newboy Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Bit of a dilemma this week. The missus is studying hard for her exams, so I've to look after boy all weekend, which is great. So do I bring boy to the match on Saturday? Obviously attention spans differ between kids (and between City performances ), but what's the youngest child anyone here has bought to a match? Any feedback appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cider_Army Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Well I took my sister who was 11 at the time. not very young, but she was like a girly girl. Against Luton last season. She loved it and when Beadle scored in injury time she was on her chair jumping around with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granty Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I brought my lad along to a couple last season (5 years old) - 1st half was fine, 2nd half was sorted by supplying large amounts of coke, chocolate and a good comic. HTH G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I used to coach a junior team and I was approached by a City scout at a 7 -a -side tournament asking about one of my former charges.He was 8 years old and subsequently attended some City coaching schools. He didn`t last - he quit after half a season because he got bored! Apparently they hardly ever played football which is basically all you want to do at 8 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cyprus_Red Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 my first game was when i was 4 and i loved it bring the boy along where did u sit mayb think about going in the family enclosure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lita For Congo Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Yeh definatley start them young. My 1st game was when i was 4 then i started going now and then till i got a season ticket when i was 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Harry May Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Started taking both my girls in our promotion season under John Ward. The youngest was 5 and the oldest 7. They really enjoyed it and have been season ticket holders ever since. They have become right football "snobs". " So you support Man U then do you ?" "Yeah , that's right" "Well, you've never been to Layer Road have you ". It's like they follow a very cool , obscure rock band . You know , all the kids like Busted and they like Agnostic Front. There's a certain one upmanship involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22A Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 December 87 I took my then 5 year old daughter in the East End. When she got bored, she was able to swing on the barriers. Great game that; Brighton visited having not lost for 17 games but City were 3-0 up at half time. In the second, Brighton pulled two back so Joe Jordan came on and set up City's fourth before scoring the fifth himself. Correction to Robbored: you state City have only spent 4 years in the top div. Many of us remember Aug 76 to May 80, but don't forget the five seasons Aug 1906 to May 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyRed Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I was started by my dad at about 7 years old - 43 years ago. To be honest, I don't remember much about going. All I can remember is the eating the packet of rolos he always bought me, sat on the railings at the back of the uncovered end. I only became 'aware' of the team and the football probably by the time I was nine and John Atyeo had become my hero, a few years before he retired. The biggest thrill and greatest memory of City for me in my early years was winning promotion from the old 3rd division in the 64/65 season. Then, of course, the following year we won the World Cup! Obviously it a very subjective issue, but I don't think I would bother to take anyone under 7 - they're not likely to recall much about the football anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcfc seattle Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I say 4 is fine but you might want to sit in the Family enclosure or maybe in those No smoking sections in the Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest east_dundry_red Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I think ive beaten you all. I took my godson to a reserve match when he was 13 months old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhatWill Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Saw my first City game when I was 4 months old. Against West Ham in the Milk Cup, if anyone can beat that then fair play! PS - I loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire_red Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 My son was 7 and quite enjoyed it although we were sat in the main stand at The Brittannia (we live about 8 miles from Sjoke). It was a shocking game, Megsons last and Pulis was stood on the touchline arms folded with my my old man shouting abuse at him. When Sjoke scored my lad starts jumping up and down and clapping with all the Sjokies. My old man nearly had a heart attack and clouted him round the back of the head. The Sjokies around us thought it was hilarious. Bloody Goodridge (I think) should have stolen the m,atch in the last minute missing an open goal from about 2 yards at the away end. It was also a game where the local paper reported that the only real excitement was provided by our supporters resorting to fighting amongst themselves during the match!! On a funny note my local rugby club gave the clubman of the year award jointly to the two lady (qualified) coaches who train the under 7s of a Sunday morning. They were delighted to receive the award and one of them commented that it was difficult due to the fact that the juniors pitch was right next to the playground in the park and most of the kids would rather be in there and playing in the sand pit!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newboy Posted November 18, 2003 Author Share Posted November 18, 2003 Thanks for all the responses guys - one new fan being made this weekend ;-) Now if only I can teach him to sing "referee's a wa*****"! :how funny: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest citylady Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 i took my son to his first match at 3 years old he is now 20 and hardly ever missed a match so go for it just have plenty of sweets with you how funny I'm sure he will be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompo Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I was 4 when I was taken to AG for the first time but not many can claim to have had the lucky escape that I had. My Dad was a Rovers fan and our neighbour a City fan. Both wanted to take me to my first game and so tossed a coin to decide who would have the honour. Luckily the neighbour won and I was duly taken to AG. The rest as they say is history. Like Simply Red, I was at AG the day we clinched promotion from Div 3 in 1965. Although there