Advice needed to settle marital dispute

SX_Addick

My nephew's birthday is coming up and we have the usual dilemna of what to buy him for a present. I have registered him as a member of the Essex Branch of the supporters club for several years, though the implications of this have passed him - and his football immune parents - by. The fact that he lives in Corby and never been to a professional game is irrelevant. He has Charlton shirts and footballs and other memorabillia though it seems he doesn't realise he is a Charlton fan. Recently he has taken a real interest in football and joined his local boys club. This is all well and good, but suddenly he has declared he is a Manu fan!!!

Now, with his birthday coming up, my wife has suggested we buy him a Man U kit. My kneejerk response of 'over my dead body' seems to have heightened the tension in the SX household for some reason. I have been called petty and childish (though not for the first time) by my wife. My argument is that we should never ever EVER put money into the mega rich institution that is Manchester United, unless it is to watch Charlton. If my nephew wants to travel to Manchester and spend his own money on a replica kit, then that is his right. But I will have no part of this. My in-laws think I am childish and stupid and narrow minded. But I am convinced I am right.

What should I do? Am I right?

Oh, by the way, my nephew is about seven.

Off_it

You're 100% right.

Take him down The Valley as a birthday treat instead. As it will be his first game he can't help but get excited by it all and then hey presto - he's hooked!

uncle

Dont do it Your dead right. Get him to a game at the Valley

T_C_E

You are right SX, your nephew is a mere child and requires guidence. Should your "Good Lady" spend your hard earned on a Man Utd kit without your authorisation I suggest you reprimand her in the way you see fit, and deduct the said amount of cash from next weeks housekeeping. With reference to your In-laws, these are the same people that think you are not good enough for their "little angel" so what do they know!
Right!! of course you are right man. stand your ground.




ps if you get away with any of my suggestions without getting slapped, give me a shout and I'll try it when my "good Lady "steps out of line ;-)

aliwibble

You're right, but you're going about it in entirely the wrong way. The argument is not "we must not give Man Utd money", but "to be a real football fan you need to know what it's like to support your team in person, not just watch games on the TV". Argue that buying him the Utd shirt is setting him up for a lifetime of derision as a plastic fan, and as Off_it says, take him to the Valley as his birthday treat instead.

bigstemarra

Its his right to be a plastic if he wants; but you should not be expected to subsidise it!

Good man yerself.

bingaddick

My son told me aged 7 that he wanted a Man U shirt for his Birthday, and I said precisely the same thing as you. I told him no, I would never shell out a penny for them. I said it with a fair amount of humour but I was firm. I said if he wants a Man U shirt then he have to save up his own money. Then I got to thinking, what if he became a Man U fan, or worse still a Palarse fan, what would I do about it? After some soul searching I decided that whoever he supports or if he hates football, I'd endorse his choice. We can't make our kids take the same path that we did, they have to make their own way and we celebrate (or commiserate) with them. Naturally our joy would be unbounded were they to pick the things we love.

So in the end I told him that if he really wanted one, I'd get him one for his Birthday. He soon shut up about Man U, he never asked for the kit again and now he hates them (indeed he recently had a scrap with a lad down the road who was wearing his Nike Red Wrag and took exception to BA Jnrs Addicks baseball cap). His flirtation with Palarse (due to the maligned influence of my Palarse Brother-in-Law), ended last season at Sellout Park!!

As regards your nephew, well I'd start with suggesting to your wife that you find out from his Mum what he wants. Maybe they are getting him the kit so you are then off the hook. If not, then suggest getting him a ticket for the Valley as his treat. If this really isn' t acceptable then bite the bullet and get him it. Don't worry it probably won't last. In the meantime, as soon as you and he are able, get him down the Valley. I did this recently with one of my Nephew's who nominally is an armchair Man U fan. A few more visits this season and he'll be turned away from the dark side for good!!

pickwick

He is a clearly de facto Charlton fan. But needs introducing to the church

Leroy Ambrose

LOL Bing - I'm doing the exact same thing in reverse. My brother in law is the Palarse fan - yet I'm taking his boy to the Valley at every opportunity I get. He has so far, surprisingly, not been too bothered. However, I think that will change in the next few weeks - he's starting to get a bit more involved this season. At the Swansea game he told the taffys to 'shut up' when they started singing Land of my Fathers...

bingaddick

[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]LOL Bing - I'm doing the exact same thing in reverse. My brother in law is the Palarse fan - yet I'm taking his boy to the Valley at every opportunity I get. He has so far, surprisingly, not been too bothered. However, I think that will change in the next few weeks - he's starting to get a bit more involved this season. At the Swansea game he told the taffys to 'shut up' when they started singing Land of my Fathers...

