Football in garden

I wouldn't be very keen to have the boys in my garden willynilly at the moment. In normal times I would not have a problem as they sound well behaved.

Could they ring you when the ball lands in your garden? You would not have to keep checking for the ball and could go and lobb it back, returning inside to thoroughly wash your hands.

There would then be minimal contact with them.

I think you’re right to be concerned. I’d have a friendly conversation with your neighbour and ask her to ring you if the ball goes into your garden. You can then don your disposable gloves and throw it back without worrying about contamination. You sound a lovely neighbour.

Yes. Both. Why can't you open the door and step back? Why couldn't you have spoken through a window if you didn't want to open the door, and tell him to go round and get it? It's far better for him to get it himself than you touch it, whether he's a carrier or not.

Yes, my neighbours ball come over into our back garden, tennis balls or a rugby ball, so i wait till about 6pm then thrown it back, then wash my hands, as our gate has a lock on from our side so no-one can come through, so getting yourself a lock/padlock may be the answer so then they cant come through at all, and no-one can else for that matter, we are in total control. I would not never throw the balls back as thats what our elderly neighbours wouldn't do when our 2 children were very young, and we constantly had to buy new ones.

Actually, it is not illegal to not return the ball. It is only illegal if you keep the ball. Slight difference however I am aware of this as we had many years of footballs/hard cricket balls and golf balls coming over into our garden and causing damage. So we checked with the police. That lady was wrong to damage the ball however she could have put in her rubbish, legally, and got rid of it that way, so I was informed.

Occasionally, a ball comes into mine from the nice children next door. I wait till they are back inside their house, put on my gloves and pop it back over the fence. Gloves are then either in bin or washing machine and I wash my hands for the recommended time. Their parent is a nurse and the children are good at social distancing. The ball does not come in often, I don't have a problem with it. As to the lady with the ball and knife, that is illegal. You must hand the ball back, it is not your property.

Yes, lob it back and wash your hands very carefully.

Suggest they practise their dribbling and 'keepie uppies' - less risk of it coming over the fence.

If you have symptoms which could be Covid 19 you must self isolate.

MawB we had to go into quarantine at the start of lockdown when nearly 2 yo DGS had a high temp ( as toddlers sometimes do) - no symptoms. Meant my DD2 had to be off work and she is a nurse and we couldn't shop or anything. Temp normal by 3rd day. No one had the virus and no one tested!

Urmstongran what thoroughly miserable, nasty piece of work that lady is. Some people are just so intolerant aren't they? We have two young boy living next door to us, all sorts of toys and sports equipment end up in our garden, they either knock and ask if they can retreive them, or if I see them, I throw them over the fence. It's not a problem at all. In the OPs situation, I would just say owing to the lockdown situation, the boys are quite welcome to just come into the garden and collect the ball themselves.

One young family I know have 3 football mad boys. They play in their garden. Their next door neighbour isn’t an easy person to have as a neighbour. She is a depressive and can be quite hostile.

Yesterday, When the ball got kicked over the fence, she was heard by the boys to ‘use the F word’ (and it wasn’t football) - she picked the ball up, stabbed/slashed it with a knife or somesuch and lobbed it back over the fence ...
?

Just keep returning it over fence and then wash your hands when you go back in. Tell them not to come to yours and as soon as you see it you will return it. Maybe if there is a delay they will try not to kick it over? Boys will be boys though and no matter what the intention they do kick over! Doesn't mean you have to let them in to your garden though.

Depends on your set-up. I would agree that you could say they can just collect it. But that may not easy to organise or you may not want to set a precedent.
You could suggest to the family, that at this time, you will throw the ball over when you see it (and it would be kind to keep an eye open ). That way (depending on your set-up) you could leave the back door open, and walk straight in and wash your hands.
It sounds like a good neighbourly relationship, so I'm sure they will understand.

I would be concerned about handling the ball if they are in quarantine.The boys/family will have picked up the ball at some time. I have the same problem, but the grandkids over the fence obviously have not been visiting.

Maybe just give them permission to go round and not knock?

He should not have come round and I am sure you are happy to lob it back. However if they were insisting it was not Covid19 - why the quarantine?

No YANBU - you sound like a lovely neighbour and if they’ve got any sense they’ll see that what you did was very sensible in the circumstances.