Nothing to Inspire the next generation

[Ian Royal]

Plenty of excitement and passion that season. The fans weren't spoilt brats at that point sitting in sulky silence and then booing a draw.

[P!ssed Off]

Give it a rest, you boring git.

[Ian Royal]

Whoops thought that was Bullivant year. First season in a new stadium. That was at least exciting for a while.

[Froomes]

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

This.

Summed up my formative match day experiences perfectly.

As a 5-9 year old in the mid to late 80's there was nothing better than going to the football with my dad. Sitting on the railings of the Tilehurst end with my dad swearing at our "fu*king useless midfield", I would happily swap any chance of a return to the PL to go back to watching us at Elm Park.

Unfortunately in a few years time when my son is old enough to go to a football match all I'll be able to offer him are the sterile and soulless surrounds of the Madejski...

[wally bassoon]

Took my boy to his first game Vs Blackpool a couple of months back, it was just before his 4th Birthday, My 8 year old daughter who has been to a few games also came along.

They both love it, I wanted to get away five minutes early but they did not want to. They really enjoy the whole, noise, chanting, scoring thing and they really like the drummers

I still catch my son singing "Blue Army" now and then.

I always pack them a rucksack full of sweets, chocs, fruit shoots, Ipads etc.


On another note, the last two time my daughter has been there we have caught the T-shirts fired from the bazooka thing! how lucky is that!

The T-Shirts are not that great tbh!

[Warfield North Stand]

Took my eldest to his 1st game in the League Cup against Barnsley in the Rogers era. It was awful. We lost. He loved it and is now an obsessed season ticket holder and lover of "away days" at the grand old age of 10. Audery Boyce knows this!! They either like it or they don't.

My youngest is 8 and a pain in the arse as well as an Arsenal fan. Delighted he has followed his Mum's team as it means I have an easy Saturday!!

[Brum Royal]

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.

'Greed. I was 7 at my first game, and having taken my nephews and nieces over the years, up to about the age of 7 they didn't really get what it's all about. I wouldn't get too disheartened paddy, just wait til he's a bit older and understands it a bit more.

[Pandoras Box]

She tells me and him that he won't be able to sit still for more than 10 minutes

9.5 minutes more than the 9-10 year old kids next to me Saturday (including the seat banging).

To be fair the kids just weren't interested. The dad had brought them along because he likes it and wants to enjoy it with his kids. Yes, they might like it one day, but forcing it upon them week on week until they understand it, can only result in the people around them getting mightily p*ssed off with their boredom antics.
I say make it adults only (and then put Queensley on trial for crimes against humanity)

[P!ssed Off]

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.

'Greed. I was 7 at my first game, and having taken my nephews and nieces over the years, up to about the age of 7 they didn't really get what it's all about. I wouldn't get too disheartened paddy, just wait til he's a bit older and understands it a bit more.

If you wait until they're old enough to pick a team then they're not guaranteed to pick shitty old Reading though, that's the risk.

[tidus_mi2]

We've been taking my 5 year old nephew recently and explaining why we were booing Matt Mills was difficult to accomplish,

"We're booing him because of the way he left the club"
he starts booing
"Why are you booing?"
"I'm booing that player"
"Oh no you only boo when he has the ball"
"Oh"
Continues booing
"Why are you still booing?"
"I'm booing the other team because the have the ball"
"No no, we're only booing Matt Mills when he has the ball, see the idiot with the bright yellow boots?"

etc

[leon]

Depends on the kid really. I've started taking jnr leon II (5) he tends to spend the first half watching and eating snacks and the 2nd half playing Temple Run on my phone. Two of his mates watch a bit of live football.

My 8 year old (girl) plays quite a lot of football at school and will now watch the full 90 mins.

We all play Sensible Soccer (an old skool Amiga sim for you youngsters) which actually has been quite good at getting them both into basic concepts (passing, corners, shooting - Adkins could use it)

[Royal Lady]

Grand daughters got taken by their dad to a Chelsea game the other day - the eldest one (5) cried when they scored because of the noise and jumping up and down and the 3 year old kept talking to her dad and he got fed up with her! I was ever so pleased....

[El Diablo]

Wasn't even a consideration at the time, but the first game I took my daughter (9 at the time) to was Cardiff at home...sitting close to the away end, she had a fantastic time tuning into the banter, with both sets of fans in good voice...Cant remember the score - but we won...

