AyrTroopMajor Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 (edited) Kris Boyd's post-match comments in the Sky Studio after our most recent doing included a comment about football in Scotland now being a middle-class sport as young children have been priced out of playing football. Do you agree? I see where he is coming from. I play 5's once a week and pay £6 for the hour on the artificial grass. That's pretty expensive for children and certainly expensive if they wanted to play more than once a week. It seems that football is now played almost exclusively on these surfaces, but whilst I think there is some logic to what Boyd was saying, I think it is a bit of a reach. I'm 27 now. The streets and grass areas in Ayr where I played football as a child are still there. The children are not. Quite simply, they seem to have found other things to do. Those on here who have young children, what do they actually do? Boyd may be right about 'No Ball Games' signs in certain areas, but that excuse isn't valid in my area. The grass fields are empty, the streets are empty. What the f**k happened? Is Fortnite really more entertaining than getting a squad together and heading to the field for a game of football? Edited September 10, 2019 by AyrTroopMajor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 I cant think of one green space in Dundee where there is a no ball games sign. Boyd is a fucking tool btw. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Kris Boyd should know, given how much he charges children to play at his academy. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Admittedly, I don't go out of my way to look for them, but I genuinely don't think I've seen a "No Ball Games" sign anywhere for about 30 years. We had them when I was wee, but we just ignored them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 I think he's wrong in general - there are lots of open spaces to play football and I think there are much deeper issues at play than the simple arguments he makes. However, any attack on his coaching school things seems unfair - they're very cheap summer holiday childcare compared to more or less any alternative. They still have coaches who have to get paid and they have to pay for facilities, lunch, water etc. I doubt he's running up massive profits off the things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsh Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 (edited) The problem is endemic and it's not just one or 2 factors, its several. One of the gripes is about technology and video games, but every European country has technology and video games. The weather is horrendous obviously but it’s less horrendous than Iceland and Scandinavian countries but they seem to do ok. Also, boys can’t play for the school or local team if they play pro youth, which limits game time. There are coaching sessions run by idiot coaches where wee boys only get 5 or 6 touches in an hour session because the coach has picked a drill of YouTube that’s useless. Councils locking astro pitches so they can’t get on unless they pay a fiver a time is pricing kids out of playing too. In saying all that, there is a mentality problem as well. It's always been the same when boys hit 14/15 in this country, its not "cool" to be good at anything, so instead of putting all they've got into becoming the best they can be, they hit the bevvy and birds with their mates cos it's the easy option. To be a top professional, you need hard work and sacrifice and it's just not something a lot of our society is good at. Edited September 10, 2019 by Marsh 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason King Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, Marsh said: In saying all that, there is a mentality problem as well. It's always been the same when boys hit 14/15 in this country, its not "cool" to be good at anything, I was an expert at masturbation at that age, one of the countries best. Some would say I'm still a big w****r. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrTroopMajor Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 5 minutes ago, Marsh said: The problem is endemic and it's not just one or 2 factors, its several. One of the gripes is about technology and video games, but every European country has technology and video games. The weather is horrendous obviously but it’s less horrendous than Iceland and Scandinavian countries but they seem to do ok. Also, boys can’t play for the school or local team if they play pro youth, which limits game time. There are coaching sessions run by idiot coaches where wee boys only get 5 or 6 touches in an hour session because the coach has picked a drill of YouTube that’s useless. Councils locking astro pitches so they can’t get on unless they pay a fiver a time is pricing kids out of playing too. In saying all that, there is a mentality problem as well. It's always been the same when boys hit 14/15 in this country, its not "cool" to be good at anything, so instead of putting all they've got into becoming the best they can bem they hit the bevvy and birds with their mates cos it's the easy option. To be a top professional, you need hard work and sacrifice and it's just not something a lot of our society is good at. To be fair to Councils, there are too many wee pr*cks that will vandalise them. A societal problem, one which happens far less/not at all in other countries. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsh Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 7 minutes ago, AyrTroopMajor said: To be fair to Councils, there are too many wee pr*cks that will vandalise them. A societal problem, one which happens far less/not at all in other countries. Fair comment, me and my mates used to go up to the local five a side complex on a Friday night and if there was pitches available, they'd let us on for a pound each, that was circa 97-02 right enough but you get the idea. