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Tuesday night, a Fathers' Pride









severnside gull

Well-known member
May 16, 2007
24,762
By the seaside in West Somerset
fair brought a tear to my eye.

A bit after 10 o'clock on Tuesday night I got a phone call from my Villa supporting son (born and bred in Birmingham within a twenty minute walk of Villa Park) to offer his congratulations and to let me know that my youngest grandson would be wearing his Brighton top to nursery school the next day.

Two older grandsons now living in Somerset phoned on Wednesday to say well done. They were brought up as Birmingham fans but have been travelling round the country with me for the last couple of years proudly wearing the stripes that I buy them each Christmas and they were (almost) as ecstatic as when Blues got promoted back to the Premiership.

Sometimes you just can't help being proud :)
 


Southstandfaithful

New member
Oct 22, 2010
942
H Heath
My son is seven and he started going to Withdean at four, we have sat huddled together under a poncho in the pouring rain watching the likes of Cheltenham Town surrounded by a mass of empty seats. Losing 0-4 to Crewe, the list could go on. But still he wanted to go back time and time again.

Early this seaon one young lad who was sat next to us asked him what Premier League team he supported, his reply was quite simply "I'm just Brighton"

As the final whistle went on Tuesday, I looked down at my son, his arms aloft in celebration and tears of joy rolling down his face.

Yes son, you are, just Brighton!

This post and the OP's post made me very misty eyed!
 


Sep 30, 2006
548
Up in the Gods
Definitely can relate to that fantastic post - my boy was 3 when I took him to his 1st Albion game...it just so happened to be the Cardiff Play-Off Final.

He's never considered another team but felt somewhat "exposed" by his mates who support Chelsea, Arsenal etc & often very fed up watching us lose (again) whilst frozen to the core and soaked to the skin.

He was sooo happy on Tuesday and definitely is bursting with proud for his HOME TOWN team!

That post should be on the wall at the AMEX with some of the other fans' memories - please make it so as it sums up the wilderness years SO well!!
 




janee

Fur half
Oct 19, 2008
709
Lentil land
Great post. Every Dad on here will be able to relate to that.
or mum even...
My son was beaten up at secondary school for following the Albion - born in 1984 it has been a bit of grim time for him but he's followed them home and away and abroad as an adult following being dragged to every home game by his mum since the age of 3!

Beautifully written post - made me cry and I can certainly relate to it!
 


Gordon the Gopher

Active member
Jul 16, 2003
992
Hove
As another dad of a 10 year old, again just to say what a great thread. Thing is it's a lot harder to support the Albion when you are that age, peer pressure and the pull of the all enveloping premiership and all that so it definitely makes you even prouder of your children. We are on holiday over in Ireland at the moment and my oldest loves wearing his stripes as he says to me he wants people to know who he supports and it certainly makes all the lads over here in their Man U and Liverpool tops (fair enough it is N Ireland) have a second look. Love it!!
 


Feb 24, 2011
2,843
Upper Bevendean
Definitely relate to this, I was never allowed to go to a game unless I took my boy, now 18 years later I still go with my boy, and if I had my way, I will always go with him.
 




Jam The Man

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
8,172
South East North Lancing
Some excellent stories... I (and surely many others) will relate to all the sentiments expressed so far.

My son has just turned 8, and I started taking him just after he'd turned 4.
Initially it was because he simply wanted to see 'where daddy went' every other week..

When he was 5-6 years old, he came a few times but clearly was bored and easily distracted by balloons on the top of the family stand and buses and trains passing by.. and he wanted to know why Brighton played in the same colour as Chelsea...ish.

But then we played Millwall in one of the few highlights of the second Micky Adams spell.. we won 4-1 and he got drenched in horrendous weather conditions, where the rain was coming in sideways at one point! He LOVED it and I knew then I'd got him hooked.. if he could stand to put up with that and really enjoy it, I knew i'd cracked it!

This season he's been to nearly half the games, due largely to the generosity of friends who couldn't come, and who gave their tickets to him for no more than £5 and often for free...
Much like the first post, he has become fascinated with the webcam and everything to do with the new stadium. He got an iPod for his birthday and made the BBC League One table website his homepage within minutes...I was just so chuffed.

I really don't think he knows what's going to hit him when he goes there for the first time, with his first season ticket, and sits next to his proud Dad for hopefully many, many years to come.
 
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greengu11

Member
Sep 16, 2010
81
West Sussex/Surrey Border
My eldest was born almost 20 years ago I drove to the seagulls shop and bought a seagulls baby grow, its still in the family today. Sadly this was not enough to turn her from the darkside and the glamour of the premiership and her mothers love of Chelsea :)censored: I know) meant my battle was lost.

3 years later her sibling sister was born, did not bother getting another baby grow, but I am pleased to say she has been my football buddy over the last 8 years or so and is totally dedicated to the Seagulls. Her reward for the ridicule from peers over those years is a new stadium, to which she has a ST, a team that plays the best footie in Div 1 and a dad whose hand is in and out of his wallet quicker than a whipet, buying new shirts, memobrillia etc.

Is it worth it? Oh of couse it is.

So a :clap2::clap2: to all those dedicated mums and dads who kept the faith and to their sons or daughters who are big enough to face down their premiership peer pressures.
 


Left Back

Active member
Jan 22, 2011
167
My eyes are glistening over as I read this thread, but feels familiar.

