yes. Balls coming in to your garden makes your life miserable? Fucking hell! Get some perspective.

meatballsoup · 19/02/2023 20:14

Bloody hell, there are some miserable sods out the. Playing football in the garden is exactly what kids should be doing. How big of a deal is it to throw the ball back over the fence!.

meatballsoup · 19/02/2023 20:18

UrsulaPandress · 19/02/2023 20:03

Every time I walk my dog round the block he finds an expensive football kicked over a high garden wall. He brings it home, releases it after a couple of hours in the futility room and I then bin it.

Why would you let your dog do that?. Some kid is going to come looking for their ball, just leave it where it is. That could be the ball someone got for a birthday or saved up money to buy.

IWineAndDontDine · 19/02/2023 20:18

If kids playing football makes your life "miserable" you really need some resilience. First world problems hey

converseandjeans · 19/02/2023 20:19

We have this & neighbour hasn't complained. We're lucky as house to the right is empty & smaller goal used to back onto that & we can get through to collect them. We now have back net across back.

www.opengoaaal.com/

LilyAndTheKing · 19/02/2023 20:20

Our previous neighbours kids would be out in their tiny garden (huge extension) say 12ft square, kicking a ball from morning to night, broke our fence which we replaced.
Worst day was 8 footballs over, been hit several times sitting in my own garden.

Constant banging on the door, bell ringing and shouting through the letter box on one occasion. I did have words more than once and say we'd throw back the next day, in the end they had at least a dozen footballs.
Not once did they apologise, thank fuck they've moved.
I think a net sounds a brilliant idea, I did suggest to DH that we put one up.
Wow I got that off my chest 🤣

converseandjeans · 19/02/2023 20:22

@meatballsoup I agree with you on both points. Why would you let your dog bring a nice expensive ball home to pop & then throw away? They cost loads

Kids can't win really nowadays. People moan if they're roaming about, moan if they are always online and also moan if they're in the garden 🤷🏻‍♀️

LilyAndTheKing · 19/02/2023 20:23

Constant banging on the door, bell ringing and shouting through the letter box on one occasion, this was the neighbours kids asking for the ball back by the way.

It's all very well saying first world problems, but the constant banging against my fence for hours at a time was no joke.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2023 20:23

We’re looking at one of these, they are pricey though.

www.opengoaaal.com/

we have nice neighbours who throw balls back willingly and to be fair, it is not very often they go over as we have a hedge which catches a lot of them.

Soapyspuds · 19/02/2023 20:24

How often were the balls going over the fence?

lostinthoughts · 19/02/2023 20:25

OP ignore the miseries on here saying go to a park (unsafe and impractical) or keepie upies with a ball on a string! Clearly these people have never had football mad boys. It's their garden and while they should learn to be respectful of their neighbours, they can play whatever games they like in it.

I have 3 boys who all like to play football. Our neighbours on one side started hogging the balls and after many years we came to blows about it. Now my boys have learnt that if the kick them over the fence, they won't see the ball again so now very few ever go over. Accidents happen and they are only children and still learning. Neighbours have to be tolerant of one another and they should understand this. build your net

WiIson · 19/02/2023 20:26

What about this op

www.forzagoal.co.uk/stop-that-ball.html

I've got the same problem.

So sorry to hear about your DH btw.

AliceR1 · 19/02/2023 20:26

converseandjeans · 19/02/2023 20:19

We have this & neighbour hasn't complained. We're lucky as house to the right is empty & smaller goal used to back onto that & we can get through to collect them. We now have back net across back.

www.opengoaaal.com/

That’s what I had in mind. Thanks for the kind replies. I just think that banning a kid from kicking a ball in the garden is a bit off. It’s an estate with families, in the vicinity of primary school and I’m just trying to be reasonable… no intention falling out with anyone. Never play music outside, kids never out before 9am or after 8pm.

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