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Bit of a hot topic at the minute due to the Spurs lad getting an assist in the Champions League last week but does anyone else share my huge frustration at the ball boys/girls we get at ITFC?
They just sit there on their cushion watching the ball go past them & when one of the girls last week at the Wycombe match did actually retrieve the ball she then didn't know what to do with despite the players being in the box & the corner taker also being in position. In the end that lino with the massive chin had to tell her what to do which is a damning indictment in itself.
At least have people do the job that understand the game.
I got really annoyed about this once and e-mailed the club, was years ago because I got a response from Terry Baxter and Jim Magilton.
Jim said he had been frustrated with them, he had it so it was academy players and positioned in places so that they could watch the game in a position relative to where they played - and he'd given a few a b0llocking for not concentrating, and not understanding that when we were losing they should be busting a gut to get there etc, and be switched on to the state of the game.
Now it is just local teams, who generally struggle. I guess doing it once and then never again means you don't know what to do, or lack a bit of confidence. There should just be a regular team of ball boys/girls as there used to be, one of my friends did it and she must have been doing it for 3-4 seasons (or it felt like that when we were young)
[Post edited 3 Dec 2019 16:07]
An interesting contrast to Joe Royle who was keen for ballboys/girls to take their time whatever the situation for fear of accidentally giving the opposition an advantage if they misread the situation.
We used to be the same crew every home game at one time (many, many years since I was a ballboy). Now it seems they pick different schools/clubs/kids every week so they dont really have much of a clue what the task entails.
An interesting contrast to Joe Royle who was keen for ballboys/girls to take their time whatever the situation for fear of accidentally giving the opposition an advantage if they misread the situation.
It just shows that managers DO consider them an advantage (or disadvantage) if used the right way and that they can make a little bit of difference for the benefit of the home team.
Cambridge balls boys used to offer a towel to clean the ball for their players but didn't for the away side. One team withdrew theirs during match to slow the game down when they were winning. And I've heard about sides removing 'multiball' to gain a advantage and kill a few extra seconds.
They can be used to give an slight advantage to the home side. But from my experience, ours have never been alert, bothered, savvy or interested to do much full stop.
They had a great one down here (although he was only in as a one-off appraently - he was the son of someone at the club and a last minute replacement, or something similar).
I was ballboy mid 80s for a few seasons. Cracking days. Sprint if we're chasing a goal, slow walk and drop it when we're winning. Hardly rocket science.
It just shows that managers DO consider them an advantage (or disadvantage) if used the right way and that they can make a little bit of difference for the benefit of the home team.
Cambridge balls boys used to offer a towel to clean the ball for their players but didn't for the away side. One team withdrew theirs during match to slow the game down when they were winning. And I've heard about sides removing 'multiball' to gain a advantage and kill a few extra seconds.
They can be used to give an slight advantage to the home side. But from my experience, ours have never been alert, bothered, savvy or interested to do much full stop.
Joe was less than impressed with the way West Ham utilised ballboys and multiball when we played them in the play-offs.
Joe was less than impressed with the way West Ham utilised ballboys and multiball when we played them in the play-offs.
I could have ripped the ballboys head off in front of the way end that night - he ended up getting dragged away by stewards for his own protection from the town fans, but was an absolute c*nt and would have only got what he deserved.
I could have ripped the ballboys head off in front of the way end that night - he ended up getting dragged away by stewards for his own protection from the town fans, but was an absolute c*nt and would have only got what he deserved.
reckon the 27/28k west ham boys would have protected him to be honest
remember the whu ballboys in playoffs (used yoof team I think) they were brilliant completely hostile to ITFC, worth an extra 5%
Well coached ballboys could be a big asset
Yes my lad was at a L1 club and the U18s did ball boy duty - the manager wanted them to read the game and get the ball to the right player as quickly or slowly as necessary. He used to volunteer to go in front of the away fans as he thought the pelters he got was quite funny. At one game there was a pitch invasion and some fans got in his face and Millwall in the cup was interesting.
reckon the 27/28k west ham boys would have protected him to be honest
They were too busy celebrating to see it all going on, he'd been a nob all game and then came to front of stand to try and give it large at the end of the game - think the steward even had a sly couple of digs at him when he pulled him away because he was causing him bother with it all
I thought I was going mental. I couldn't agree more.
At the Wycombe game Holy was walking off the pitch to fetch a ball that was 2 yards away from the ball girl. As Jose said Ballpeople are important, they can essentially slow down and speed up the pace of the game, ours are rubbish.
Tottenham have the right idea. Same people every game from the academy, that way they can watch the game pitch side and hear the players which is a valuable experience for them and they will get it even if it is simply by doing it over and over again.
Jim Magilton is basically god so I'm not surprised he shares my view.
You'd think the fact they get lads/girls from local teams would be of a benefit though as they should understand the game.
I'm getting fed up of calling kids cnts every other week because they cannot do a simple task to be honest.
The last line, I think you need to look at yourself. If you're calling them that, you're taking it way too seriously, or you need to have one less sherry before the game....!
Next you will be saying the mascots don't warm our goalkeeper up properly!
It just shows that managers DO consider them an advantage (or disadvantage) if used the right way and that they can make a little bit of difference for the benefit of the home team.
Cambridge balls boys used to offer a towel to clean the ball for their players but didn't for the away side. One team withdrew theirs during match to slow the game down when they were winning. And I've heard about sides removing 'multiball' to gain a advantage and kill a few extra seconds.
They can be used to give an slight advantage to the home side. But from my experience, ours have never been alert, bothered, savvy or interested to do much full stop.
Am I right in saying that Jim tried the 'multi-ball' system here? Or did I dream that?
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