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 It's definitely a social problem where the kids just aren't out the way they once were. I never see children out playing with a ball and other sports such as Golf are also suffering really badly. The "money" thing also doesn't come into it as our local club offers free membership to under 16's, free lessons from our club pro and even a loan of golf clubs if the kids don't have any, all that and we still can't attract them. Television, Social media and mobile phones have had a big part to play but also the demise of many youth clubs, YMCA, Boys brigade and Scout groups compared to years gone by. Who knows, we might not be able to create footballers and golfers of the future but I'm sure we'll have our fair share of gender neutral entrepreneurs................. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 There are No Ball Games signs on the grassy areas in my wee estate. There is a park five minutes walk away with big grassy spaces and a couple of,five,a,side, goals and when I’m taking my wee boy out I rarely if ever see kids playing there. Maybe I’m going at the wrong times though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Judge Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 4 minutes ago, WATTOO said: It's definitely a social problem where the kids just aren't out the way they once were. I never see children out playing with a ball and other sports such as Golf are also suffering really badly. The "money" thing also doesn't come into it as our local club offers free membership to under 16's, free lessons from our club pro and even a loan of golf clubs if the kids don't have any, all that and we still can't attract them. Television, Social media and mobile phones have had a big part to play but also the demise of many youth clubs, YMCA, Boys brigade and Scout groups compared to years gone by. Who knows, we might not be able to create footballers and golfers of the future but I'm sure we'll have our fair share of gender neutral entrepreneurs................. I don't see the fact that young people don't want to play football as a social problem and I'm not sure that we ever had a glut of world class golfers that's now disappeared. Entrepreneurs are wealth creators so we'd probably be better off with them . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 It's a very expensive sport to get involved in with boys clubs etc. It's a very expensive sport to go and watch now, too. Double that up with the fact that there's far more choice and running around a field getting clattered by older kids, or wee fat b*****ds is much less appealing than sitting at home with a headset on in the warm talking to your mates on the computer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, The_Judge said: I don't see the fact that young people don't want to play football as a social problem and I'm not sure that we ever had a glut of world class golfers that's now disappeared. Entrepreneurs are wealth creators so we'd probably be better off with them . Child obesity and related health issues may say different. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrTroopMajor Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, The_Judge said: I don't see the fact that young people don't want to play football as a social problem and I'm not sure that we ever had a glut of world class golfers that's now disappeared. Entrepreneurs are wealth creators so we'd probably be better off with them . It is if it's being replaced by mobile phones and playing the PS4 for 8 hours a day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 1 minute ago, Dele said: It's a very expensive sport to get involved in with boys clubs etc. It's a very expensive sport to go and watch now, too. Double that up with the fact that there's far more choice and running around a field getting clattered by older kids, or wee fat b*****ds is much less appealing than sitting at home with a headset on in the warm talking to your mates on the computer. Only in Dundee, we're still £18 as opposed to the wallet wrenching £24 !!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 1 minute ago, WATTOO said: Only in Dundee, we're still £18 as opposed to the wallet wrenching £24 !!! £18 is fucking extortionate considering you're still living in the 1920's and singing about "black b*****ds", tbf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 6 minutes ago, Dele said: £18 is fucking extortionate considering you're still living in the 1920's and singing about "black b*****ds", tbf. Touche 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 50 minutes ago, craigkillie said: However, any attack on his coaching school things seems unfair - they're very cheap summer holiday childcare compared to more or less any alternative. They still have coaches who have to get paid and they have to pay for facilities, lunch, water etc. I doubt he's running up massive profits off the things. Kris Boyd is entitled to run a business as he sees fit but it's absolutely fair to make reference to his coaching school given the nature of his rant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scary Bear Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Scots love a bogeyman to blame. It’s the middle classes fault now? Add the middle classes to playstations, mobile phones, McDonalds, etc. Deary me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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