I can still remember the day a few years ago my son came home from school and told me he was a Man U supporter. My attempts to convince him to support Brighton like me failed, "Brighton are rubbish" and "you're not a propper supporter - you never go to games anyway". His words stung, but he was right .. somewhere, somehow I had stopped going to games.

I decided to try for tickets at the withdean for us at least once a month. At first, the bribe of a hotdog was needed for him to come, but later he grew to love it. Many moments of pride were to follow over the next couple of years: he practically lived and slept in his Brighton shirt for weeks at one point ... the feeling of pride when he told me he didn't support Man U anymore.

Tuesday night we listened to the game on the radio and danced around the room together at the final whistle.

We have season tickets in the East stand next year and are both so excited.

Over the past 3 years not only had I turned my son into a Brighton supporter, he had turned me into a "proper" supporter again.
 




alan partridge

Active member
Jul 7, 2003
5,256
Linton Travel Tavern
My eyes are glistening over as I read this thread, but feels familiar.

I can still remember the day a few years ago my son came home from school and told me he was a Man U supporter. My attempts to convince him to support Brighton like me failed, "Brighton are rubbish" and "you're not a propper supporter - you never go to games anyway". His words stung, but he was right .. somewhere, somehow I had stopped going to games.

I decided to try for tickets at the withdean for us at least once a month. At first, the bribe of a hotdog was needed for him to come, but later he grew to love it. Many moments of pride were to follow over the next couple of years: he practically lived and slept in his Brighton shirt for weeks at one point ... the feeling of pride when he told me he didn't support Man U anymore.

Tuesday night we listened to the game on the radio and danced around the room together at the final whistle.

We have season tickets in the East stand next year and are both so excited.

Over the past 3 years not only had I turned my son into a Brighton supporter, he had turned me into a "proper" supporter again.

All of these are great stories. Really like this one.

Lovely stuff.
 


thedonkeycentrehalf

Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
Jul 7, 2003
9,131
Many thanks to all for your kind words and it is great to see others sharing their own experiences of what Tuesday night meant to them. Thanks to Gus and the team for such great football, thanks Tony Bloom for taking things to the next level and also let's not forget thanks to Dick Knight and all those who fought Archer, Stanley and Belotti to make sure I still have a club to support with my son.
 


CAPTAIN GREALISH

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2010
2,622
my boy of 15 had tears in his eyes tuesday and yes he was on the pitch he will remember that for the rest of his life.THANK YOU GUSS
 




KNC

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2003
2,022
Seven Dials
or mum even...
My son was beaten up at secondary school for following the Albion - born in 1984 it has been a bit of grim time for him but he's followed them home and away and abroad as an adult following being dragged to every home game by his mum since the age of 3!

Beautifully written post - made me cry and I can certainly relate to it!

Janee, if you are who I think you are, don't you think it's worth mentioning that our son's are the co-eds of TSLR.
That's quite something, I think.
 


SpongebobSquarepants

Well-known member
Jun 16, 2006
534
Sunny Worthing
Fantastic post....not been able to take my 8 year old to many games as he does other sports at weekends, and he seems to support a different Prem team every week but we were there on Tuesday night and that was the game that will make him a fan for life.He was so full of it on the drive home, and we have our tickets for next season. The club should really be congratulated as he has had shirts/birthday cards/presents & free tickets from them. Also his school have footie training from Brighton guys (special mention to Mark Slider).
 


Shanker45

New member
Jan 19, 2010
345
East Preston,West Sussex
Just stumbled over this thread and it's great,emotional stuff. My two boys are still a bit little IMO to go to matches but both have shirts etc.. and when asked they say they support the seagulls. The challenge will come when they both start school and will no doubt feel under some pressure to join the masses of plastic fans who "support" the teams in the top 6 of the table. With the success this year and the amazing stadium I am hoping there will be more Albion fans now in the playgrounds across Sussex...let's hope so.
The club are great with all the stuff they send out through Gully's Gang and the training day next week.
I can't wait for the day when hopefully both my sons will come to games with me and love it as much as I do. Some of the stories on this thread almost bring tears to your eyes..really special moments.
Thank you.
 


Brighton Breezy

New member
Jul 5, 2003
19,439
Sussex
My dad is why I love football. Nowadays I feel like I let him down by liking Liverpool when I was seven despite regular trips to the Goldstone. I saw the light though.

How many fans have we missed out on since the Goldstone days purely because it was SO hard to get a kid to enjoy the Withdean experience?

Big hand to any parents who managed to guide your kids through that perilous time and keep them PROPER Sussex and not plastic Utd fans.

Hopefully it will be easier from now on.
 




Freddie Goodwin.

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2007
7,186
Brighton
I was at Walsall with 2 of my adult sons who have been Albion through & through and it's great to be standing with them on such a day.

Against Sheff Weds, I went with 2 of my g'daughters (school tickets) and they've never shown other than polite interest, but they loved it!

Then on the D&R game, my son took his daughter, aged 7. She'd been to a couple of games before but only lasted until half time and I was worried that he'd be a tad annoyed if the same thing happened. But tuesday was great, the lights, the noise, the goals, the drama! hopefully that's 3 more hooked.
 


piersa

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2011
3,155
London
Excellent anecdote, I tilt my cap to all of you who have endured Withdean for the past few years. I have a season ticket for next season and will be taking my kids once they are old enough.
 


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