Tampere father fined after threatening coach over son's one minute of play
A Tampere father was fined after allegedly threatening a youth football coach during a May match when he objected to his 10-year-old son's limited playing time.
The incident took place at a youth football match in Tampere in May, after the father said his 10-year-old son had been given only one minute of play before spending 20 minutes on the bench. He marched into the substitute area. He accused the coaches of being drunk and shouted at staff and parents.
When stewards tried to calm him and move him away from the children, he continued abusing the coaches and, according to witnesses, threatened to kill one of them, a man in his 50s.
In a police interview he described his behaviour as a human reaction. He admitted he had been nervous and that he may have sworn, but denied making a death threat. He portrayed himself as a committed football fan worried about his son's future and criticised the team's coaching.
The district court found the coach's and a witness's accounts credible, ruling the threat had occurred and saying frustration over a child's playing time did not justify threatening violence. The case and sentence were reported by Aamulehti.
Catch the full story over at Aamulehti
