LongwellRed Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Looking for some advice on how to handle this situation and wondered if anyone else has previously and how they dealt with it... City have always been my one and only club (yes they were in the top flight when i started going down the gate). My eldest son (just turned 8) absolutely loves football and I took him to his first 2 matches this season (a draw and a win, quite surprising given how things have gone). Atmosphere not bad, reasonably good games etc etc..... anyway my point is I kinda hoped he would only like Bristol City FC however in recent months such is the coverage of the Premier League, champions league etc he has started saying he likes Man U (personally I'm not a lover - no offence to anyone that does) and has asked for one of their shirts with Rooney on the back for Christmas/birthday and today came downstairs wearing his half brothers 3 year old Man U shirt which was way too big for him. Without thinking I told him to take it off which he did and gently reminded him City were his club like his dad and grandad and he had no need to like anyone else (poor little sod).. So how do I deal with the situation ? Just accept he likes them and let him get on with it painful though it is ? Or keep trying to brainwash him in to being City through and through ? Problem is even some kids at his school tell him City 'are rubbish' and Man U are brilliant etc etc which is another issue and why we will probably never have a big big club in this area. Have to say I have far more respect for even sags than those that wear Chelsea/Man U/Arsenal tops who are born and bread in Bristol. Maybe its just me being unrealistic ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Cyril Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 For a start, take him out of that school, then commit arson. What the hell has happened to our local education system. That headmaster should be struck off by ofsted, then sent to a labour camp in North Korea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderPunk Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Too much risk involved in letting him grow up a plastic prem bellend. Kill him and dispose of the body properly, can't be too careful with these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
internetjef Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Get him down the open day at start of season to meet Maynard (hopefully), James, Admomah et al for autographs / photos etc Then tell him to ask his mates whether they have met Rooney, the star striker of their team. doubtful (unless they have a fit nan!) swing past the club shop for city shirt after. failing that are they still doing that cap thing, i know its meant to be for first games only but im sure you could swing it with a letter to the club. If he gets to go on pitch at half time and get a cap etc that would prob be pretty awesome. Or get his name down for mascot or something. just a few ideas, no kids myself so not from experience or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Stan Hibbert Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I wouldn't make a big deal of it. I "supported" Everton when I was that age, for no other reason than my mate did. If you're looking for a more philosophical answer then read this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongwellRed Posted May 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I wouldn't make a big deal of it. I "supported" Everton when I was that age, for no other reason than my mate did. If you're looking for a more philosophical answer then read this. thanks for the link - jeez, now I feel bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Team In Keynsham Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Too much risk involved in letting him grow up a plastic prem bellend. Kill him and dispose of the body properly, can't be too careful with these things. By properly I assume you mean do it at his school in front of all the pupils (during assembly if that is still done?) to serve as a reminder for anyone else thinking of heading down the same path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderPunk Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Seriously though, I'll tell you what happened with my lad. I split up with his whore of a mother when he was 3 years old and because she was not only a whore but a spiteful, vindictive whore, I never saw him again until he was 6 years old when he was living with his Grandparents (while she was out busy whoring and stuff). Trouble was his grampy was a blue and was exerting influence over the seed of my loins (pretty scary stuff right?) And to add to that, because Alan Shearer was England Captain at the time and Newcastle were doing well in the Prem at the time, my lad was the proud owner of a Newcastle shirt with his whore of a mothers name on it (not his/ours), and leaning towards being a filthy member of the blue few. So I killed him and disposed of his body properly (as you can't be too careful with these things). Okay I didn't, but I did beat him to within an inch of his life. Okay I didn't do that either. What I did do though (honest this time) was take him down the gate on the games where there was bound to be an atmosphere, and also took him down the club shop on non-matchdays and spent a boatload of money in there (bribing kids always works). I guess I was lucky with the Shearer/England/Newcastle thing but you can't force a kid to do certain things so I let him carry on and he got bored with it (Newcastle idea) eventually, I continued to take him down The Gate and we all lived happilly ever after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderPunk Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 By properly I assume you mean do it at his school in front of all the pupils (during assembly if that is still done?) to serve as a reminder for anyone else thinking of heading down the same path. It's a good idea in theory but it means that you'd probably