To: Capital Football Clubs
cc: Capital Football Board & Staff
From: Richard Reid (CEO Capital Football)
Subject: Player & Spectator Behaviour
Date: 31/5/12

All,

Regrettably the following needs to be written; it’s really unfortunate but so be it.

There may be a variety of causes, lots of excuses & lots of reasons (albeit there is a difference), but the instances of spectator abuse from the sideline, less than satisfactory player behaviour on the field & using the referee as a target for whatever it is you wish to say simply has to STOP.

“Toughen up” I hear some of you say; “it’s always existed in football” will be echoed by others; “goes with the territory” will be the point of view of yet others. Well to all of you who think that way I say “rubbish”; we at Capital Football have had enough as have the overwhelming majority of you.

If I look at the complaints & examples that have come across my desk in the recent past all I can say is that many of you who have flayed each other verbally wouldn’t have done it on any other place except for a sports field; try it next time you’re in a pub with someone you don’t know!!

Regardless of all the relevant points as to the image of the game, the example it sets to children, etc to me it’s a lot more simple...it’s your mouth so shut it. All of the instances that have occurred can be controlled by you; nobody else to blame just you, it’s that simple.

From here on in Capital Football will be taking an extremely dim view of ANY circumstances that involve verbal abuse, on or off the field. It is incumbent of clubs to report any instances of such.

I hope this is the last time I have to refer to this topic but at the risk of repeating myself this blight on the game will be stamped out; one way or the other.

Richard Reid
CEO, Capital Football