To cheer or not to cheer?

I can recall the days where as a parent I used to take my son to all his youth team football games in the Spalding & Peterborough District league. Along with most other parents I used to cheer the team on and give praise where and when it was due.

Reading a recent report about parents being banned from cheering at children's football matches to take the pressure off the kidsreally surprised me. The parents will be forced to stand in silence on the touchline with the referee having the power to show them the red card.

The silent weekend has been authorized by the Hampshire FA, which comes from the PC brigade as a university had banned clapping to reduce the players' stress. The FA went on to say it hopes this will create a positive environment.

The initiative also aims at reducing tensions between parents, but in all the time I spent with the Spalding Athletic Colts, albeit a few years ago now, and so passionately run by the late Mick Bailey, I never witnessed any incident or confrontation between parents and officials.

In fact manners and respect were already built in from the parents attending and it was also about belonging to the group and as parents we were all proud of the team and so grateful that people like the manager, MB, took time and effort to give the youngsters something to look forward to at the week-end.

I could just see the team now turning out like zombies under this new initiative. So to cheer or not to cheer ? I would be interested in your readers' views on this matter as I do not condone any parents berating other children or going over board.

Rodney Sadd

Still enjoying non-league football and cheering the lads on