[Archived] Kicking a ball boy is it a red?

[scotty_beam_me_up]

The Swansea ball boy debate raging on Twitter seems to be Journos think it's a red but footballers think it was ok and can't see what the fuss is about. For me if we start allowing millionaires to kick ball boys we may as well pack up and go home and start watching wrestling. So was it a red yay or nay?

[Mike E]

Red card for kicking a ball boy, yes. But he didn't actually kick the ball boy. Or if he did, it was pure accident. So I hope it's overturned.

HOWEVER, Hazard should have known better and should have merely stood back and let the ref deal with it. The ref would have added on the wasted time.

On balance, I think Hazard will have learnt to be calmer and more professional in that situation and the ball boy will have his 15mins of fame.

[Paul]

Red card for kicking a ball boy, yes. But he didn't actually kick the ball boy. Or if he did, it was pure accident. So I hope it's overturned.

HOWEVER, Hazard should have known better and should have merely stood back and let the ref deal with it. The ref would have added on the wasted time.

On balance, I think Hazard will have learnt to be calmer and more professional in that situation and the ball boy will have his 15mins of fame.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042073/chelseas-hazard-apologises-over-ball-boy-kick

On the basis of the above there can be no doubt Hazard at least kicked at the ball while it was under the lad's body. The video strongly suggests he kicked the lad. It was not an accident.

Equally the boy's pre match tweet suggests he knew he was wasting time for Swansea. Stupid tweet in my view.

Overall this was disgraceful behaviour by a professional footballer. Some might construe it as assault. I hope Hazard gets a lengthy ban. "Frustration of the situation" is used as an excuse, incredible.

[CapeTownRover]

I'm not so sure about that Paul. Imv of the situation, is that the ref should have let it go, and let the FA deal with the matter after the game. Hazard should have let it go, but Swansea should be reprimanded for their ball boys behaviour. Imo that is not very good sporting behaviour. Its all good and well saying Hazard should get a lengthy ban, but that ball boy should not be allowed to be one again. If he tweeted about doing that before the game, then the FA should launch some sort of enquiry, because that shouldn't be allowed to happen.

[greco]

http://news.sky.com/story/1042073/chelseas-hazard-apologises-over-ball-boy-kick

On the basis of the above there can be no doubt Hazard at least kicked at the ball while it was under the lad's body. The video strongly suggests he kicked the lad. It was not an accident.

Equally the boy's pre match tweet suggests he knew he was wasting time for Swansea. Stupid tweet in my view.

Overall this was disgraceful behaviour by a professional footballer. Some might construe it as assault. I hope Hazard gets a lengthy ban. "Frustration of the situation" is used as an excuse, incredible.

imo hazard should get a lengthy ban and an assault charge.

I could not care less, if the boy on purpose, tried to waste time. Hazard should never have tried to kick the ball, when the ball boy was laying on the it. Should be obvious to everyone, that they´d hit the ribs of a person, in such a situation.

The frustration excuse, as you put it, is pathetic. We are all frustrated and on a daily basis, but that doesnt give us the right to physically harm other people, unless they are from india and go by the name "The V´s"

[patrickvalery]

I'm just glad he didn't throw a snow ball at the lad!! That would have been pure savagery!

[UpShad]

Lets say its the 2nd leg of the play off and we are 3 mins away from beating Burnley and getting to the play off final. The ball goes out and our ball boy hold onto it wasting a few seconds. Then I'm sure you would all accept it

[SydneyRover]

There is absolutely no evidence that Hazard was trying to kick the ball boy rather than the ball. Indeed, he gets the ball

There is a whole load of evidence that the ball boy (who let's not forget is seventeen years old so not exactly a child) was deliberately trying to waste time.

What Hazard did was foolish but not malicious and completely in the heat of the moment.

I wouldn't have even sent him off.

[Alan75]

Lets say its the 2nd leg of the play off and we are 3 mins away from beating Burnley and getting to the play off final. The ball goes out and our ball boy hold onto it wasting a few seconds. Then I'm sure you would all accept it

No we are sporting - giving the ball back to Liverpool who score - happy days

[Sparky Marky]

17? Looked about 12

[DE.]

Hazard was stupid and the red card was justified - he'll think twice before lashing out in frustration in future, whether against another player or a non-player. Whilst I do believe Hazard was aiming to kick the ball from under the boy, I'm also sure he was well aware he was going to get a good amount of his rib in the process. He was just frustrated and didn't care.

