Calls for FA to rid junior football of toxic culture

A former Essex youth football manager wants more done by the FA to curb adults bad behaviour and verbal abuse at children's games

A former youth football manager is calling for a "toxic culture" surrounding the junior game to be addressed ahead of the new season.

Simon Compton from Billericay in Essex, coached an under-11 side for five years until the end of the season in 2019.

He wants the Football Association (FA) to enforce its own conduct rules to stamp out the bad behaviour of some parents and officials.

The FA said its new participant charter addressed "unacceptable conduct".

Mr Compton said the behaviour tolerated in junior football simply "does not go on in any other sport".

"It's really the only place in the world where you can get away with screaming out abuse and being aggressive and behaving in that sort of way and it not considered a problem in front of children," he said.

FA governance includes participant behaviour, including grassroots matches like junior football.

It was wrong that children had to endure abuse from adults during matches, Mr Compton said

In his time, Mr Compton witnessed adults swearing at children during matches and threats to young referees, on and off the pitch.

"Parents behaving very badly, very aggressively to children, being abusive to officials, was just normal," he said.

"I've seen many kids... embarrassed and cringing when it's their dad kicking off.

"They're more than happy for parents to go to the games... but they don't want them shouting out. Even if it's not abusive."

Mark Jones and Simon Compton (right) have written a book about their experiences of junior league football

Mr Compton has written a book, with Mark Jones, another former Essex junior team manager, which details first-hand accounts of intimidation.

It includes the story of a young referee who was met by a parent holding an iron bar in a car park after a game.

Simon Compton, who wants better adult behaviour at grassroots matches, admits his own behaviour was far from perfect on the odd occasion

Mr Compton said the abuse was not exclusive to parents but included some team managers.

He added whenever he tried to raise an issue, such as behaviour at a match, it would be ignored.

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While FA policies outline expected behaviour of managers, parents and spectators, Mr Compton said enforcement of the rules was lacking, and that this needed addressing to make the game better for all.

The FA said it was implementing new policies, procedures and regulations from the start of the 2023-24 season "to ensure the actions of the minority do not spoil the game for all".

This would include point deductions for grassroot teams "whose players or coaches commit repeated offences of serious misconduct".