The goalkeeper and the ball boy – The World is a Ball

The ball boy is a character that has been part of football since 1939.

It emerged, according to historical accounts, as a result of the actions of a Vasco da Gama player, Bernardo Gandulla.

Argentinian, he was hired in the late 1930s by the Rio de Janeiro club. Without getting space in the team, he decided to be useful in another way, looking for the ball when it left the field during matches.

“Gandulla’s attitude won the fans’ affection and after his return to Argentina in 1940, his name became a reference for ball catchers”, states a text by the Football University published in 2007.

Over the years, the figure of the ball boy became inherent in games.

Normally, the home team was responsible for providing half a dozen of them (one behind each goal, two on one side of the pitch, two on the other side) to rescue the round when it was kicked away.

Little was noticed in their performance, except when one, running wild, tripped or, in a hurry, let the ball escape in an attempt to catch it or take it back to the field.

Or, also, when everyone disappeared from the football field, always near the end of the match, always when the home team was winning. A clear way to buy time in order to reduce the chances of the visiting team.

When I used to go to the stadiums, there were boys and girls – of different ages–, but also big guys, who were either already hired by the club, doing an “extra” in the role, or were hired by the club specifically to perform the task.

In a year or two, the São Paulo Football Federation used female ball boys –the information the radio gave was that they were university students–, which pleased the predominantly straight and male fans.

But the fashion has not caught on, at least not consistently.

Five days ago, in England, there was an unusual event in the English Women’s Championship, in the Manchester City vs. Aston Villa match, involving a ball boy. And a goalie.

The first half was drawing to a close at Academy Stadium, Manchester, with no counting opening, when, after an attack by City, the ball went over the end line.

Villa goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, 21, walked into the area behind her goal and saw that a child’s ball boy was holding her behind the advertising boards.

Hampton waited for the boy, who appeared to be about 10 years old, to return the ball to him. But that didn’t happen.

Disconcerted, the goalkeeper approached, made the gesture of “come on, give it to me”. Nothing. The boy watched her reluctantly.

The delay began to make shirt 1 impatient, which, unreconciled, looked around, arms outstretched, as if to say: “Look, he doesn’t return the ball. What petulance!”.

With no one to come to her rescue, Hampton moved closer and voiced her dissatisfaction.

The ball boy would look away and look for someone, as if waiting for confirmation that he was doing the right thing, not to be provocative.

He was defeated, however, by Hampton’s insistence and ended up, reluctantly, handing the ball to the goalkeeper, who was finally able to restart the match.

On social networks, Internet users played with the scene and even claimed that the boy, who was wearing a coat with the City crest, had been instructed to make wax.

Yes, ball boys have the ability, with certain tricks, to delay the throw-in. But evidently that would not be the case, as the score was 0-0 and there was still the entire second half to play.

This young ball boy is absolutely taking the mickey

Did the mind games work? Man City put five goals past Aston Villa in the second half… #OptusSport #BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/HDeVIOQzPl

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 20, 2021

Jacqui Oatley, a commentator for Sky Sports, who clarified what happened, said that the boy tried to comply with the orientation given to him.

Due to a strange protocol to be followed because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was the fourth referee who was supposed to supply the ball back into play, not the ball boy.

If that’s the reason, and if that determination has been followed since the tournament began in September, the wrong one is Hampton, who must suffer from amnesia.

The goalkeeper, by the way, would have wished that the ball boy had disappeared with the ball she so insisted on having, and with all the others available, had she known what the second stage would have in store for her.

City massacred Villa, making Hampton, who is one of England’s goalkeepers, look for the ball in the net no fewer than five times.

The 5-0 rout left the two teams with 10 points from eight matches, but both are far from the top of the table, occupied by Arsenal (22 points).

Also read: Judge expels ball boys and has to get the ball himself