The ba’s burst

West Dunbartonshire Council spent £6,000 on fencing to stop children playing football – but neighbours say it “looks like a prison”. The grass area is now criss-crossed with low-level black fences in the shape of an X.

Why can’t they just let kids play? We try and let kids out to play and even the council try to stop them so where can my kids go to play?

Angela Byrne

They moan about the kids being obese and then they do this. Where’s the logic?

Christine Rea

Locals complained about kids playing football there. The council did something to stop kids playing football there. Locals are now moaning that kids can’t play football there. And apparently it’s all the council’s fault. How does that work then?

Stef Spode

Yes, why not force kids inside to stare at their computer games and phones. Let’s rob them of any sort of outdoor life and experiences and numb their brains . . . that’s a great idea

Sarah Mccabe Society: “Let’s encourage kids to be more active and healthy and spend less time on screens.” Also society: “Kids being active is disruptive to peaceful neighbourhoods so let’s put up fences to discourage it.”

Cat Bruggeman

It wasn’t too long ago that a certain Scottish island council would padlock children’s swings together in play parks on a Saturday night to prevent kids and parents having fun on a Sunday.

George Williamson

The slump in the fortunes of Scottish international football began when school playing fields were sold off for profit. This is just another stupid step towards making matters worse. I’m English but recall the days when no English team won titles or cup finals without having three or four fantastic Scots players in their ranks.

Tony Unwin Local authorities cannot afford to make available playing fields out of school time. Now if all the folk in an area who want to see the grounds being made available were willing to pay a modest amount it maybe could happen.

Eugene Clarke

Back green football is where it all begins. How is the men’s game ever going to improve if it carries on like this.

Jamie Gorman

What’s up with the local

park and what about people hanging out washing? The last thing you want to hear is a ball being kicked about if are lying down relaxing. It’s not a football park it’s a drying green

Grant G Gillies This is really a problem of inter-generational “estrangement”. Everyone seeing everyone else as an incursion into their peace. Community isn’t always harmonious and bringing in third parties, in this case council officials, usually exacerbates the distance between people. That said, shared responsibility for bringing up children is one of the bedrocks of community and those complaining should maybe have spoken to the kids who were being out of order, while parents should encourage respect for older people.

Simon Knight