Around 750 children aged just five and six had their grassroots football cancelled last weekend following serious concerns over adult behaviour in Central Scotland.

Central Scotland Football Association suspended its Fun 4 fixtures for the weekend of 29–30 August, following incidents during the opening weekend of the new season.

In an email sent to team managers and seen by BBC Scotland, Central Scotland Football Association secretary Paul Crosbie said that after just one week there was already a “long list of indiscipline and behaviours that have no place in grassroots football.”

He described the situation as a “new all-time low”, adding:

“The line has well and truly been crossed.”

The warning followed an opening week in which 72 red cards were reportedly issued across the association’s wider youth football programme, alongside reports of abandoned matches, threatening behaviour and discriminatory language.

One of the most serious allegations involved a team official allegedly headbutting another team official at a football festival involving children aged just five and six.

The Scottish Youth Football Association confirmed that approximately 750 children would not play that weekend because of the poor behaviour, with disciplinary proceedings set to begin.

TeamGrassroots statement
TeamGrassroots said:
“There is simply no place for threatening, abusive, discriminatory or violent behaviour anywhere in grassroots football, particularly around children.
The saddest part of this situation is that hundreds of five and six-year-olds who simply wanted to put their boots on and play football have ultimately paid the price for the behaviour of adults.

Coaches, parents, spectators and everyone involved have a responsibility to remember who grassroots football is actually for. Children should never lose the opportunity to play because adults cannot behave appropriately.”