Grr! Ball constantly coming into back garden

The more you are seen to react, the more fun these kids will have with you. From what you say, they get a kick (no pun intended) out of annoying you and your family. I think that everytime a ball comes into your garden, go out calmly with a knife in your hand and puncture it. do not engage them in any conversation. walk back into the house and wait for the next episode and do the same This will a) get them fairly fed up by having to fork out for 20 footballs a month b) send a message that you are a bit of a psycho and c) make the green a more attractive place to play football.
 
Good one Welfarite. Generally, it's good to be diplomatic and flexible in disputes but when dealing with little gurriers it's fatal to show any compassion or "weakness".

They'll very soon get fed up.
 
My dad is pretty good in this regard - he always maintained a good relationship with the kids on the estate where I grew up. He used to chat to them when he saw them, taking an interest in what they were up to. He seems to have been fantastic at understanding their psychology - when older kids were bullying me as a child, he went to the leader and treated him as an adult, asking him to keep an eye out for me as a favour to him. And he did!

I don't know if this helps anyone, but my dad still advises that you talk sensibly to children, be friendly and chat to them even when there are no problems and explain the situation when there is a problem. He tells me that the kids have kept an eye on his property in the past because of this.
 
My suggestion would be to hide the ball every time it comes over the wall for a while. When they peer over the wall or come to the door tell them you'll have a look and throw it out when you find it. Pretend to be earnest about it.

Then make a cup of tea, sit down, read the paper.

After a while (15 or 30 minutes) throw it back over the wall.

Next time it comes over the wall, repeat, but make it 20-40 minutes. Keep the waiting period long enough to cause them to get bored with the wait, but not long enough that they think it will never come back. Every so often make it a really long wait, but do make sure to give it back.

Eventually it will dawn on them that it's not worth the wait. They know they will get their ball back, but they will probably think of something else to do while waiting. Most importantly, they will be less likely to think of you as the person who put the grease on the wall, punctured their ball, refused to give it back, etc . . . instead you will be the person who *does* give the ball back after looking for it. I think that is most likely to generate the circumstances where they simply move on to some other field, or start playing indoors, doing something else other than putting balls over your walls.

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Given the description of these guys, I think they'd just jump over the wall, trample over the flower beds and retrieve the ball themselves.
 
I think you could be right there Liaconn. Aahhh I give up. I'm in a great Friday afternoon mood - all is good!! Hitting the town tonight so I'm sure I'll have a completely different outlook again in the morning when the head hurts!!! My head pounding & the ball pounding off the new plant plots....Ha ha
 
You might want to think carefully before calling the guards. Where my parents live there's a crowd of teenage brats who go around annoying people. Complaints to guards result in eggs being thrown at your house, kids peeing in your doorway and silent phone calls. One man even had his car set on fire. The guards seem to be unable to do very much, particularly in cases where the parents go into denial and insist 'their' child definitely isn't involved in any of this carry on.
 
dempster said:
would you not talk to the childrens parents? This is what i did when i had this problem. I was very calm and said i understood they meant no harm etc.... but told them of the problems this was causing us. It never occured again and the boys came to the house to apologise. Then i felt like a meserable old so and so!
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well said - I know I was one of "those boys" when i was young and if you put up barbed wire or grease paint or even burst the ball we would then target your house! That is obviously best avoided
 
All posts are very good - got to a point etc. However did anyone ever consider what would their thoughts be if when one of the young lads when climbing over the wall, fell and hit his head off the ground and killed himself. Or what about it you start puncturing the balls, the balls keep hitting the windows and smashing them, or the lads just wait until the house is empty and tell some other lads about the free house they want to wreck. They are only young fellows playing football. What would you do if they were having drinking sessions and throwing their cans over the wall or used syringes or just throwing slurry over. Talk to them in a normal human manner and they just might show some consideration.
 
Hi there

Really sympathise with you this is a tough situation.

Is there a neighbourhood committee? Can goal posts be bought for the green for the benefit of the community ( and obviously you!)? I know this may be a little costly or perhaps time comsuming to start with but it might be worth a shot and get the community in on your plight too.

Talk to the community garda about this too- they may know how to get or raise funding for something like this. Also if the community garda is worth their salt they will defo have a word with them.

Good Luck!
 
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The paint you talk of will not stop them only annoy them, a ball cost's very little these days so I could see you with 20 plus balls in your garden during the summer.I would talk to the ring leader,there is always one and explain the situation to him.If this does not help then you should speak to their parents who might not know of your plight.Give the parent's a chance they might surprise you.If still no good then time to call the Garda.
 
Thanks for the replies and variety of suggestions. Amazingly we have not heard from them since my original post. Someone has been parking a car there - not us and the lads will know it isnt us either as they would know our cars.

I think we'll grin & bear it when they do come back. As many of you suggested, by causing a fuss we are only attracting them even more. My husband would have been the same when he was younger and in fairness he has a great rapport with the kids on the road. He initially attempted to speak reasonably to them and we would answer the door and kick the ball out no problem - until it got to a ridiculous level!
Sure we'll see.....
 
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