The beautiful game is not so beautiful this week in Majorca. Last weekend a children's game of football descended into a pitched battle between parents and players of the two rival teams. There were rather shocking scenes and a video of the incident has been played out on social media across the globe. It is sad that a children's game of football should be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons but unfortunately these things happen. I have attended similar games of football involving children even younger than those involved in the incident on Sunday, and I have been horrified. The language and behaviour of a small group of parents can often mar the whole experience for everyone else.
Football is obviously the number one game in Spain, but dads and mums should remember sometimes they are not Jose Mourinho and leave the coaching to the coach. And also there is only one Messi or Ronaldo so just let your children enjoy the beautiful game in its pure form. Football is a highly competitive sport and everyone wants to win. But what is perhaps sadly missing are those words which were said to me on a number of occasions by my sports teachers: it is not a question of winning but taking part. This may be a grand old saying that perhaps belongs to another era but it should be the case on a Sunday morning knock around involving children. Football is there to be enjoyed. There is no space in the sport for violence.