Soccer

Let the kids play - urges Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton

Gary Hamilton has lent his support to the return of grassroots football
Gary Hamilton has lent his support to the return of grassroots football Gary Hamilton has lent his support to the return of grassroots football

GLENAVON manager Gary Hamilton has echoed the sentiments of Kenny Shiels by arguing for the rights of children and young people to be able to return to outdoor sports.

Hamilton also lent his support to clubs in the lower leagues that are currently banned from playing.

As new Covid restrictions kick in for two weeks from today – and with no timeline for a return for grassroots football – Hamilton feels the Stormont Executive has got the balance all wrong and insists more consideration should be given to the mental health benefits of kids playing the game they love.

“Kids are all going to become couch potatoes with these guidelines from Stormont and that’s what it’s encouraging,” said the former Northern Ireland international.

“In normal times the government is encouraging kids to be healthy, eat healthily and to exercise.

“We’re doing these kids an injustice and a disservice. I’m all for statistics but at this minute in time there is nothing to back up the spread of coronavirus in an outdoor environment and where people are playing sport.

“Experts say you have to be in someone’s company for at least three minutes and within a metre of them to contract the virus indoors. The average game of football at men’s level is 90 minutes and research says you don’t come in contact with another player for more than two-and-a-half minutes. There are no statistics to back up their reasoning for this.”

Earlier this week, Northern Ireland’s women’s manager Kenny Shiels backed Magherafelt solicitor Stephen Atherton’s legal bid against the Executive to lift the ban on grassroots football.

The Irish Football Association has strictly observed Covid guidance handed down by Stormont.

“I think there has to be something done,” said Shiels and added children were losing a “big part” of their lives because of the ongoing ban.

First team manager at Glenavon, Hamilton regularly attended the club’s academy games every Saturday morning (pre-pandemic).

“To be fair to our club we’ve been trying to keep the kids together. We were training one night per week, no contact, or bibs, or cones, or footballs – it’s ridiculous.

“Again, we’re providing the platform for these young kids to have a bit of exercise and to keep their minds stimulated but the regulations are killing us."

He added: “The last thing we should be doing is depriving kids of some of the best days of their lives where they don’t have the stresses of entering adulthood.

“You want kids to play sport and in a safe environment. Unless people can back this up with statistics and tell me this is the reason why they’re doing it, kids should not be deprived of their childhood, their fun and enjoyment.

“I think the government should be thinking more of children’s mental health. Even before coronavirus, the mental health crisis here was one of the worst in Europe, so we have to take that into consideration with these young kids. I think sport can help so much with this.”

Last week, the Championship clubs failed in their collective attempt to gain ‘elite’ status in order to resume and play under the same guidelines as the Irish Premier League.

“I think they should be playing,” Hamilton said. “Now if the facilities at a lower level aren’t good enough to let them use changing rooms at half-time, then they could come changed to games just as kids do.

“I don’t know what the reason is and I have sympathy for every club that can’t play football at the minute - even for adults, the mental side of things is so important. It’s people’s release. Maybe people have lost their jobs or they’ve been furloughed and their sport can help them mentally.”