Busted

As a youngster in the 1960's and early 1970's I played football at every opportunity in my waking hours and no doubt , even when meant to be asleep, dreamt that I was on the pitch as well.

It was a heady time for English football what with the World Cup Victory in 1966 and arguably some of the best players in the world, well they had to be didn't they as after all The Beautiful Game was invented in this green and pleasant land, was it not?

My heroes included the likes of Peter Osgood of Chelsea, Gordon Banks of Stoke, Bobby Charlton of Manchester United and Roger Hunt of Liverpool.

I drifted in my support for a team but did settle for Liverpool by 1971 in spite of being most upset by their defeat to Arsenal in that year's FA Cup Final.

My first proper football kit was an Umbro Liverpool one and I began to copy the ball playing skills of Keegan, Toshack, Heighway, Lawler, Hall, Lindsay, Tommy Smith and even Ray Clemence the goalkeeper.

Keepie-Uppies kept me busy for hours in the back garden along with heading practice, passing to the wall or friends and learning how to spit or expunge snot from one nostril at a time.

The 1970's was a troubled decade of hooliganism and general hassle before, during and after a game. A lot of the fun and innocence in the game just evaporated under these almost civil war conditions. The 1980's saw the twin tragedies of Heysel and Hillsborough resulting in many fundamental changes to match going.

There was also a concerted effort , under pressure, for  players to set a good example in their behaviour and lifestyles. By the 1990's players incomes had increased significantly with wage and transfer deals but they retained their status as role models on and off the pitch.

New skills on the European and World stage of football made the English game look unsophisticated and downright ugly. The arrival of foreign players, the first being the Dutch at Ipswich Town and Argentinians at Tottenham heralded a huge influx and in my opinion helped to revive the ambitions of the kick and run home grown players.

The current Premier League is huge business, a self perpetuating commercial circus and expensive for supporters to follow with admission prices and regular changes in team shirts and merchandise.

However, as with my love affair with football in my childhood it is clear that today's generations are similarly smitten with park and school games being the place to replicate step overs, dummies, volleys, overhead kicks and the usual spitting and snot shots.

It is possible to take things just too far though and this has been no more evident than in recent press and media stories about one particular individual, a Brian Garruto from Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Playing in an Under 17's team,  the maverick teenage footballer has been banned by league officials fed up with his constant rule-breaking  and general lack of respect for the game.

Like many great sportsmen, Brian Garruto clearly has a rebellious streak and a single-mindedness that sets him apart from all others.

Regular mischief and trouble making brought about a long e mail from the league organisers listing his misdemenours and announcing his barring from participating any further in games.

The list is rather bizarre in its description of activities and also quite hilarious to even the strictest follower of regulations.

These include;

Making a phone call while playing on the field

Refusing to wear shinguards

Pretending to shoot a bow and arrow at opposing players after scoring

Running into the goal while hiding ball in shirt

Removing shirt after scoring

Sitting on the opposing teams bench

Wearing a cowboy hat during a game

Eating a banana in play

Making a show of giving birth to the soccer ball

Altering the score board

Wearing a natural light tank top instead of team kit

After sending off, changing shirt and coming back on pretending to be someone else

Mr Garruto's dismissal may have brought some calm and order to the Ohio under 17's league but his absence will be missed.

He was evidently a very skilful and accomplished player scoring, in one game, a total of 14 goals.

The league rules are on this point very petty and mean in that players were not allowed to score more than three goals per game.

You are better than them Brian.