have to spend the rest of your life banged up. So theoretically I can see what you're getting at which is why I've +1'd your comment, but in practice this probably wouldn't be worth it. Best keeping it on the lowdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cider11 Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I have to admit when i was young, i floated between liverpool & man utd. I had been to ashton gate when i was 5/6 but cos the 2 previously mentioned teams were on MOTD and such like and kids at school. But i soon grew out of the phase of that and solely stayed with City. Although when i moved from WSM to Huntingdon all the kids there were Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs fans this was when i was about 7 or 8 and none of the kids at my new school had probably heard of City. I did then pick up a 2nd team in Arsenal to kind of fit in with the rest of them but never had any of their shirts and stuff like that. Although i have seem them a few times in the last 5 years or so at the Emirates, 1 trip to Highbury and a few of their away games whilst i did the Premier League grounds. City are the only team for me and always have been really, even with the influence of my dad to get me to go to peterborough as he's a posh fan and i was a season ticket holder down there too for about 9 seasons until i was 16, but the 3 games i went to the gate in the 94/94 season got me hooked to City first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Skin Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I wouldn't make a big deal of it. I "supported" Everton when I was that age, for no other reason than my mate did. If you're looking for a more philosophical answer then read this. Nice quote and a refreshing OP. I take my son to see City when I can, but he likes Arsenal too. He has said he is city first and would support them over Arsenal if they ever met. I used to have a poster of Blondie on my wall as a kid, but that latterly only served as background scenery for my fumbled attempts with girls in my youth. The fantasy will fade. There's nothing like experiencing something in the flesh with all its high and lows to make you really feel alive. Keep taking him to the gate and trust him to make the right choice when it matters. He will. That reminds me I must have conversation about contraception really soon! Mind you the Arsenal isn't a bad alternative - in terms of choice of football team of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harito495 Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Just take him to the gate some more if you can ? & buy him a shirt with his name on ? Maybe a football so he can take it to school ? Bribary always works ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderHider Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Get him down the Gate, once initiated there will be no going back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spud55 Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Just leave him be and keep taking him down the gate, when I was a kid I supported Liverpool, mainly because my cousin loved them, but the more I went to Ashton gate the less I gave a toss about any prem side. I have a fondness of arsenal as I like the way the club is run and how they play but that's about it. Nothing can compare to watching proper live football, and your lad will soon realise that, most of the plastic mancs et al, just didn't go to games as a kid or aren't really that interested in football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphindevon Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I don't have children but when my mates were going through the trauma of persuading their kids to become City fans, I would protest and go and call Esther Rantzens cruelty to children hotline. The only reason they gave was, why shouldn't they go through years of misery, frustration and disappointment like I've had to. Stop being cruel and let him support a succesful team. Let's face it we haven't ever seen City win any league, never seen them in the Prem, ok 30 years ago they flirted with the top flight, decades since we had a cup run and even had the worst ever promotion any club has ever had bieng tipped to the title at the last hurdle by ....... Well must I go on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedZepperin Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Looking for some advice on how to handle this situation and wondered if anyone else has previously and how they dealt with it... 1. Take him to a rough part of Manchester for the day. Talk with the locals for a bit. That should put him off. 2. Watch how Barcelona thrash Man Utd in the Champions League Final. 3. Relax and wait for him to grow up a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTone Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Looking for some advice on how to handle this situation and wondered if anyone else has previously and how they dealt with it... City have always been my one and only club (yes they were in the top flight when i started going down the gate). My eldest son (just turned 8) absolutely loves football and I took him to his first 2 matches this season (a draw and a win, quite surprising given how things have gone). Atmosphere not bad, reasonably good games etc etc..... anyway my point is I kinda hoped he would only like Bristol City FC however in recent months such is the coverage of the Premier League, champions league etc he has started saying he likes Man U (personally I'm not a lover - no offence to anyone that does) and has asked for one of their shirts with Rooney on the back for Christmas/birthday and today came downstairs wearing his half brothers 3 year old Man U shirt which was way too big for him. Without thinking I told him to take it off which he did and gently reminded him City were his club like his dad and grandad and he had no need to like anyone else (poor little sod).. So how do I deal with the situation ? Just accept he likes them and let him