Following on from Kigelia's (excellent) Blog entry about taking his son to the Villa game, how old were you when you went to your first match and what do you think is the right age to bring your kid along for their first match?
Me, I'd just turned 8 and had remember that I'd been begging my old man to take me down there for ages before that. I reckon that any earlier than 5 or 6 is probably too soon - but depends on the kid though I spose.
Thoughts?
(I'm asking cos my son is 4 this year - but I don't think he could last for 90 seconds in his seat, let alone 90 minutes!)
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Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers at Wembley in 1987 - Full Members cup final.
Went on a coach from Greenwich and the toilet was a bucket at the front by the driver.
took mine when he was 5 and he said at hlaf time - come on then lets go home
me: "got anotherhalf yet mate"
him: "you only told me we were watching one match"
this was the exeter cup game when JJ scored the over head kicks.
spent the next 45 minutes saying - yeah it nearly over.
oh yeah i was 7
First Charlton Match - about 15'ish - Pre-season friendly at Gravesend & Northfleet
First Real Charlton Match - around 21. Bristol Rovers away, about '91/92. Got pissed, got a slap and I think we lost 1-0.
Despite that contrast of footballing experience she has had a season ticket with me for a few seasons now and has informed me that we are renewing next season whether we get relegated or not.
I was 8 when I first went.
Took my son to a couple of reserve matches when he was 3/4 meant we would go for a half (when playing at the Valley) first proper game at just under 5, I would say the Villa game (my son is 6 in a couple of months) was the first he really enjoyed. It's better if they are going with at least another child, his first proper game (last year FA cup) there was a couple of older children who he knows as part of the group which made it easier.
He is well up for going to the Pub to.....
Charlton v Blackpool
but he didnt go again till he was 5
I 10, it was a league cup game against Peterbourgh we won 4-0 attendance was about 4000
I thought I might win this one Pettswood until you came up with that!. My dad was a Bobby working out of shooters hill nick and used to do ground duty ealry 60's (when it was a perk, not a danger like the 70's). My Mum used to take us down there at half time and stand with him. Me in the pram and bruv big enough to walk apparently.
My eldest lad was 6 when I first took him. Just about the right age for him. We beat Notts County 5-1 Nov 1993.
Took Alex, my eldest to his first game at the Valley when he was 4.
It was either the 79/80 or 80/81 season and we lost to some Welsh side.
Got bored and decide to have a game of hide n seek on the East Terrace with this other lad who was equally as apathetic about the whole thing.
The bug didnt take hold until I was about 10
I've still got a few sketchy memories of it (25 or so years later), so maybe it was about the right age to start going..
I was about 8, home to Newcastle at the Valley, 83/84, think Newcastle won 3-1.
My dad never followed a club, was one of those inner-Londoners that hopped on the tube to a different ground every week from when he was about 8. Different world then....
Never actually got into Charlton until well into the Selhurst period, so its nice looking back the Valley was my first ground, even if it was a coincidence.
Good thread.
Took my eldest daughter, then aged 3 and a quarter, to the pre-season at Wycombe before our first season in the premiership, trying to gently get her into football- didn't really help when Andy Petterson whilst warming Sasa Ilic up kicked the ball into the crowd and the ball hit her straight on the head.
Needless to say, football isn't one of her major passions in life now!
The couple infront of me (East Stand, block E) bring a toddler to every game as it's cheaper than a babysitter apparently... Don't think the baby (who can't be much older than one) watches much of the match, but is exceptionally well behaved...my boy (now 2) has never sat that still in his life... I think CC Jnr will start going around age 7, if Mrs CC lets him (she has a pathological hatred of anything to do with football - silly woman!)
Somewhere at my parents' place there's a junior membership card in my name for the 80/81 season, but although we went to the odd big game like the Spurs cup game, and Keegan's last game in London for Newcastle, we didn't really start going regularly until after the club went bust. We hadn't been going to many games before the decision to move to Selhurst, but luckily the fact that we ended up on a run for promotion meant we kept going, and pretty soon I was hooked.
My first ever match though was at Bromley probably aged ca 5.
used to sit in the old West Stand but kept bugging my dad to take us behind the goal, away games were a real treat as we could sit/stand in with everyone who would sing !!!!
It was either Bristol R or Blackburn , someone with a blue n white block squares kit
Stood at the front of the Covered End