Football causing issues between dad and Husband

[Nowheretogo1985]

Hello!
Anyone got any advice please? It sounds ridiculous but football is causing a problem between my dad and Husband.
Both are passionate about the teams they support (both different) but my husband doesn't want my dad talking to my son about the team he supports as he feels like my dad is trying to coax him away from my husband's team. If that makes sense!
My dad wants to take my son to a match but husband won't allow him.
My husband came home from work last week and my dad (who was looking after my children) had drawn the emblem of his football team on the children's chalkboard. Words have been exchanged via text between both men (my husband asked him not to do such things) and now I feel like it's awkward. I can see them really falling out over it.
I'm just not sure what to do 😭
Sorry if it's sounds trivial but I'm bot sure what to do!!

Say someone has grown up with majorettes dancing as a huge part of their identity and was looking forward to sharing that with her daughter.

But MIL thinks majorettes is shit and ballet dancing is the best. She keeps telling the daughter how much better ballet is and how crap majorettes is. She even draws ballet shoes and things on the blackboard when she’s looking after the kids.

She knows this annoys her DIL. She has been told that it is important to DIL that she can share her passion with her daughter. But she persists. And acts like a martyr when she isn’t allowed to take the child to the ballet or pay for ballet classes.

The husband does nothing because he thinks it’s just pettiness over boring dancing. And he’d rather upset his wife than his mother.

Do we think that’s fine?

Not exact because supporting a sports team is a really particular thing, and you can’t really do both. But the point is that there’s a grandparent behaving like a dick towards their child’s spouse.

Your husband is behaving like a mardy 9 year old. Tell him to grow up.

Your dad has spotted his immaturity & petulance and is enjoying winding him up. Explain to him that this is causing problems and ask him to stop.

My husband is a lifelong passionate fan of a particular team and our son is a lifelong passionate fan of an arch rival team, something which they both understand and accept.
There's a few fireworks when those teams play each other, but it's good humoured.
Your husband and father need to do the same. Accept that they support different teams and stop being ridiculous about it.
Why create ill feelings when there's no need to. If they're true fans then they will understand the passion for a different team.

Wow so many responses!!

Son goes to the match with his dad regularly, son is completely invested in his dad's team.
My dad is 100% goading my husband and I can see that. But DH putting blanket ban on my dad not talking about his team is unreasonable and driving a rift between both if them. They don't have a great relationship anyway. I think both are in the wrong but no idea how to deal with it.
My dad's team is in the premier League whereas DH team Is in league 2. DH concern is that son would go to watch team with his grandad, see the grandeur of the stadium, atmosphere etc and be tempted away. Honestly both are unprepared to back down 😩

It's very trivial, pathetic behaviour on your husbands part.

It's times like this I'm so grateful my husband isn't a football nut.

OP, that update makes your husband sound even more pathetic, juvenile & immature. Just tell him to grow the fuck up.

Totally pathetic - football summed up in one MN post.

Your dh is being absolutely pathetic not letting your dad take your child to a match if your ds would enjoy it, but your dad shouldn't have drawn the badge if he knew your dh doesn't have a sense of humour!

My dad a huge Leeds supporter and so was his dad. My ex is a massive ManU supporter and my ds supports Liverpool because his best friend does.
There has been some ribbing and jokey threats to disown each other but I could not live with anyone who is as pathetic and obsessed as your dh!

My dad has been to a ManU game which was hard for him as they are Leeds' big rivals but he went to enjoy the football and experience being at Old Trafford.
My kids both play for a local club and my dd's coaches are taking the team to see a Man City game as a treat and my dad and son are coming too and can't wait!

Deal with it by telling your dad to leave the football stuff. Entirely.

There are a gazillion other topics for him to talk about. He’s choosing the one he knows will cause problems with his son in law.

It doesn’t matter that it’s football or if your husband’s team is shit. Your dad doesn’t need to be doing this. He can just leave football alone when he’s talking to your husband and son.

Your husband sounds absolutely pathetic. This is just embarrassing to read, I cant believe a grown man is behaving this way about a sports team ffs! Of course your dad is winding your (ridiculous) husband up but honestly he’s so daft, it would be hard not to! Best thing you could do is lay down the law with your husband and tell him to back off, stop sucking the fun out of football for your son (a day at a match with grandad will always be fun, whatever the team) and ultimately stop damaging your sons relationship with your dad and, if I were you, I’d also speak to dad and just ask him to wind it in a bit re the needling.

I'm finding it hard to take this seriously as an actual problem. No disrespect to you, OP, but Christ football makes some people behave like idiots.

It’s not just taking him to a match the DS might enjoy though. Is it?

It’s already framed as ‘this team is better’, ‘you should support grandad’s team’ and so on. It’s not neutral. Because of how your dad is being.

It’s like those situations where MIL keeps taking a child to get a fringe cut but the OP doesn’t want her daughter to have a fringe.

Grown men behaving like this if just daft.

Unless it's Newcastle/ Sunderland, in which case it's entirely justified.

Show them both this thread.

Football really is a religion to some people.

Your husband is in the wrong.

Two immature men willing to create family tension over other men kicking a ball around a field. Pathetic.I'd tell them I don't want to hear the word football mentioned again in the house.
So glad we aren't a football family, it seems to cause stupidity.

Your husband needs to grow up!

I love football and am passionate about my team but your husbands stance on it is embarrassing.

This is ridiculous. I do not envy you OP.
Football can bring out the worst and most childish behaviour in some men.

I would stay out of it if you can

That is so true. Made me think about it differently now x

How old is your DS?

My dad's team is in the premier League whereas DH team Is in league 2. DH concern is that son would go to watch team with his grandad, see the grandeur of the stadium, atmosphere etc and be tempted away.

Now even more on your DH’s side.

Thank you for understanding x