get on with it painful though it is ? Or keep trying to brainwash him in to being City through and through ? Problem is even some kids at his school tell him City 'are rubbish' and Man U are brilliant etc etc which is another issue and why we will probably never have a big big club in this area. Have to say I have far more respect for even sags than those that wear Chelsea/Man U/Arsenal tops who are born and bread in Bristol. Maybe its just me being unrealistic ? There are residential homes available where your Son can be taken to save you living with such embarrassment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrs Court Red Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I've hedged my bets and am trying to cultivate my daughters support for city and Chelsea. This could of course make her turn out a massive football supporting lesbian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
054123 Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I've always supported City, but there are two seasons which got me hooked. When i was about 9/10, i went to quite a few games with my Dad and friends who were in my year at school, this kind of formed a little group. Then when i was about 14/15, we started going on our own and having a few beers and the rest is alchol related history! I suppose the two main things from this are that it will help your boy if some of his friends are city fans and that if you keep him involved, there will come a time when the freedom and of sense of maturity that following a football club can offer will mean he can't wait to get down Ashton Gate on a Tuesday night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderHider Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I think a meet and greet or whatever by the players for young kids would be a good ideal if its not already being done. Jeez when I were lad If a pro footballer from ANY team said 'hello' to me I would support their team no matter what! A kick about with one...! Wow.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 'un' Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Get playstation out, load PES5, edit team Bristol city and start master league,edit players to current city players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CotswoldRed Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Tell him there is nothing wrong with LIKING both, but to SUPPORT a team he needs to SHOW his support in person. Buy him a season ticket Failing that, tell him unless he supports City you'll tell his friends he likes the Gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Orns Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I was a Tottenham fan as a boy until I was taken down the Gate, hooked from then on I now have the problem with my daughters (8 & 5). My eldest is a real Daddy's girl and is City, my youngest is a right little bugger and tells me she supports Pompey at every chance, because my gf (not their mother!) does. So, I've now bribed the gf that when we get married she has to convert to City so we have one happy family and no football related squabbles On the other side of this, and this really made me chuckle....my best mate is Oxford, but his 9 year old has always supported Man U, with Oxford being out of the league for a while and his uncle and Grandad supporting them it made sense to Rob for a bit. Last weekend he denounced United and told Rob he was now a Blackpool fan! I thought that was brilliant, but after we discussed it over a few beers we decided that he may have done it through a love for H*lloway, so we've decided that he should be banned from that to, and we'll do a sweepstake with all league clubs in there (except R*vers, C*rdiff and S*indon) and Huddersfield as that's where his ex wife is from The lengths we go to eh....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screech Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Seriously though, I'll tell you what happened with my lad. I split up with his whore of a mother when he was 3 years old and because she was not only a whore but a spiteful, vindictive whore, I never saw him again until he was 6 years old when he was living with his Grandparents (while she was out busy whoring and stuff). Trouble was his grampy was a blue and was exerting influence over the seed of my loins (pretty scary stuff right?) And to add to that, because Alan Shearer was England Captain at the time and Newcastle were doing well in the Prem at the time, my lad was the proud owner of a Newcastle shirt with his whore of a mothers name on it (not his/ours), and leaning towards being a filthy member of the blue few. So I killed him and disposed of his body properly (as you can't be too careful with these things). Okay I didn't, but I did beat him to within an inch of his life. Okay I didn't do that either. What I did do though (honest this time) was take him down the gate on the games where there was bound to be an atmosphere, and also took him down the club shop on non-matchdays and spent a boatload of money in there (bribing kids always works). I guess I was lucky with the Shearer/England/Newcastle thing but you can't force a kid to do certain things so I let him carry on and he got bored with it (Newcastle idea) eventually, I continued to take him down The Gate and we all lived happilly ever after. SHE'S A WHORE! SHE'S A WHORE! CIDER PUNKS' EX MISSUS IS A WHORE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CotswoldRed Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 On the other side of this, and this really made me chuckle....my best mate is Oxford, but his 9 year old has always supported Man U, with Oxford being out of the league for a while and his uncle and Grandad supporting them it made sense to Rob for a bit. Last weekend he denounced United and told Rob he was now a Blackpool fan! I thought that was brilliant, but after we discussed it over a few beers we decided that he may have done it through a love for H*lloway, so we've decided that he should be banned from that to, and