How do we handle it Fabio?

It's been the football story that just ran and ran. No not the one about John Terry, his apparent extra-maritals, and whether Fabio Capello should strip him of the England captaincy?  I mean the one about my grandson Max and his friend Clifford. (Names withheld pending deal with publicist.) Who play for a team of 8/9 year olds that compete in the local Saturday morning league.

It's great fun to go and watch them play, and even greater fun to watch the competitive dads getting into the game. Of course there are many occasions when they really do get into the game! In fact such has been the level of passion, that last year the local officiating body had to get the dads and mums together and appeal for better behaviour.

 And of course it is the mums as well as the dads that get so deeply involved in supporting the kids. Which brings me back to Max and Clifford and an alleged "off the ball incident!"  To be precise it was an alleged on the way to school incident with one of their team mates.  You know? One of of those something and nothing exchanges that kids have all the time? Except that this one got mentioned to the other lad's mum. Who with what seemed to be an overwhelming attack of misplaced  maternalism decided to "caution" Max and Clifford the following day.  

Now this is where the plot thickens! Because the husband of said mum only happens to be the team coach and responsible for player selection! And according to spectators at the next match he did seem to be giving Max and Clifford unwarranted amounts of  "verbals" from the touchline. So when Max and Clifford are dropped from the team for the following game what are the fans to think?

Anyway, this morning...yours truly prompted by entirely appropriate feelings of Grandpaternalism thought it's time to show a bit of touchline support, and perhaps take the opportunity to offer some wisdom to the coach!  Then a waterlogged pitch and a match cancellation intervened. I reckon it was divine intervention.  As it very likely saved me and the kids from one of the Silverback's embarrasing "losing it" demonstrations.  Because we all do it don't we?  We hear about a situation second-hand...we form a pre-conceived and biased view of it...and then we react in an over the top way!
And of course that was the case here. It turned out to be a "something and nothing" situation... and all is good both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
As a Chelsea and England fan I can only hope for the same outcome....and in the process reaffirm my support and admiration for John's inspiring captaincy ...whether he is playing at home or away!