What juveniles we all are....:o)

SX_Addick

Thanks for the advice TCE. I did what you suggested. I've made an appointment with the doctor to see whether my jaw has been broken - the black eye will clear up in due course.

mascot88

I think this one might require the 'rule of thumb'......

its simple steal the child and then take him to the valley, the parents will be shaken up but we will have a new charlton fan for sure..........

In seriousness dont let her buy the shirt get him to the valey now!

DA9

Tie him to a chair, use the Japanese water torture method, very useful.


Seriously, let him make his own choices, I believe taking him to the Valley will persuade him otherwise, my boy flirted with Man Utd a few years back, now a season ticket holder at Charlton and loves it.

Salad

push the boat put and pay for him to be a mascot at The Valley perhaps?

If your wife did get him a Manu shirt, pay to have CHARLTON written on the back.

northstandsteve

Unless he is a regular attender of charlton matches it is going to be hard to make a die i the wool charlton fan.I'm lucky my littlen goes home and away and loves Charlton,however he got loads of birthday money this year and doesn't want anything else other than football kits,so his has bought the Charlton home and away kit,Man Utd and Liverpool away kits,and pre their buy out Man City home kit.But he is and will always be Charlton.

Heath Hero

Let the kid make his own decision. He's only seven! He should be encouraged to support his local team who he can actually go and see and support (after all, that's why most of us support Charlton I would imagine). Living in Corby that won't be the Addicks....

Glass half empty

Cobblers !!!!!!

Swisdom

I have the solution

Buy a proper Charlton kit
Buy a fake Man Utd kit

This will make him appreciate the superior quality of the Charlton merchandise and also means Man Utd don't get any money from you

Everyone's a winner and the fake Man U shirt will fall apart after 2 washes

Rock Spectacle

I was just about to suggest that! One of those moody ones that you get from markets on the Canary or Greek Islands - bought a Liverpool one a couple of years ago for my then Scouse supporting brother in law in Cyprus - who resides in Plumstead of course - he has barely missed a Charlton game since it chewed up his Mother's washing machine and gave a red tint to garments previously not coloured so.

I got the blame, of course...

northstandsteve

[quote][cite]Posted By: Swisdom[/cite]I have the solution

Buy a proper Charlton kit
Buy a fake Man Utd kit

This will make him appreciate the superior quality of the Charlton merchandise and also means Man Utd don't get any money from you

Everyone's a winner and the fake Man U shirt will fall apart after 2 washes[/quote]

What like the llanera print's that kept dropping off LOL

AFKABartram

Ignore all sensible advice above SX, make it clear to the kid you now have no time for him.

If he asks you anything, cross your arms say 'huh, whatever' and look the other way. Or just shout 'i hate you' and storm off.

And when his mum and dad aren't looking, flick sly V-signs and w***er signs at him. Maybe stick a couple of garden snails in his pillowcase.

Or offer to take him football training, and when he runs over to all the over boys, shout loudly 'ha ha, X has just wet himself in the car'.


Perhaps i'm being a bit extreme.....

razil

You could try the long speech about supporting your local/uncles team, its about who you are, manu fans don't even live in manchester, glory boys, etc

Last resort if he becomes a manu fan disown him - or at least don't talk to him till he's grown out of it.

Certainly never entertain buying anything manu related or encouraging it.

My nephews support Arsenal, the only excuse they have is my brother supports them and they live in North London.. its never been good.

R

BlackForestReds

If you want him to support Charlton perhaps you need to use a bit of reverse pyschology. Point out how boring supporting Man U is and everyone is a fan, whereas he'd be the only Charlton fan for miles around.

Dazzler21

[quote][cite]Posted By: SXAddick[/cite]

Oh, by the way, my nephew is about seven.[/quote]

He is still corruptable at age 5ish I went to CAFC games and was instantly turned from my unitedom I became an addick and the rest is history...

I love charlton more than I love my wife.... which is good as i don't have a wife and i also love charlton more than my kids which is good as i don't have any.... But still.


Take him to Charlton vs Ipswich (if it's close enough to his Bday)- should be a good game, and he'll enjoy the atmosphere!

SX_Addick

Well I listened to your advice, splashed out on a ticket, and today my nephew watched his first ever Charlton game. He soon got caught up in the atmosphere and joined in with the 'Pardew Out' ditty. He learned how to boo at the right times and I can see how he might be hooked!!!

Towards the end of the game he looked me in the eye and asked: 'why have you made me watch this shower of shit, you sadistic old bastard!'

Quite astute my nephew!