UKC

I had the pleasure of being up in Glasgow with some family at the weekend. I took my nephews to the Glasgow climbing centre they loved it, they are really good, impossibly flexible and fearless. I took credit for it all, naturally! But everyone at the centre was positive and encouraging towards the kids.
This contrasted so starkly with the under 10s football match we went to on Sunday morning to watch one of the kids. The parents (almost all dads) were all fat, rude, obnoxious, shouting out bile towards, kids, coaches, ref and other parents.
The swearing at the kids was present for the entire game, ‘he’s shite’, ‘kick him’, ‘stop diving ya fanny’… I couldn’t believe it, I’ve been around team sport most of my life and never seen anything like it before. It was so sickening and shocking; these parents were literally abusing there and other people’s kids. When confronted they just turned the noise and level of swearing.
It’s no wonder kids are choosing to not to play football and subsequently the national teams are a struggling.

In reply to goldmember:

Rugby training for my young children is more akin to the climbing. Bad language or unnecessary aggression get you sent off; friendly parents chat with each other or shout out encouragement. Big hits or scores get applause from both teams. We tried football on one occasion and, as per the OP, never again.

In reply to Toccata:

Big hits? Young children? Really?

I haven't reached the stage where I take mine to football but my own experience was of supportive parents, sportsmanship and fair play. There was one parent who was a bit shouty and he got banned.

But that doesn't fit the narrative so let's forget I said anything

In reply to Toccata:

I've been to plenty of junior rugby matches where the behaviour of some parents and coaches was totally unacceptable. It's all down to the standards set by the club, certain clubs have a reputation for it. I'm sure it is the same in football.

In reply to goldmember:

I know this can be a problem with football, but my son plays under 11s, and in all parts of Nottingham this has been remarkably rare.
Referees sometimes get grief, especially the volunteer ones, and individual tackles are commented on, but sweary abuse, almost never.