Queue walking down the A33 to the car, and the away coaches with the Cardiff boys and them mooning all and sundry., much to the amusement of my daughter.

She couldnt have given a jot about the football...but was a great learning experience of ' life' - and a day out with her Dad.

Priceless.

[UpThePrem]

I've got the same problem at the moment. My son (10) and daughter (14) have had season tickets for the last 5 seasons. Always wanted to go until this year and a little last year. Neither are interested in going to the Mad Stad at all and my daughter has now said she only wants to go to away games. Hard to find a reason to force them to go so they stay at home. Knock on effect is if the current form continues that'll be two lost long term fans.

[largetrousers]

Reminds me a bit of my now 12-year-old when he was little. I used to drag him along to games from about the age of 3 as me and my dad (RIP) were season ticket holders, i'd split up with my boys mum and had him half the time - so if I was going to footy on the times I had him, he'd come along.

For the first year of regularly going, my boy particularly liked being carried on the shoulders to the ground and sometimes back, and swinging between me and my dad walking to the ground, gave him something to look forward to. Of course he had the full Reading kit from 3 onwards, he was football mad so it wasn't as difficult a prospect to put to him. Where I was also football mad meant my boy seemed to look up to this. There was no such thing as queensley in those days (thank god) but he liked Kingsley, in fact I told him he was a real lion and liked eating children, so whilst he was a bit inquisitive, he'd never want his picture taken with him, just in case!!

But it wasn't always easy. Actually watching the game for youngsters can be boring. So like others have mentioned, i'd bring along a bag of goodies for him to have when he'd start playing up a bit, when he'd eaten all of them (he'd be told to wait to the 2nd half to eat any more sometimes) he'd turn to my dad who also had a pocket full of jelly sweets to stop him fidgeting. This generally kept him entertained. But I suppose the big difference was he was going to games when we had our 106 team so he quickly got into the flow of singing player songs, regular goals with jumping around, exciting things happening etc.

Taking the kids to football aside, even when I went to school, those who played football were in the better social circles and are generally more liked, so I think its important that kids play football, the friends it makes as they get older will be with them for years as well. My ex used to hate football, but I realised from a young age my boy loved it and was gifted, so I encouraged this, became a qualified football coach and have now managed his football team for getting on for 6 years, in which he spent about a year playing for Reading FC Advanced Development Centre (but lost interest in the Reading coaching as it was on his mums days and she wouldn't take him/be late etc so it made him feel different to the others) Nothing wrong with the other hobbies, the martial arts will give your kid a good grounding (my boy and I also do Taekwon-do, so I know first hand the benefits), I suppose the problem when your boy gets a bit older is juggling lots of hobbies when there are only so many evenings/weekends to fit it all in. He needs to get into the football though, you need to put your foot down with the missus and tell her its the law for men and their boys to embrace football! Get him to go along to a local soccer school (usually for aged 4 to 7), he'll love it and it'll grow from there.

[Isaac Hunt]

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.

'Greed. I was 7 at my first game, and having taken my nephews and nieces over the years, up to about the age of 7 they didn't really get what it's all about. I wouldn't get too disheartened paddy, just wait til he's a bit older and understands it a bit more.

Agree with both these posts. 5 is way too young. It was the age i first went...but it wasn't until i was 8 that i actually asked if i could go - around the time i started playing football myself.

[Forbury Lion]

Tell your missus that all kids get into football at some point, that's why you're taking him to a family friendly club like Reading where you can keep an eye on him rather than let him grow up supporting a club like Chelsea which will result in him travelling into the big city to games with her worried sick about him running into the wrong crowd.

It sounds like the missus is the one to work on, maybe take them both to the next kids for a quid day but don't tell her it's any different to a normal game.

[floyd__streete]

I went to my first game when I was 6. I hated it. I think that 5 or 6 years is old is probably a little too young for a child to appreciate what (s)he is seeing. Especially the absolute garbage being served up in this current phase of our long and undistinguished history, but I guess it isn't your lads fault he was born when he was.

[Royality creeps In]

I went to my first game when I was 6. I hated it.

Nothing changed then

[Upper West Ginger]

Just for the record, the biggest problem is that there is nothing to inspire the current generation either.
Good thread though.