Not to understand why people keep asking about child friendly places to watch the England football match tonight?

'I'm sure a lot of people going to the pub to watch it will pray there won't be a load of whiny kids there to spoil the adult evening.'

They can stay at home then they're guaranteed an adult friendly experience

If football was only for adults, there would be no games to watch, as no youngsters would be developed to play.
Do you actually think that only adults want to watch - my teens and most of their friends have been talking about this for ages.

I think if you are in the pub tonight and your evening is spoiled, it is most likely to be by some of the other adults, and not the so-called whiny kids.

Loads of people upthread have given examples of family friendly places near them, yet a small number of posters seem to be fixated on pubs.

Anyway for anyone who's been wondering this, check with your local football club, they'll probably have it on and the kids can go and kick about on the pitches. They might even have shock horror the bar open.

None of the "family friendly football" venues I've mentioned in my posts are pubs.....

Theatre.

Cinema.

Civic Centre.

School and Church Hall.

Small scale "social" club (i.e Conservative Club)

Cricket Club.

Our local football ground.

Scout Hut.

Dance school.

Large scale Soft Play.

I’m not sure where some people get the idea that all pubs will be rammed with obnoxious drinks screaming and throwing beer at each other. Some will, obviously, but a lot of pubs are a perfectly pleasant, good humoured, sedate place to watch the match, and would be fine for an older kid for a one off. Also not sure what’s wrong with people asking about kid friendly options, like showings in a community centre? Truly weird post.

This thread has revealed a worrying correlation between disapproving of people enjoying football and an inability to read.

Why aren't kids allowed to go and have fun at big events too bizarre how many people on mumsnet hate children.

Yep, and now the word 'pub' seems so odd.
Pub, pub, pub.

Why are you going on about pubs?

There are different types of pubs , ones that cater to families is going to attract very different clientel to one's that cater to hardened drinkers

No, they are asking for child friendly places which is very different to pubs. Yes, some pubs might be appropriate but more likely they are asking where there are big screens up on village greens, cricket or tennis clubs opening up with wide spaces for children to play, school/sports centres or village halls doing the same, or venues other than pubs that they can go to.

Everyone knows you can go to the pub to watch the football. What they don’t necessarily know is where else they can watch it, especially if they have children and aren’t looking to get drunk.

I can’t understand why so many people read child friendly football and the only conclusion they come up with is pub.

I scrolled through 7 pages get here and simply find @AzureAnt has said it all. Sit in your own home FFS, that's surely child friendly if you have a child?!

Well let’s hope you’re not there then.

Great post. 👍🏻

Your own home in front of the TV

Because it's at the very least a potentially historic event if we win and "I was at home in my PJs" isn't as exciting a place as sharing an environment with other people rooting for the National Team.

Mum, Dad and siblings jumping up and down in jubilation is nice but not the same as when a busy, happy environment with lots of people are celebrating. It's nice to get dressed up for the event with kits and faceprint etc, sing football chants with others, celebrate in a bigger way - for some families.

With lots of alcohol, loutish behaviour, people who don't like having kids in public spaces, there are a lot of venues which are showing the game on a big scale but not appropriate or safe for kids.

Several venues in my hometown are having "family friendly football screenings" where keeping things, "clean", "sober-ish" and totally safe for children is the priority. They're having games at half time, "characters" to visit the kids, mini discos with songs like Sweet Caroline and Freed from Desire etc for them to dance to...That sounds way more fun and yes, "child friendly" for many kids than being at home might be. One of the venues is the (church) school hall, so kids will be able to experience this with their classmates and friends in a way they wouldn't if all of them were at home.

Ultimately, you know what your kids would prefer and if it's staying at home, fair enough, but it's pretty joyless to declare that the living room is the most child-friendly place there is for every child. I mean, why do anything? Why go to the cinema when you have a TV at home? Why have a sleepover at someone else's house when you have a perfectly good bed at home? Why eat out when you can eat at home? Because sometimes it's more entertaining to do stuff outside of the house, and there are many reasons watching the England/Spain Final in a child friendly space would be more entertaining, fun, momentous, sociable than being on the sofa in pjs.

And I say that as someone who is neurodivergent and detests leaving the house.

But if child friendly is the priority then I'm wondering why not watch it at home?

Because they’d rather not watch it at home?
Because they’d like to go out and enjoy the crowd experience, but still want somewhere not too full of drunken fans and where the risk of things escalating is low?
That’s why they’re asking for child friendly places.

There will be community centres showing it, also local football clubs will open their doors to families tonight and maybe other family focussed large business venues .
I don’t drink alcohol but also asked on local forums where it may be possible to watch the match with children. The key is we are asking for venues that are hosting families to AVOID the disgraceful behaviour you are concerned about so that children can cheer on their national team. Behaviour incidentally that shouldn’t be happening anyway and isn’t a problem in many other countries across the globe.

They're asking for child friendly places, not child friendly pubs. Are you being deliberately dense?

Omg. There are plenty of pubs where people aren't going to be smashing things up when England lose.

I've been away from mumsnet for a while. I don't remember it being so full of self righteous pearl clutchers

People are too stupid to read the actual post and love being sanctimonious

That’s why they’re asking for children friendly places not pubs - so they can enjoy watching the match with other people. Are you thick or just not interested in reading people’s posts properly so you can make rude comments.

WHY are you focusing on PUBS?

People are asking for PLACES? Why do you keep talking about pubs? Who said they wanted child-friendly pubs?

Or maybe the parents need to accept that a latish night at a pub with all the problems there will be if the result isn't what's wanted is not a place for a child. The world does not exist to make parents' lives easy, they should be taking responsibility for their children and staying at home. I'm sure a lot of people going to the pub to watch it will pray there won't be a load of whiny kids there to spoil the adult evening.