we'll do a sweepstake with all league clubs in there (except R*vers, C*rdiff and S*indon) and Huddersfield as that's where his ex wife is from The lengths we go to eh....! If he insists on supporting Blackpool, tell him you'll take him there (and leave him). It has to be the most god-forsaken place I've ever been to. The people look equally god-forsaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiderHider Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 If he insists on supporting Blackpool, tell him you'll take him there (and leave him). It has to be the most god-forsaken place I've ever been to. The people look equally god-forsaken. Agreed. Its a filthy shithole. and AFAIK Bin Ladin and Saddam were BIG fans, in the 30's Hitler used to holiday there with Mussolini. Gaddaffi once said Blackpool was his bestest place ever in the UK. Geroge Bush once said "I like people from Blackpool, they remind me of me". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northampton Red Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 My daughter is only 3 and is now living back in the US with her mum, obviously football isn't massive over there but before she left I made sure she had plenty of little city clothes, a teddy bear and stuff. Just felt like I still had to try and pass on the city tradition regardless!! Once took her down the gate and they let us take photos of us together there which was nice of them. Think it's a lot to do with a sense of pride of where you are from, no matter how awful they are on the pitch. Like a previous poster said, I've got more respect for a gas head from Bristol than a Man U fan from Bristol. Just... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Looking for some advice on how to handle this situation and wondered if anyone else has previously and how they dealt with it... City have always been my one and only club (yes they were in the top flight when i started going down the gate). My eldest son (just turned 8) absolutely loves football and I took him to his first 2 matches this season (a draw and a win, quite surprising given how things have gone). Atmosphere not bad, reasonably good games etc etc..... anyway my point is I kinda hoped he would only like Bristol City FC however in recent months such is the coverage of the Premier League, champions league etc he has started saying he likes Man U (personally I'm not a lover - no offence to anyone that does) and has asked for one of their shirts with Rooney on the back for Christmas/birthday and today came downstairs wearing his half brothers 3 year old Man U shirt which was way too big for him. Without thinking I told him to take it off which he did and gently reminded him City were his club like his dad and grandad and he had no need to like anyone else (poor little sod).. So how do I deal with the situation ? Just accept he likes them and let him get on with it painful though it is ? Or keep trying to brainwash him in to being City through and through ? Problem is even some kids at his school tell him City 'are rubbish' and Man U are brilliant etc etc which is another issue and why we will probably never have a big big club in this area. Have to say I have far more respect for even sags than those that wear Chelsea/Man U/Arsenal tops who are born and bread in Bristol. Maybe its just me being unrealistic ? I wouldnt be too worried mate, in my experience, kids your sons age tend to care more about whos the best and get drawn towards 'supporting' successful Premier League teams. Lets be honest, most of us only support City because they represent the area that we or our families come from, 8 year old kids dont see this as important but I suspect as your son gets older he will realise that the feeling of local pride is better than watching Man Utd win on TV every Sunday. If it makes you feel any better I went to Ashton Gate Primary School in the 80's and I was one of only a small handful of boys who supported City as my FIRST team (most kids have a second team that they also follow), most other kids supported Liverpool or Arsenal. 20 years later alot of those other lads who also used to tell me "City are sh*t, Liverpool are the best!" are now City fans themselves, some with young children who they dress up in City kits. So, for the time being, dont badger him too much about it. Keep taking him to games if he will go, especially matches where your guarenteed a good atmosphere and over time he will realise that the buzz of claiming to support a team like Man Utd isnt as exciting as the buzz of being in a packed AG whilst we're beating Cardiff/Gas/Plymouth/Swindon etc. Also, as soon as he is old enough, do what my parents did and encourage him to go to Ashton Gate with just his mates from time to time as this provides the extra buzz of going out without mum or dad and he will associate that buzz with BCFC. Finally if all else fails and he decides in his teens that there is no way he will support City then be grateful that its Man Utd he has chosen and not the Gas...that, for me....I could not handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howey_ducky Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 i may have a similar problem in the next few years. My ex missus lives in Sale, manchester but was born in yorkshire and supports leeds, my daughter lives with her. I have always thought you should support your local team, unfortunately my daughters closest team is manchester united (she was born in trafford general). i think i will have to be a hypocrite and forget the local team rule and pray i can influence her more than her mother does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1969bcfc Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Get him down the gate ASAP and as often as possible ! My 12 year old is city through and through due to this while most of his mates who dont go to the city are Man u or Chelsea! My only concession is hes allowed any foreign shirts he wants Ajax , Juve and so on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.