Nothing to Inspire the next generation

Top Flight
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Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Top Flight » 09 Dec 2014 22:55

I took my 5 year old son to his first ever Reading game on Saturday. I want him to be a crazy Reading fan like me. Just persuading him to come with me in the first place though was a bit of a nightmare. He kept telling me that he'd rather play the match than watch the match. It seems my wife is fighting to keep him out of football completely enrolling him into Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming. Anything but football. She doesn't want him to be a mad football supporter like his Dad. She's already thinking ahead about the kids future and is already working to prevent the same fate for his future wife as she has suffered herself by being married to me 'she's a football widow.'

She seems to have masterfully conditioned the boy's mind. She tells me and him that he won't be able to sit still for more than 10 minutes. She's got it in his head that it is going to be really boring just watching a bunch of men kick the ball about the pitch for an hour and a half. It's taken me years to finally get her to let him come and persuade him that he shouldn't listen to his mum and he might actually enjoy a live football match in a grand footballing theatre like the Madejski Stadium.

So it finally happened. His first ever match. Reading Vs Bolton Wanderers! What a prospect.

All I needed was just a bit of excitement, a few goals, loads of great wing play, some good chances created, a bit of controversy on the pitch, some atmosphere from the stands....... And what did I get, a nil nil. THE most boring, uninspiring zero zero draw with no chances created just nothing. How am I supposed to work with that? There wasn't even any controversy on the pitch. The ref went completely unnoticed for 90 minutes. Not even a bad challenge to get everyone's blood boiling....

He managed to sit still for 40 minutes before he started telling me that he wanted to go home. Half time couldn't come soon enough. Luckily half time arrived to break up the boredom and I took him into the concourse to get him a hot chocolate. He's five, I couldn't get him a coffee or a beer.

Unfortunately the hot chocolate tasted like absolute cr*p. I don't know what the hell they're doing in the cafe but scaly boiling water is not a hot chocolate. It was basically kettle water with a hint of basil in it. The kid didn't want the damn hot chocolate so I didn't want to waste it. I got him a twix as well since the hot chocolate was not chocolate it was basil. He enjoyed some of the twix, I had to finish that as well. I suppose Twix is quite filling for a small kid.

The second half came, and I got my kid back in his seat. If Reading could just come out after the break and take the game to Bolton and generate some excitement, get the crowd going, I might just be able to get my child into the Royals. But again nothing. We did ABSOLUTELY nothing. A couple of chances flashed wide from the Bolton wing men, but we did nothing.

Now my kid was getting seriously bored. He didn't know what to do with himself. He started opening and closing his seat and causing vibrations across the row. I had to tell him to stop because the vibrations was p*ssing me off. It was probably p*ssing off everyone down the entire row. After I stopped him lifting his seat up and down he just sat on it looking bored. Glenn Murray had a goal disallowed. That was confusing for him a goal but not a goal. I think it was for offside.

Then nothing happened for the next 15 minutes. So my kid started practicing his kick boxing skills on the seat in front of him. Eventually the old man sitting in front had enough of having his seat jabbed by my little kids prison kicks and turned around and scowled at him and told him to stop. This upset my kid a bit, no kid likes to be told off by a stranger.

For the last 25 minutes he just told me that he wanted to go home... I kept telling him that it's only another 20 minutes of tedium that you have to sit through. Now just 15 minutes of boredom for you to endure kid... Then 10 minutes, then 5 minutes, then that was it. It was over. He had endured his first Reading match.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Cureton's Volley » 09 Dec 2014 23:12

My first game was 0-0 also. Stood on the Tilehurst End. It rained.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Winchester Royal » 09 Dec 2014 23:22

My first 4 games as an 11 year old were defeats in which Reading didn't score. I liked all the swearing and how I was allowed up past my bedtime with school the next day. I doubt any kid gets hooked on their first game, especially not with the dross being served up at the moment.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by EverHopeful » 09 Dec 2014 23:33

what a fantastic post - can't comment on my 5 year old at RFC vs Bolton but based on your comments its not about the game. took my boy, same age to RFC vs man city Pl U21 cup final, which we won as you know and about 10 minutes after kick off the only interesting thing was star wars on my i phone.
its not to do with RFC, although they clearly dont help, its to do with lack of sport activity in schools as then dont have a inkling about what live sport and what it means, IMO. get more real sport in schools and maybe we can persuade them to watch the shit that we do!!!!