have promotions and cup wins since, nothing compares to that day, not even when we got promoted to Div 1. The closest for me was the draw at Coventry to stay up. I assume it was to do with my age at the time and the circumstances surrounding promotion. We came from nowhere that season and of course there was the emotion of Ateyo scoring against Oldham to clinch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedUn Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Obviously it a very subjective issue, but I don't think I would bother to take anyone under 7 - they're not likely to recall much about the football anyway. The danger might be that if he/she isn't exposed to "proper" football early enough they'll get hooked on a TV team instead of the local one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Said Red Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Take him, going early is habit forming. You will have to put up with a certain amount of messing about from him in the second half but stick with it. I suggest you keep it as treat for a year or two, bringing him to odd games and building them up helps the excitement, and it's got to be worth buying a season ticket next season he would only need to go to 6-7 games to make it worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Never to the dark side Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I know a lot of city fans have said go in the family enclosure or the non smoking portion of the Williams stand Could I suggest go in the Dolman stannd and as far back as you can get Watch the city from one end then trundle up the other end to see the second half Football on the television always corrupts what you actually see With the Williams stand and family enclosure being very low level it will be difficult for a young to see the other end of the pitch Take em in the Dolman stand good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodges17 Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Well for some reason my sister decided to ignore her elder brother and become the family's first city fan, so i took her to her first game - city v cambridge in the league last season. she loved it! while i was sat down, unhappy at witnessing a city win and paying for it (done that in a few derbies in recent years ) she was jumping around, singing the songs, and telling me she thought Mickey Bell was a legend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Going back to the debate on who took the youngest child...I'm cheating a bit but I used to go when I was pregnant.! With my 1st child I went to matches about 3 weeks before he was born, and that was STANDING in the East End. I was back on the terraces about 2 weeks after the birth. With my daughter 3 years later they had kindly moved us to the seated Atyeo so in that respect it was better! Both of them used to be really active when they 'heard' the crowd roar, and after they were born if footie was on the tv they used to turn to the noise and be really happy!!! As for taking a 4 year old it will be fine, take a few sweets & not too much to drink you will have to keep visiting the toilet! Take plenty of warm clothes, city hat and scarf, as they tend to get a bit cold if they are not moving about. Be warned though football is very adictive, it may be that you don't get a chance to escape to a match by yourself again! Good Luck! :sport18: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Niall Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 " So you support Man U then do you ?" "Yeah , that's right" "Well, you've never been to Layer Road have you ". It's like they follow a very cool , obscure rock band . You know , all the kids like Busted and they like Agnostic Front. There's a certain one upmanship involved. My sons are also football snobs. This week was particularly good, as we live just 10 miles from Brighton!! However, the line my 7 year old uses when people tell him that they're Man U fans is "What part of Salford are you from, then?" Good lad!! PS. Loads of food and comics should do it but hold on until the second half or you'll end up going to get more food with 15 minutes to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyRed Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 The danger might be that if he/she isn't exposed to "proper" football early enough they'll get hooked on a TV team instead of the local one? Possibly true. But my own son spent his early years in the US when I lived in Seattle and we didn't return to the UK until he was 7. He was a sports fanatic and I was reluctant to leave because he was a 'natural' at baseball. However, my fears were unfounded because he took to football like a duck to water and was instantly, and still is, a Red, thanks to me re-aquainting myself with the Gate after 4 years away (no internet in those days!). He reached YT level in football before injury and women put paid to his football career(?!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest H Block Drum n' Bass Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Whey're in their mothers. Get um going early :Sleep15: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyRed Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 However, the line my 7 year old uses when people tell him that they're Man U fans is "What part of Salford are you from, then?" Good lad!! Football snobbery - yes. But is it a good thing and should it be encouraged? I have never been able to understand this 'elitist' requirement that you have to live in the backyard of a team's ground in order to be called 'true fans'. So what if a Man U fan lives in Brighton - or anywhere else for that matter? It doesn't make them any less a fan. There are many people who call themselves fans but are unable to attend games for any number of reasons. As can be seen from this forum, there are many City fans living all over the country and all over the world. By the 'snobs' reckoning, they should only be supporting the team nearest them. The real reason is that some people don't mind you supporting another team outside the area where you live as long as it isn't Man U. It's a British disease that we despise success and Man U achievements in football, business and marketing should be respected and applauded, not ridiculed and hated. I am, by no means, a Man U fan but I respect their success and I like their football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire_red Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Members of this forum may well live all over the country / world but the vast vast majority of us will have some connection to Bristol. I for one am Bristol born and bred but have bot lived in the City for over 20 years. I, however, would not dream of supporting any other club. A vast majority of non Manc Manure 'fans' would change to Liverpool or Chelsea immediately should they win a couple of Prem titles and be the 'in' club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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