11 Things That Only Amateur Footballers Will Understand

7. 'Going Quiet'

One might consider a lack of shouting to signify calmness, coordination and an understanding that goes beyond the verbal, but 'going quiet' is a cardinal sin in amateur football. Before a match even begins, one of the manager's key instructions will be to do lots of talking; this will be reinforced by the vociferous captain (usually the best at talking), who agrees that it is imperative to do lots and lots of talking. If the manager and captain get it their way €”as they often do €” the Sunday league football pitch can be one of the loudest and most hilarious agglomerations of noise about. It's also widely accepted within the low-level football community that being quiet indicates a lack of willing, organisation and testosterone. Even if the captain is the worst player on the pitch, his ability to roar encouraging clichés for in excess of 90 minutes make him an indispensable member of the team.