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by tidus_mi2 » 09 Dec 2014 23:47

My first game was also 0-0, against Brighton in Division 2 when we last went up from that division.


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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by P!ssed Off » 10 Dec 2014 00:06

Tell the Mrs to mind her own oxf*rd business.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Ian Royal » 10 Dec 2014 00:26

No offence, but given the up hill struggle you face anyway, it was a really stupid idea to introduce him for his first game when we're at our lowest point in more than a decade and struggling with a lot of problems. Not only that but in a game against another team with problems and a fanbase with nothing to enthuse them and give a good atmosphere.

You could have at least taken him to a cup game where there's a bit of romance. Or against a top team where there might be some good football, even if not from us. Or against someone we've got a rivalry with so there's a bit of atmosphere.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Harpers So Solid Crew » 10 Dec 2014 06:07

Good idea Ian as the next cup game has as much romance in it as Cyril smiths love life

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by The Real Sandhurst Royal » 10 Dec 2014 07:28

Top Flight wrote:

I took my 5 year old son to his first ever Reading game on Saturday. I want him to be a crazy Reading fan like me. Just persuading him to come with me in the first place though was a bit of a nightmare. He kept telling me that he'd rather play the match than watch the match. It seems my wife is fighting to keep him out of football completely enrolling him into Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming. Anything but football. She doesn't want him to be a mad football supporter like his Dad. She's already thinking ahead about the kids future and is already working to prevent the same fate for his future wife as she has suffered herself by being married to me 'she's a football widow.'

She seems to have masterfully conditioned the boy's mind. She tells me and him that he won't be able to sit still for more than 10 minutes. She's got it in his head that it is going to be really boring just watching a bunch of men kick the ball about the pitch for an hour and a half. It's taken me years to finally get her to let him come and persuade him that he shouldn't listen to his mum and he might actually enjoy a live football match in a grand footballing theatre like the Madejski Stadium.

So it finally happened. His first ever match. Reading Vs Bolton Wanderers! What a prospect.

All I needed was just a bit of excitement, a few goals, loads of great wing play, some good chances created, a bit of controversy on the pitch, some atmosphere from the stands....... And what did I get, a nil nil. THE most boring, uninspiring zero zero draw with no chances created just nothing. How am I supposed to work with that? There wasn't even any controversy on the pitch. The ref went completely unnoticed for 90 minutes. Not even a bad challenge to get everyone's blood boiling....

He managed to sit still for 40 minutes before he started telling me that he wanted to go home. Half time couldn't come soon enough. Luckily half time arrived to break up the boredom and I took him into the concourse to get him a hot chocolate. He's five, I couldn't get him a coffee or a beer.

Unfortunately the hot chocolate tasted like absolute cr*p. I don't know what the hell they're doing in the cafe but scaly boiling water is not a hot chocolate. It was basically kettle water with a hint of basil in it. The kid didn't want the damn hot chocolate so I didn't want to waste it. I got him a twix as well since the hot chocolate was not chocolate it was basil. He enjoyed some of the twix, I had to finish that as well. I suppose Twix is quite filling for a small kid.

The second half came, and I got my kid back in his seat. If Reading could just come out after the break and take the game to Bolton and generate some excitement, get the crowd going, I might just be able to get my child into the Royals. But again nothing. We did ABSOLUTELY nothing. A couple of chances flashed wide from the Bolton wing men, but we did nothing.

Now my kid was getting seriously bored. He didn't know what to do with himself. He started opening and closing his seat and causing vibrations across the row. I had to tell him to stop because the vibrations was p*ssing me off. It was probably p*ssing off everyone down the entire row. After I stopped him lifting his seat up and down he just sat on it looking bored. Glenn Murray had a goal disallowed. That was confusing for him a goal but not a goal. I think it was for offside.

Then nothing happened for the next 15 minutes. So my kid started practicing his kick boxing skills on the seat in front of him. Eventually the old man sitting in front had enough of having his seat jabbed by my little kids prison kicks and turned around and scowled at him and told him to stop. This upset my kid a bit, no kid likes to be told off by a stranger.

For the last 25 minutes he just told me that he wanted to go home... I kept telling him that it's only another 20 minutes of tedium that you have to sit through. Now just 15 minutes of boredom for you to endure kid... Then 10 minutes, then 5 minutes, then that was it. It was over. He had endured his first Reading match


Great post. Buy the lad the full Reading Kit for Xmas.


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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by maffff » 10 Dec 2014 08:42

Least you got some twix...