I'm not sure Hazard should get a lengthily ban, though. It's difficult to say what the level of punishment should be and depends on how his intentions are viewed by whoever assesses these things.

Swansea should also be punished, the tweet from the ballboy is enough evidence to prove he was attempting a form of cheating that had a direct impact on the game.

[Blackpool_Rover]

He should have kicked him in the face

[koi]

No we are sporting - giving the ball back to Liverpool who score - happy days

Was going to say that! Should've held on to that ball for a few more seconds and we'd have knocked the mighty 'pool out. Went home gutted that day.

[Hasta]

I don't think he kicked the ball. I think he kicked the ball boy although I'm sure he was intending to prod the ball out. Therefore it is a red card.

However the ball boy is just another little irritating git who thinks he's being clever holding onto the ball longer than he needs to and falling ontop of it. Had Hazard not kicked him and just walked away it would have been job well done and he'd have wasted more time. Swansea wouldn't have said a word to him. They should though because otherwise you will end up with ball boys running away from players with the ball up their tracksuit tops to waste time in every game.

Red card but the ball boy was a prat and I'm glad he got a dig in the ribs.

[AlanK]

Spoilt brat with millionaire parents ( they own 22.5% of Swansea FC ) who had been boasting earlier what he was going to get up to.

Then all the play acting. He`s lucky it wasn`t Andy Todd.

[Hasta]

Apparently he was invited into the Chelsea dressing room at full time and they were all really nice to him. He's lucky he didn't get a roasting !

[bob fleming]

Apparently he was invited into the Chelsea dressing room at full time and they were all really nice to him. He's lucky he didn't get a roasting !

Fortunately they probably weren't in the mood having been knocked out.

[Saltysellars]

23 years on................Karma! I left Ewood in tears that day- so close to beating the then mighty Liverpool.

[Mercer]

Completely out of order from Hazard.

Would ban him for 10 games or so.

No matter what the provaction, you can't go around assaulting ball boys or spectators (remember Cantona at Palace !).

Apparently he was invited into the Chelsea dressing room at full time and they were all really nice to him. He's lucky he didn't get a roasting !

And why ?

Because they know Hazard was very wrong and in the deepest of the proverbial !

Sickening, wish these so called 'stars' would voluntarily show such grace instead of, IMO, mermely reacting to a situation and trying to minimise the punishment.

[joey_big_nose]

It's red card obviously. Not sure how there can be any debate about that. He should have let the ball boy waste time and get the time added on at the end of the game and get Swansea a sanction. It's not his place to kick the ball out from under the ball boy.

[Blue blood]

Basically he assualted the ball boy. Now if we let this go, in any walk of life, there is something very sadly wrong with society. Sure he may have wanted the ball, but he looked more than happy to get the boy as well imo.

Chelsea's subsequent behaviour has others have stated shows that they know hazard's got it badly wrong.

However the ball boy is no innocent and totally was in the wrong to. You can't do that - it's a misuse of his responsibilities. Having said that I fear that knowing he is in the wrong means that Hazard will get away with his poor behaviour.

Incidentally once when I was stewarding for Carlisle, in something like the 94th minute with the opposition 4-1 down one of the security stewards didn't pass the ball back to one of their players, but tapped it all of 2 yards to allow an 8 year old ball girl to pick up the ball and give it back. Being about 8 she took a while to do so, and shortly after the incident the whistle sounded, whereupon the player and several others got into a massive argument with the security stewards. I mention it as another incident to show that respect by footballers for other workers at a stadium is pretty limited at the best of times.

[Cocker]

[dr_awol]

For me its worse than Eric cantona karate kick

its not Hazard job to pass judgement on the pitch, that's the ref job, all Hazard had to do was point out what the the ball boy was doing. the ref would add extra stoppage time and maybe get the ball-boy removed . simple

Hazard should be given a lengthy ban

[Joar]

Whatever the ball boys intentions was and the behavior he exibited is irrelevant. Wether Hazard hit him or not is also irrelevant.

A GROWN MAN KICKED AT A CHILD!

In front of 30000 first hand witnesses, and probably millions of tv-viewers.

That people even bothers discussing if it's ok or not tells more about society than I would care to know.

[SydneyRover]

He was seventeen years old.

Had the ball not been underneath him, Hazard would not have kicked at the ball.

Blatant overreaction.