Kiddies Playing Football On Estate

[Kgrayz]

Just wondering if anyone will know who I can contact regarding my son and his friends playing football outside our home.

My little boy is 9 and his friends are 10 and 6 we live in an enclosed estate and they like to take their football goals outside and play football ..

they are to small to play over the local field .

Yesterday the police were called by one of our neigbours who often complain that the ball has rolled on this drive.

[lozzer50]

i dont know the legalities but how sad that this happened. people moan about kids being stuck infront of tv and not getting exercise and then you get this idiotic neighbour phoning the police. let them play just try and keep the ball of this awful persons drive.

[Buenchico]

>>>Just wondering if anyone will know who I can contact

With what purpose? The Highways Act 1980, Section 161(3) states:
"If a person plays at football or any other game on a highway to the annoyance of a user of the highway he is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale".

The definition of a a 'highway' includes public footpaths and verges so, if your children are annoying others, they are technically breaking the law. (I'm not defending your bloody awkward neighbour. He/she ought to remember that he/she was also young once and allow your children to play. I'm simply pointing out that the law seems to be on his/her side).

[cassa333]

If the neighbour is complaining because the l ronto his drive then can't they move round so it doesn't or put a net/barrier up so it doesn't go over?

I agree with lozzer50. Such a shame. However if they are particuly noisy or disruptive or the ball often goes onto his property and perhaps knocks into things then I can understand him getting.

[Daffy6543]

After being the 'victim' of kids who were 'just playing football in the street' for over 6 years I can sympathise to some degree with your neighbour. It can be bloody annoying to hear kids screaming at each other for hour after hour, they never seem to talk normally these days, and the repetitive sound of a ball hitting concrete for any length of time could drive the sanest and most mild mannered of folks to murder.

They are your kids, not his so why should he have to put up with their noise? Why not take them down to the local field and supervise them yourself?

[vulcan42]

People like that give us OAP's a bad name! Children play football on a cul de sac behind my house and almost every day the ball lands in my garden. They knock on the front door and politely ask for it back and there 's never a problem. where does this person expect children that are too young to go to designated playing fields to play, in their living room?

[Quoi]

I would be surprised if the ball 'rolling on the drive' created the cause to call the fuzz but 'ball bounced 16 times off my new car' might.

It is irritating but I would like to think I am a little more tolerant these days..... Unless you go near my car!

[Kgrayz]

thanks guys.

This neighbour has a child of his own.

I have seen in some estates signs stating 'No ball games'. ?

I do like to take my 3 children out and about to different events/activities etc, I dont have time to stand over a field all day long watching them play football, me and my husband both work and have 2 other children to care for. We are in the easter holidays and when we do actually have the odd day with nice weather why cant they play outside our own house? Moaning neighbour lives directly opposite us and his drive is on a slant. so if the ball rolls it will roll down onto his drive.

If they were directly kicking the ball at his car or window then I would be the first one to tell them off but they are not they just want to have a kick about outside their house where we as parents can keep a close eye on them.

I agree I love to see kiddies out and about in the fresh air getting lots of exercise as today it is pouring down and they are stuck in front of ipads and computers.

I just think that by him phoning the police on children playing is a bit extreme it wasnt the local PCSO it was an actual police man in a police car. What a waste of police time when you have vandals, thieves and what not about .

Daffy6543 if they want peace and quiet then maybe they should move to the middle of nowhere in a nice detached house. Yes they are my kids playing outside my house I pay my mortgage and road tax same as them? ..

[black_cat51]

i think there has to be some understanding that they are not just playing outside your house, they are playing outside the neighbours house too. i agree that shreiking children and ball bouncing noises are enought to drive anyone to distraction! However i also agree calling the police is an over-the-top reaction to it

[Prudie]

Well I also agree with daffy as the kids round me constantly banging their balls against metal garage doors does get very tedious. TBH whatever he said to the police must have been more than just about a ball rolling on to his drive or they wouldn't have turned up.

[ojread2]

" I dont have time to stand over a field all day long watching them play football,"

May I then suggest that, on the days you do not have time, don't let them play football in the street? If they are too young to play 'over the field' they are too young to be on the street. I wouldn't want children running over my drive either, or banging their ball against my wall/fence/car

You're a nightmare neighbour, you need to move to the middle of nowhere then you're kids can kick a ball about to their hearts content
Selfish parents with little to zero regard for their neighbours are the bane of neighbourhoods

[Graham-W]

We live in a Cul-de-Sac and the kids used to play football safely. One neighbour, a parish councilor, objected and managed to get a "No Ball Games" sign put up for a trial period. Several people, including myself, wrote to the Parish council to object to the sign but it eventually became a permanent feature.
The kids can still ride their bikes, play tag etc. but no ball games. Seems a shame for the sake of one "Councilor" but there you have it.

[lozzer50]

ojread thats a bit rich ! why are they nightmare neighbours when their kids play on the front street. if thats your attitude I am glad i dont live next door to you.
since when has the sound of kids playing out and having fun been a nuisance? ive had trouble with kids in past and it cost me £300 to get wing mirrors fixed. i wasnt happy and their parents paid towards the repair, but not every kid comes from a bad family. i think maybe you should be the one going living in isolated place

[Ric.ror]

And this is exactly the reason I live on a very busy main road

[viv38]

I wholeheartedly agree with daffy.

[mccfluff]

i used to love playing out in the street when i was a kid, we lived in a cul de sac and we could play safely in front of the houses, i dare say we were noisy at times and probably kicked a ball in to someone's garden, but i don't remember anyone complaining.

i wonder if there is something else behind his reaction - maybe the kids were louder than you think, or he works nights and was shattered, just seems a bit extreme to call the police and for them to actually come out for a ball on his drive, have you tried talking to him, maybe listen to his point of view, you may find some compromise?

[cazzz1975]

The problem with footballers is that quite often the ball will end up hitting cars and windows, can they not play in your back garden?

[woofgang]

Sadly times have changed and usually now there is not room for children to play out in the street. Got to say that, calling the police excepted, my sympathies lie with your neighbour. Could there be something missing from your story? You say that he has often complained that the ball rolls onto his drive. It sounds to me like you haven't done anything to stop this which would pizz me off too....and maybe if it had happened often enough, make me call the police even......

[Kgrayz]

Yes it is a funny old world divebuddy isnt it...today whilst its pouring down they are indoors stuck in front of computers called couch potatos and lazy..

And thank you ojread2 we are not "nightmare neighbours" thank you very much! how rude u are.

There are lots of families in our estate and they all like to play outside with bikes, skooters, tag, hoola hoops, skates, skipping etc so no I do not want to live in the middle of no where thank you very much, my children would be awfully bored!

My son is 9 he is allowed to play outside My house in My garden whilst I watch him in My window he is not allowed over a field where I cannot see him.

This neighbour has come out shouting at the children 3 or 4 times not one time has he approached me or my husband or any of the other parents, he has asked them to stop playing football. there are no garages around us, there is grass and road with kerbs its not a busy road and I like to think it is safe .. he called the police around yesterday because of this reason nothing else,.

[Kgrayz]

anyhoo I have finished my researching and telephone calls whilst on my lunch break in work and my son and his friends playing football are doing no wrong as there is no damage to property or cars doors windows etc.. (If there were I would pay by the way).