Study lastly works out why Sunday League groups make the identical errors

A new study has revealed what is to blame for the classic Sunday League football mistake

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Vision and hearing loss could be to blame for amateur football mistakes, a study has revealed.

Missed passes, own goals and referee calls have long been the hallmark of Britain’s Sunday leagues but they could be sensory rather than skill issues.

Specsavers study of 1,000 amateur football players shows 66% admit to having passed directly to the opposition by mistaking an opponent for a teammate.

Almost half (49%) have kept playing after the referee’s whistle because they didn’t hear it and 61% have lined up a shot and missed by an embarrassing margin.

But what Specsavers suggest could be more telling is that more than half (53%) haven’t had an eye test in the past year and 16% had one more than three years ago or never at all.

They explain football creates a ‘sensory overload’ during games for players with faded pitch lines, bright floodlights at night matches and crowd noise.

One amateur player said: “I once sprinted half the pitch and celebrated a goal with a knee slide, only to realise the whistle had blown for offside five seconds earlier and I just hadn’t heard it.”

Another said: “I once lost my glasses during a game and decided to carry on. Somehow I got turned around and managed to shoot and score in my own team’s net.”

Specsavers’ study marks YouTube series Best Worst Team’s final episode of season four, which has seen Warley FC guided by assistant manager and former England star Micah Richards.

Richards went to a roster of elite guests offering expert advice and training which included James Milner, King of the Jungle Angry Ginge and former England winger Joe Cole.

After last season’s brutal campaign of 18 defeats and 81 goals conceded, the team finished fourth this season, winning 10 of their last 12 games.

However, footballing blunders are a reality Warley FC’s Rafe Attfield knows better than most.

The winger has become the proud inaugural recipient of Specsavers’ first ever Barn d’Or trophy, an award for the season’s most brilliantly terrible footballing moment.

Rafe claimed the honour of ‘the best worst bicycle kick nobody saw coming’ at the club’s end of season awards, hosted by Micah Richards and manager Luke Armstrong.

You can see how Warley FC finished their last game of the season below.

Micah Richards, Assistant Manager, Warley FC, said: “I’ve had some brilliant times in my career but the lads at Warley have given me some wonderful football moments I’ll never forget.

“This season’s been a real journey with them and the improvement has been remarkable and winning 10 of their last 12 games is something to be properly proud of.

“The research doesn’t surprise me.

“Rafe’s Barn d’Or was fully deserved and Rafe, if you’re reading this, that was comfortably the best worst effort we saw all season.”

Specsavers’ Kim Bull said: “Warley FC have been brilliant to work with this season and they’ve thrown themselves into every session, every challenge and every utterly chaotic moment in between.

“The research shows that most Sunday League players are battling the same blurred vision, missed calls and distance misjudgements as Rafe and the lads.

“The fix is often simpler than they think and we’d love to find the next team who see themselves in that.”

Specsavers is on the hunt for the worst grassroots team in the country and wants to help write their comeback story.

They promise to take the team on ‘the journey of a lifetime’ by giving them a legendary assistant manager and treating them to money-can’t-buy experiences.

Specsavers’ Best Worst Team will also have expert support from famous faces who can provide training sessions and professional advice.

If you believe you’re part of the worst grassroots football team in the country, you can apply here