‘Idiots’ who filmed England Youth scrap slammed as questions raised over how it was leaked

Footage of England Youth players fighting in a hotel room has been labelled a ‘nothing burger’ by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

It comes after a video from late 2025 surfaced on social media this week.

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The viral clip shows two members of the Three Lions’ under-16 side fighting at a camp in Sedi, Turkey.

An under-16s side played matches against Turkey, Wales and Portugal during the trip in October and November last year.

Youth team incident

During the confrontation, their team-mates can be seen filming and encouraging them, the videos shows.

According to the FA, the incident was caused by an ‘internal matter’ which was ‘quickly resolved’.

In the minute-long video, a boy wearing official England kit can be seen grabbing a mobile phone from a team-mate laid on the bed of a hotel room.

The following scuffle over the device leads to punches, kicks and grappling.

Footage of the incident also shows the boy who attempted to snatch the phone putting the other boy in a headlock.

He then drags him around the room before throwing him onto the floor.

In a statement, an FA spokesperson said: “We were made aware of an internal matter during an Under-16s camp in October 2025. This was quickly resolved at the time.”

talkSPORT verdict

Peterborough chairman MacAnthony has now shared his stance on the video.

Talksport

The Posh co-owner discussed the incident alongside Alex Crook live on talkSPORT on Friday morning.

Giving his reaction, he admitted: “I make nothing of it. It was dealt with by the FA a few years ago. It was a load of 16-year-olds having a scuffle.

“It goes on every day, everywhere in the world. I guess they’re held to a higher standard because they’re young footballers.

“I’ve got two problems with it, not with the two idiots who were fighting. I’ve got a problem with the idiot stood there filming it.

“I think that’s modern day for you. That everyone’s behind a camera phone and nobody intervened. Back in the day, I would have stepped in and gone, ‘what are you doing? You pair of morons.’

“And I’ve got an issue with whoever leaked it, and again, that’s the world we live in nowadays. That shouldn’t even be out in the press. I don’t know why the media are even talking about it.”

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Referring to the fallout from the footage emerging, MacAnthony added: “It goes on up and down the country. Every football club, by the way and I’ll give you an example.

“Our academy, years ago, and these players are gone. One of them we sold for a lot of money.

“We had two players who were caught shoplifting when they were 14. They were in our academy.

“And one of them, when they got caught, nearly arrested and the police came, he gave another academy player’s name and dobbed him in instead. Now, is that national news? Is that important?”

Boys will be boys?

When asked by Crook if the incident is a case of ‘boys being boys’, MacAnthony dismissed the suggestion, though.

He instead explained: “No, I’m not saying it’s boys being boys because you don’t want to see any of that crap go on. What I’m saying is we’re blowing it up.

“It’s a nothing burger that, again, the media are outraged about. They’re two idiots obviously rowing, it doesn’t matter if they’re in an England kit.

“They’re both under 16 and, honestly, you call that a fight? It’s fisticuffs, is basically what it is.

“Like I said, my issue is with the idiots watching and whoever leaked it from a camera phone.

“That’s obviously somebody who’s probably not in football anymore, has been released, who thought I’m going to put that out.”