Kids in Exile

[Highfields Seagull]

Mr Popkins' thread reminded me of a discussion I was having with a mate the other day.

If you move away from Brighton and have kids, what do you do:

a) Bring them up encouraging them to support the Albion

or

b) Bring them up encouraging them to support their local team

or can you do both?

Any views?

 

[Mr Popkins]

i think you have to bring them up supporting thier local team,if thier gonna be born and bred there.

but i can understand people who bring their kids up supporting there own team

i had a mate whos dad was a pompey fan ,and was brought up supporting them altough, he didnt hate brighton and used to come with me to the goldstone abit as he liked the albion

 

[Braders]

whereever there born you should get them to support i'm shoreham fc ! and bhafc !

 

[BrightonBird]

Would have to be Albion. But I wouldn't be distressed if they ended up supporting their local team. If they were glory hunters, now that's a different story.

What would happen if you moved away to (for example) Bolton. Your an Albion supporter. Your partner (another example) is a Reading supporter. Now who would the kid support? Brighton, Reading or Bolton?

 

[fatbadger]

As someone brought up by a stepdad from Brighton, but who has never lived in Brighton, you can guess what I think. I was brought up with Brighton, and that's that.

Having said that, I do believe that it is good to support your local team.

So, you bring up the kids with the knowledge that family comes first (i.e. the Albion), and locality second (in my case, Lincoln).

 

[Highfields Seagull]

I guess you'd also have to find someone to take them to their local team while you're off watching the Albion on a Saturday.

 

[REDLAND]

My general experiance is that if you a good Dad and your kids respect you and idolise you, they will support who ever you do, this was the case of me and my pops. Though I'm sure taking me to the Goldstone helped to persuade me as well !

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

An appreciation of both the local side and the Albion would be acceptable, I think, providing of course the pecking order was clear (ie Brighton first, everybody else miles behind).

Allowing kids to grow up supporting, say, Man Utd, simply because they're 'good', they're on telly all the time and all their peers support them, would constitute dereliction of duty as a parent.

(Of course, not having any kids I'm particularly qualified to comment)

 

[Eggman]

I was brought up in London and despite my Dad being a Tottenham fan and taking me a couple of times to White Hart Lane I never got interested, sort of just followed them I suppose. Also saw Fulham and Orient .
It was only when I moved down south and my Dad took me to watch Albion I started loving football. And of course the Albion.

So basically my Dad didnt pressure me and I chose my team by myself. And what an intelligent choice for one quite young.

When I have kids on the other hand make damn sure they follow Brighton.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I saw a story a few years ago about a Dad, who supported Leeds, whose kids had started supporting Man Utd. He was livid, and refused to buy them the Utd kit. When somebody else bought it for them, he refused to let the kit into the house, and they had to keep their shirts in the garage.

Top man!

 

[Fluffster]

There's no doubt when i have kids, no matter where i'm living they'd be brought up wearing the blue & white stripes!

(although, when i was about 5 my parents allowed me to be a young Man Utd supporter, as apart from my 2 uncles none of my family has an interest in football, so it was upto me to learn the error of my ways and start supporting the right team!)

 

[REDLAND]

I saw a story a few years ago about a Dad, who supported Leeds, whose kids had started supporting Man Utd. He was livid, and refused to buy them the Utd kit. When somebody else bought it for them, he refused to let the kit into the house, and they had to keep their shirts in the garage.

Top man!

Indeed

 

[fatbadger]

There's no doubt when i have kids, no matter where i'm living they'd be brought up wearing the blue & white stripes!

better make sure the other parent is a Brighton fan as well, then...

 

[Fluffster]

The other parent wouldn't have a choice

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Just because we're football fans we assume that all kids (especially boys) will automatically follow football, but it isn't always the case. As far as supporting the Albion, my dad can't stand football, and took me to the Goldstone to get me out of the house many years ago, leaving me with the bug while he still plods along indifferent to the beautiful game.

 

[Ex-Staffs Gull]

Nobody (I repeat nobody) in my family follows football passionately. My Dad is a real Part time Wolves fan, and took me to my first Albion games in the 70's.
My Grandad is a Villa Fan and the Other side (RIP) was an Arsenal Fan. But neither keenly.

I on the other hand took to the game and the trips to the mecca of football that was the Goldstone, with vigor. My boy may not turn out to like football.

But at 3 and a half,my son, born and bred Stoke, He loves his Brighton kits, (Name and Number) , is a member of the Junior Seagulls. Tells anybody who will listen he will be better than Bobby Zamora , and above all knows we don't like ...
Crystal Palace
Stoke
Wolves (family reasons)
Man Utd

It is a list he can reel off, with the question 'Who don't we like ?'

He will come to his first match with me this year, and if, as hoped I move to Canada in 18 months / 2 years we will both be coming back for games.

ALBION IN YOUR BLOOD - NOT IN YOUR LOCATION

 

[hart's shirt]

With all this apparent necessity for an Albion-supporting other half, perhaps there's a niche in the market for Albion arranged marriages?

There could be a mass Moonie-style wedding at half-time on the pitch at Withdean, the service taken by Dick Knight and blessed by Des Lynam (he'll be fairly free on Saturdays now) - and then the happy couples could have a joint reception post-match in the hospitality suite.

NSC's very own DAFT bints could have a key role in this - I'll be expecting Lush to get all the organising done as well as putting up a deposit. Roz can do the wedding snaps, Yorkie can make sure the champagne is nicely chilled and Trotster can lead the singing.

 

[Brady's Old Lady]

My son has grown up a Spurs fan, as we were living away from Brighton when he was born and for his formative years. I was quite happy for him to support them as at least he wasn't just going for a team just because they won things. We moved back when he was about 8 but I've never tried to pressure him into changing his allegiance. However he does occasionally use "we" or "us" when referring to the Albion now so there's hope.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Would take my kid to see local team. I think the passion only truly comes when it's something you feel close to.

Used to love walkin into North Stand, seein all the familiar faces (mosty simply known as "mate"), in their familiar spaces. And all the chants about bein a southerner from Sussex are personal to me too. My club represents me and vice versa.

I'd want my kid to have that too.

 

[BrightonFoxDave]

I'd have to bring my kids up as Leicester, if they were interested in footie, as that's what I am all about. If they then changed their minds and went to see the local team with their mates in thie teens, say, then so be it. I couldn't encourange them to follow anyone else though.

When you move away from home, you become twice as passionate about your team. Almost every match is an "away" match in terms of time and effort to get there, you're more likely to have less allies around you and have to defend your choice of team against the locals

Following Leicester is a life sentance and I'd have to pass it on to my offspring!