DID anyone else cringe, and then grimace, at the triumphant youth football report in last week’s Gazette?

Apparently, an under-11s side had made club history by beating another side 26-0, and everyone was feeling proud.

My immediate reaction was “What was the point of that?”. The two teams were obviously totally mismatched, and for one set of ten-year-olds to beat up another set of ten-year-olds by that score seems to be almost glorified bullying.

I suspect the team that lost hardly found the experience enjoyable. They were reportedly 11-0 down at half-time, with the wind behind them, so I don’t think the prospect of playing into the wind in the second half was something for them to look forward to.

In many other sports, at youth level, there is usually a cut-off point where, if it becomes apparent that one side is far better than the other, the game is curtailed. For example, in rugby, once one side has scored, or has a lead, of 50 points, the final whistle is blown. Fifty rugby points equate to ten goals, and surely it would have been far better, and much more enjoyable, for the football match to have been stopped at 10-0.

The two sets of players could then have been mixed up into two different teams, and so achieve a far more meaningful experience.

I appreciate that all sports teams play to win, but surely when it is a completely obvious mismatch, it is down to the adults that run these kids’ sides to step-in and make some changes. Hopefully, we will see no more of these ridiculous scorelines in local youth football.

Colin Garrod
Gainsford Avenue
Clacton