Shock in amateur Football: US Colomiers forced to go into standby following the arson of the cars of two U11 educators. The club evokes an act born from the frustration of a parent unhappy not to see their child selected. A dark affair which raises questions about security and the deleterious climate sometimes surrounding football among young people. The details of this sad story.
It is a very sad affair which is currently shaking amateur football in the Toulouse region. Thursday October 31, US Colomiers, a club playing in National 3, announced that it was going on standby following a serious incident: the arson of the personal cars of two of its educators in the U11 category. An act of incredible violence which could, according to club leaders, be born from the frustration of a parent unhappy at not seeing their child detained in a match.
Targeted educators, the club in shock
The events occurred during the night from Wednesday to Thursday in the parking lot of the stadium where the US Colomiers young players train. Two vehicles belonging to the U11 team's educators were completely burned in what appears to be an arson attack. An odious act which caused great emotion and great incomprehension within the club.
The president of US Colomiers, in shock, immediately condemned this act in a press release: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this extremely serious event. Attacking those who dedicate themselves to passing on their passion for football to our young people is intolerable. All our thoughts are with our two educators who saw their vehicles destroyed.”
The trail of a frustrated parent
If an investigation has been opened by the authorities to shed light on the exact circumstances of the fire, the club already has its own idea of the origin of this malicious act. According to sources close to the club, this could be retaliation from a parent unhappy that their child was not selected to play a match with the U11 team last weekend.
A hypothesis which, if confirmed, would illustrate in a chilling manner the excesses which sometimes plague football among young people, where the pressure put by certain parents can reach heights. Toxic behaviors which pollute the environment around teams and create a harmful climate, far from the values of pleasure and fulfillment supposed to prevail at these ages.
A bruised club that is falling behind
Faced with the violence of the shock and to protect its licensees, US Colomiers decided to withdraw and temporarily suspend all its activities. A strong decision which reflects the deep dismay into which this event plunged managers, educators, young players and their families.
“We need to step back and settle down to overcome this trauma. The safety and peace of mind of our licensees, and in particular of our young people and their supervisors, is our absolute priority. We cannot resume the normal course of our activities without having the assurance that such acts will not happen again”
A club manager
This standby, the duration of which has not been specified, should allow the club to rebuild itself sportingly and psychologically. But also to carry out discussions to strengthen security around the stadium and improve the prevention of such excesses. Because if the thesis of an isolated act seems privileged, this case highlights the broader problem of violence in amateur football, particularly among young people.
Amateur football plagued by incivility
Beyond the exceptional nature of this arson, incivility is unfortunately commonplace on and around amateur fields. Insults, threats, physical attacks… Referees and educators are too often targeted by players, managers or parents who have lost all sense of proportion.
Last season alone, amateur football authorities recorded a worrying increase in attacks on people during matches. A worrying trend which is altering the image and values of the king of sport. Combating this scourge has become a priority for authorities, who are increasing awareness campaigns and sanctions to try to stem the phenomenon.
Parents too often singled out
In particular: the behavior of certain parents, whose excesses harm the development of their own children and the state of mind of the teams. Wanting at all costs to make your son a champion, yelling at the referee or the opponent, contesting the choices of educators… So many negative attitudes which create unhealthy pressure and create a harmful climate.
To combat these abuses, the French Football Federation (FFF) and its regional leagues are deploying training and accountability actions for parents. The objective: to make them aware of the importance of their role and to convince them to adopt a caring and positive posture at the edge of the pitch. A long-term task, which requires investment from all stakeholders (clubs, educators, referees, parents) to sustainably transform mentalities.
An electric shock for amateur football?
The US Colomiers affair, due to its seriousness, could well act as an electric shock and a wake-up call for all of amateur football. Because beyond this sordid news item, it is the place of football as an educational and societal vector that is at stake. A popular and unifying sport, which must remain so by tirelessly advocating the values of respect, tolerance and of pleasure.
The obstacles are numerous, but the mobilization of an entire community could well change the situation. Like US Colomiers, which intends to recover from this ordeal and learn from it to build a better future. With the hope that such a tragedy will never happen again, and that amateur football will rediscover its primary vocation: that of a game and a passion to share.
