The Gaffer Tapes

I know It’s only Youth football……
But I’m ruining it……

I visited a youth football tournament.
Not as a coach.
Not as a Director of Football.
Just as a parent, watching while my own children officiated as referees.

It was a fascinating experience… and, if I’m honest, quite a shocking one.

For so long I’ve stood inside the technical area. It almost becomes a sanctuary. You’re focused on your players, your decisions and your team. You don’t always hear everything that’s being shouted from the touchline.

When I coach I say very little, my players need to make decisions for themselves.

I sat with the parents.

What I witnessed reminded me exactly why, at Sussex RTC, we have always asked one simple thing…

Let them play.

Every decision that someone disagreed with seemed to trigger abuse. Referees were shouted at. Young players were criticised. Parents argued with other parents. Obscenities were aimed in every direction.

And for what?

The referee is a human being. Many of them are children themselves, giving up their weekend because they love football.

The players are children too. They play because they love the game. They dream of becoming the best version of themselves, perhaps even professionals one day.

But there is another consequence that many adults never consider.

Children learn behaviours from the adults around them. If they constantly hear parents shouting at referees, abusing opponents or arguing with other parents, they begin to believe that this is what football looks like. Instead of focusing on improving their ability, their attention is drawn to the chaos around them.

That doesn’t help their development.

It distracts them.

It limits them.

It slows their progress.

Here’s another reality that many people fail to understand.

When scouts attend matches and tournaments, they aren’t just watching the player. They’re watching everything.

They’re watching how the player behaves.

They’re watching how the coach behaves.

And yes… they’re watching the parents too.

The family is often seen as part of the package. Clubs invest years into developing young players, so character, behaviour and environment matter just as much as technical ability.

If a scout has to introduce themselves because of behaviour coming from the touchline, the opportunity may already have passed.

Ask yourself one question:

If you were recruiting young players into your club, would you want that behaviour becoming part of your environment?

What struck me most today was this.

While coaches argued with officials and parents argued with one another, everyone seemed to miss the most important part of the day…

The players.

Instead of seeing quick decisions, brave passes and creative football, I saw players taking too many touches. Playing as individuals rather than as a team. Looking towards the touchline instead of solving problems for themselves.

Why?

Because the noise had become louder than the game.

Their concentration disappeared. Their confidence dropped. Their focus shifted from playing football to worrying about the reactions of the adults around them.

The very people who wanted the best for them were, in many cases, becoming the biggest distraction to their development.

So I left asking myself one simple question…

Who is this actually about?

Is it about the adults winning the argument?

Or is it about giving children the very best environment to learn, enjoy the game and become the best players—and people—they can be?

People often ask why we’re so firm about touchline behaviour. Why we ask parents not to coach. Why we ask for encouragement rather than instruction.

Today reminded me.

The game belongs to the players.

They deserve the chance to make decisions, make mistakes, solve problems and enjoy football without fear of hearing constant criticism from the sidelines.

At Sussex RTC we’ve never tolerated abuse towards officials, opposition, our own players or other parents. We ask you to trust the coaches and simply support the children.

As I often tell our players…

There can be no excuses.

It’s time we expected exactly the same from the adults including spectators…….

IT’S THEIR GAME. NOT YOURS.

A Gaffer Tapes Post

Every weekend across the country, thousands of children pull on a football shirt because they love the game.

Not because they want to hear:

* parents screaming from the sidelines
* spectators abusing referees
* adults arguing behind the goal
* coaches trying to win at all costs
* touchline criticism after every mistake

Children’s football is becoming overshadowed by adult behaviour.

Too many tournaments and matchdays now feel more hostile than supportive.
Too many children leave pitches upset, anxious or embarrassed because of what grown adults say and do around them.

The reality is simple:

Children will forget the score.
They will forget the tournament table.
But they will NEVER forget how adults made them feel.

Youth football should be about:

* confidence
* enjoyment
* friendships
* learning
* development
* memories

Not ego.
Not shouting.
Not sideline drama.

If you are on the touchline:
Encourage. Don’t intimidate.
Support. Don’t abuse.
Respect. Don’t undermine.

Because the children are watching everything.

The best supporters are not the loudest.
They are the ones who make children want to come back next week.

The story of Scott McTominay at SSC Napoli should be a lesson to every young footballer.

Overshadowed at times in the Premier League. Questioned by sections of the fanbase. Often used as the player people looked to blame at Manchester United F.C..

Now?
He’s powering Napoli towards the Scudetto in one of the most tactical and demanding leagues in world football.

Different league.
Different culture.
Different environment.
Different appreciation.

And suddenly people are seeing the qualities that were always there. Leadership. Energy. Timing. Physicality. Intelligence. Mentality.

The lesson? Football is bigger than the Premier League.

Young players should focus not only on improving their game, but also on developing themselves as people. Learn languages. Learn cultures. Learn how to adapt.

Because opportunities exist all over the world — Italy, Spain, Germany, America and beyond.

Sometimes your path to success isn’t where everyone expects it to be.

There can be no excuses.
Keep developing. Keep believing.

NEVER GIVE UP. YOUR CHAPTER CAN CHANGE.

Eight years ago, Antoine Semenyo was on loan at non-league Bath City.

Now he’s scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup Final at Wembley.

That’s football.
That’s development.
That’s why the journey matters.

Not every player’s pathway is straight.
Not every player gets there early.
Not every player is seen at the same time.

But if you keep working, keep believing, keep improving, and stay true to your game — your moment can still come.

Pep told him: “Don’t change your game.”

That’s the message.

Be coachable.
Be brave.
Be different.
Create chaos.
Stay ready.

Because one day, the opportunity comes — and you have to be prepared to take it.

There can be no excuses.

At Liverpool F.C. the conversation feels very different.

The Jürgen Klopp era gave supporters one of the greatest modern periods in the club’s history — not just trophies, but identity, emotion, unity, intensity and belief. Klopp rebuilt Liverpool from mentality to culture. He turned doubters into believers and created a side capable of competing with state-backed spending through coaching, recruitment and togetherness.

Now under Arne Slot, the reality is this:

Slot inherited a very talented squad — but also one carrying mileage, expectation and emotional attachment to a legendary manager. That is never an easy transition.

Liverpool supporters, like many modern fanbases, have also been spoilt by recent success:

* Champions League finals,
* title races,
* domestic trophies,
* relentless standards,
* and one of the best footballing identities in Europe.

Patience becomes difficult when excellence becomes normal.

But unlike some clubs, Liverpool’s foundations still appear stable.

Yes, the club spent heavily in recent windows, but people often ignore the balancing side of the model:

* Liverpool also sold well,
* wages remain more controlled,
* recruitment is generally structured,
* and ownership under Fenway Sports Group has historically prioritised sustainability over chaos.

That frustrates some supporters in the short term, but it has also protected the club from the reckless cycle many elite clubs fall into.

There is also another reality many people overlook.

The loss of Diogo Jota would have had a huge emotional impact internally — not just financially or from a transfer-planning perspective, but on the dressing room, the staff, the supporters and the wider club culture. While the football world speculated about transfers, Liverpool largely kept those realities in the background while the family, players, staff and supporters grieved together. That says a lot about the culture of the club.

Most importantly, the identity remains intact.

Anfield still feels connected to the team.
The fanbase still largely understands the importance of unity.
The club still feels like a football institution first, not just a commercial project.

Liverpool are entering a rebuild — not a collapse.

The key now is whether supporters allow Slot time to evolve the next version of the team rather than demanding Klopp 2.0 overnight.

Because the hardest thing in football is not reaching the top.

It is rebuilding while staying there.