Carshalton football coach arrested after Woodmansterne picnic protest threat (From Surrey Comet)

I am very aware of what has been happening at Woodmansterne Sports Club. The facts are the facts. Mr Chapman had no right to be taking organised football training sessions on this ground but was not prepared to work with the club.

He was given every opportunity by the club and the council but decided he could do what he wanted to, which I am afraid is not true. What gives him the right to disrupt the organised events at the Club on land which they have paid the lease for.

I think the club have handled this in a professional fashion following all the correct procedures and I think that Mr Chapman trying to make out that it was just a kick about with his kids and a few friends is a joke. I would be interested how many ‘training sessions’ he carries out per week, with how many kids, paying how much??????

Mr Chapman trying to make out the club to be the baddies in this scenario is quite amazing and if he turns up there again and disrupts the club I hope he is arrested again

You seem to have been spun a real yarn by Darren Chapman. He gives the impression that he was just at Woodmansterne Sports Club having a kick about with a few children, who were then left alone when he was arrested.
Mr Chapman is at the Sports Club four nights a week, usually with 20 or more young children, and coaching equipment. He appears to be running a business. Usually there are some parents around, so it would be surprising if there were none when he was arrested. The Sports Club has a football section - Mr Chapman has no connection with this.
It is now the cricket season. All the managers and coaches at the Cricket Section of the Sports Club are CRB checked to make sure that they are fit people to work with children. All the coaches are qualified to England and Wales Cricket Board standards, and carry ECB Coaches Association insurance. The Sports Club carries insurance. The club maintains strict coaching ratios, usually about 1:8. The ground is rented from the Council by the club, the equipment to maintain the ground is bought by the club, and club volunteers spend huge amounts of time maintaining the ground.
Mr Chapman appears to be running a business, but makes no contribution to running the club or maintaining the grounds - he makes a profit at the expense of the subscriptions and hard work of others. Parts of the playing area are worn because of his intensive use of them night after night. Is he CRB checked? Does he maintain correct coaching ratios? Is he insured? Is he a qualified coach? He may be, but since he has come on to the club property without the permission of the club or the Council, no-one knows, nor is there any way of checking.
He makes out that his activities are harmless. I have spoken to him in the past to point out that we are playing with a hard ball, and that the children under his 'supervision' may be injured. He assured me that they would be off the ground by the time the match started (6 p.m.) (There are league cricket games and colts practice sessions every night of the week). Tonight, for example, he was leading a session just outside the cricket boundary until gone half past seven, despite the fact that 6 sixes and 16 fours were hit. Had one of those small children been injured I am sure that Mr Chapman would not take responsibility, but would expect the Sports Club to pick up the tab for unauthorised activity which puts children in danger because he refuses to co-operate with the Club, let alone pay a fair share of the facilities he uses.
I know that colleagues have found Mr Chapman's behaviour aggressive and threatening.
Would I let a seven year old of mine train with someone about whom there are all these unknowns? Would you?

Being a local tax paying resident I find it disgusting that tax money and police time is being wasted on arresting someone on public land. Someone who is working with young children, keeping them interested in sports activities and keeping them out of trouble. I am astounded that he was arrested in the first place let alone in front of the children. Why did such a public display have to be made I wonder, rather suspect. Having dealt with local village insular 'click' style clubs who are anal in their etiquette in the past I for one do not agree with public land being leased. Public parks are for public use, let us walk our dogs, have more picnics and generally enjoy the Summer weather and as for the police you should be dealing with knife crime and real criminal damage

The simplist way to solve this is to allow Mr Chapman to show the Sport Club and the Council his CRB Certificate and his Insurance Certificate. It seems that this is a recent thing - Where did Mr Chapman coach before turning up in the village, Epsom wasn't it? His circumstance must have changed! I wonder what?
Mr Chapman's kids go to a school that has made checks on the teachers they are being taught by. Can you say the same here!

Its sad that the police can spend so much time & effort on this & so little time & effort on real crime (judge this for yourselves by reading the many stories on here about roberies, muggings, stabbings, shootings etc, many of which are unsolved!
Even sadder is the fact that this type of heavy handedness is not only happening in Croydon, but happens everywhere, only last month, 5 police actually turned up in Wimbledon to break up a very nasty incident!
6 kids under 8 & 2 adults playing "kerv-ball". This was in a residential street, on a weekend, playing with an inflatable ball in the middle of a lovely warm sunny day & everyone inviolved was having a lovely time & great laugh. I know because I was watching & it was a lovely scene. However the police didnt agree & actually turned up & stopped it... What is the world coming to?