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Pepe the Horseman » 10 Dec 2014 08:42

Wait until he's 10, he might enjoy it a bit more. Otherwise just buy him a Chelsea kit.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by madstadblues » 10 Dec 2014 09:29

From my experience a 5 year old doesn't know a scooby doo about going to footy match is quite likely to s**t themselves when / if we score and the crowd goes bonkers!

With that in mind, my strategy (i have a 19 year boy old ex season tkt holder and 15 year old girl current season tkt holder) was to make the experience as good as possible (Pavlovs' dog effect). This included bringing coloring book, pens / pencils, Lego, sweets, crisps, more sweets and letting them have their own coke. We also went back to the pub which was an opportunity to expose them to whole new vocabulary of 'football words' , more coke and crisps.

My son was a mascot when we played Middlesbrough (Merson played ) at Elm Park where in the program his hobbies included Duplo and riding his bike, we got to look round the changing room before the game (with the players in there) and where he told Mr Morley he had a Teddy called Trevor. I think his first game was on my shoulders in the Bullivant Era when we ran on the pitch after the game (Port Vale ?) which I guess was quite exciting!

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by sandman » 10 Dec 2014 09:46

Top Flight I took my 5 year old son to his first ever Reading game on Saturday. I want him to be a crazy Reading fan like me. Just persuading him to come with me in the first place though was a bit of a nightmare. He kept telling me that he'd rather play the match than watch the match. It seems my wife is fighting to keep him out of football completely enrolling him into Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming. Anything but football. She doesn't want him to be a mad football supporter like his Dad. She's already thinking ahead about the kids future and is already working to prevent the same fate for his future wife as she has suffered herself by being married to me 'she's a football widow.'

She seems to have masterfully conditioned the boy's mind. She tells me and him that he won't be able to sit still for more than 10 minutes. She's got it in his head that it is going to be really boring just watching a bunch of men kick the ball about the pitch for an hour and a half. It's taken me years to finally get her to let him come and persuade him that he shouldn't listen to his mum and he might actually enjoy a live football match in a grand footballing theatre like the Madejski Stadium.

So it finally happened. His first ever match. Reading Vs Bolton Wanderers! What a prospect.

All I needed was just a bit of excitement, a few goals, loads of great wing play, some good chances created, a bit of controversy on the pitch, some atmosphere from the stands....... And what did I get, a nil nil. THE most boring, uninspiring zero zero draw with no chances created just nothing. How am I supposed to work with that? There wasn't even any controversy on the pitch. The ref went completely unnoticed for 90 minutes. Not even a bad challenge to get everyone's blood boiling....

He managed to sit still for 40 minutes before he started telling me that he wanted to go home. Half time couldn't come soon enough. Luckily half time arrived to break up the boredom and I took him into the concourse to get him a hot chocolate. He's five, I couldn't get him a coffee or a beer.

Unfortunately the hot chocolate tasted like absolute cr*p. I don't know what the hell they're doing in the cafe but scaly boiling water is not a hot chocolate. It was basically kettle water with a hint of basil in it. The kid didn't want the damn hot chocolate so I didn't want to waste it. I got him a twix as well since the hot chocolate was not chocolate it was basil. He enjoyed some of the twix, I had to finish that as well. I suppose Twix is quite filling for a small kid.

The second half came, and I got my kid back in his seat. If Reading could just come out after the break and take the game to Bolton and generate some excitement, get the crowd going, I might just be able to get my child into the Royals. But again nothing. We did ABSOLUTELY nothing. A couple of chances flashed wide from the Bolton wing men, but we did nothing.

Now my kid was getting seriously bored. He didn't know what to do with himself. He started opening and closing his seat and causing vibrations across the row. I had to tell him to stop because the vibrations was p*ssing me off. It was probably p*ssing off everyone down the entire row. After I stopped him lifting his seat up and down he just sat on it looking bored. Glenn Murray had a goal disallowed. That was confusing for him a goal but not a goal. I think it was for offside.

Then nothing happened for the next 15 minutes. So my kid started practicing his kick boxing skills on the seat in front of him. Eventually the old man sitting in front had enough of having his seat jabbed by my little kids prison kicks and turned around and scowled at him and told him to stop. This upset my kid a bit, no kid likes to be told off by a stranger.

For the last 25 minutes he just told me that he wanted to go home... I kept telling him that it's only another 20 minutes of tedium that you have to sit through. Now just 15 minutes of boredom for you to endure kid... Then 10 minutes, then 5 minutes, then that was it. It was over. He had endured his first Reading match.


Tell your missus you're going to take him to his first cage fighting event because he's so in to kickboxing and Taekwondo. She might decide that football isn't quite so bad.


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From Despair To Where?
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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by From Despair To Where? » 10 Dec 2014 11:20

I tried the same with my nephew about 20 years ago. Took him to a cup game against lower league opposition. "That will fire his interest, a comfortable game against inferior opposition" I thought.

Unfortunately, the game I picked was the abandoned League Cup game against Bury. He's never shown any real interest in football since apart from declaring he supported Manchester United in the late 90's

However, now, as a 26 year old, he's developed a "lifelong" devotion to Chelsea. I take great delight in outing him as a glory hunting fraud at every appropriate opportunity.

It's a shame it's panned out like that for you. Kids now want everything to be immediate and an instant fix. Don't force it on him. Whilst I'd hate to encourage fair weather supporting, I'd try again when our fortunes look brighter.
Last edited by From Despair To Where? on 10 Dec 2014 11:25, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Norfolk Royal » 10 Dec 2014 11:23

Good post.

I'd add that the football 'experience' is somewhat different to how it captured the imagination of children in the 60s and 70s.

Compared to the sights on offer in those days the football experience now is rather anaemic by comparison.

It's funny really what does capture the imagination in young minds but I remember being thrilled by the sights, sounds, and smells, oh the smells, in the south bank at Elm Park.

A waft of woodbine or Old Holborn in the face of an seven-year old is never forgotten, nor the smell of frying onions, the terror of having to go to the toilet, the surging crowd, the fashions, the silk scarves, the characters on the terraces, and the real possibility that you might be in physical danger.

I could go on but I think you get my drift. What is on offer for kids now by way of a formative experience in an adult world? Plastic seats, a hilarious man in a lion costume, inane drivel on the PA instead of hits of the day, pre cooked hot dogs, people hissing at you if you step out of line for pretty much any reason, very little interaction with fellow supporters, no smoking, lack of real characters on the pitch, soulless and stifling PR from the club, etc, etc.

Oh yeah, and get a new wife as well, she doesn't sound on message really.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Forbury Lion » 10 Dec 2014 11:33

Top Flight It seems my wife is fighting to keep him out of football completely enrolling him into Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming. Anything but football. She doesn't want him to be a mad football supporter like his Dad. She's already thinking ahead about the kids future and is already working to prevent the same fate for his future wife as she has suffered herself by being married to me 'she's a football widow.'
Let's hope the Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming don't turn him into a Wife Beater who is also good at Swimming.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Forbury Lion » 10 Dec 2014 11:38

Maybe you should start by getting him into football in general, let him stay up with you to watch Match of the Day, Get him playing Fantasy Football, maybe even make a few dud transfers so that he gets excited at beating you at it and if he has a playstation/xbox get him playing FIFA on it with his mates.

Maybe some of his school mates go to games - speak to their parents, maybe he can go with them and/or you can take one his mates along - ideally one who is really into it and isn't going to get bored as well.

If you can subtly steer him towards football, rather than make him go it might work.

I didn't go to my first match until I was 11, my interested in Football peaked at age 19 as college half-term co-incided with the 1994 USA World Cup so I just watched almost every match every day, even though England were not in it.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by Ian Royal » 10 Dec 2014 11:52

5 is too young imo.

I took my nephew to his first game when he was about 8 or 9. Millwall iirc. He loved it then and was old enough to actually appreciate it.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by P!ssed Off » 10 Dec 2014 12:01

My first game was 5 years old, during the 98/99 season, regularly touted on here as one of the worst seasons in decades.
I don't remember much about it. I certainly don't recall having any say in whether we went to the games.

I wouldn't take the advice of "wait until we're decent", that could be years. Your kid is not going to start supporting Reading by his own volition, you need to be proactive.

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Re: Nothing to Inspire the next generation

by SCIAG » 10 Dec 2014 12:04

Forbury Lion
Top Flight It seems my wife is fighting to keep him out of football completely enrolling him into Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming. Anything but football. She doesn't want him to be a mad football supporter like his Dad. She's already thinking ahead about the kids future and is already working to prevent the same fate for his future wife as she has suffered herself by being married to me 'she's a football widow.'
Let's hope the Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Swimming don't turn him into a Wife Beater who is also good at Swimming.

:lol:

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