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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Football colours

63 replies

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 21:44

Dd2 is 12 and has suddenly announced that she supports one of the old firm teams. My mums family are all supporters, but I have deliberately stayed away from all things football, because I hate the sectarianism that surrounds it in the West of Scotland. She wants a football top in the team colours. I have categorically said no. I feel that this "supporting the team" has come from friends who do so. I have tried to explain to her why I feel this way about it, but I'm told I am prejudiced/ sexist /whatever. She says she wants to belong, in some way, but I don't want her to belong to this! If I'm honest, I think its "chavvy" ( and I know that is very frowned upon in this site, so apologies) but I can't understand why she wants to be part of this. I'm usually pretty easy going with my dc. They can have their own opinions on things, pursue interests they want, but I just don't like this. AIBU?

OP posts:
squoosh · 01/10/2017 22:29

Try and get them into Partick Thistle instead. No one gets beaten up for being a PT fan, plus they have the best mascot. Grin

Football colours
saltandvinegarcrisps1 · 01/10/2017 22:31

YANBU. we didn't allow either of ours a strip owing to the absolute tosh that guess with it. Even when we had season tickets, no one went to games in a strip lived in oz for 3 years and let D'S wear one then. He bought his own when He was 18 and uses it for 5 a side ( no hassle so far). It's sad really.

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:32

I get people saying that we need to change the old ways, but in the meantime the hatred and violence goes in, and I don't want my 12yo dd to have any part in that. She has been to one game, with a friend, which didn't sit easy with me but I agreed to it as she really wanted to go. I wouldn't allow her to go to an old firm game. But I feel walking around in a football top is somehow stating something. Why do other people need to know what team you support? Does it need to be public?

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Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:34

squoosh even with my limited knowledge of football, no one gets beaten up for being a OR fan, but they do get laughed at Grin

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Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:35

Doh, PT fan!!

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littlechou · 01/10/2017 22:37

Ah I used to date a Rangers player Grin. I (not knowing any better) turned up to watch a match wearing lovely green earrings and he told me I better take them off!
Had no idea how it could be

WeAllHaveWings · 01/10/2017 22:37

Ds(13) supports our hometown Kilmarnock, Chelsea and Celtic.

He wears football kit a lot but doesn't own and I wouldn't buy him old firm kit. Attracts unwanted attention even in Kilmarnock. All his friends wear their favourite teams strips when they play footie and even though they all have an old firm side they support, not a single one wears an old firm strip.

PoppyPopcorn · 01/10/2017 22:38

But I feel walking around in a football top is somehow stating something

Exactly, in the west of Scotland it's stating your religious persuasion in many cases too, and opens up your DD to all sorts of sectarian abuse from the knuckle draggers who make all sorts of assumptions about someone in a Rangers/Celtic shirt. Not something I'd want my child exposed to.

All very well to talk about breaking the old stereotypes and putting sectarianism in the past and yes that would be amazing. But one 12 year old from Hamilton isn't going to do that.

EllaHen · 01/10/2017 22:38

Well my children have strips. As does dh. My brothers too. We are all nice people. I promise.

Not Glasgow but West Coast. Only 35 mins from Glasgow and I was born there.

What's my point? Eh, ... not every fan is bigoted I suppose.

We take our kids to games, it's a great family day out.

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:39

poppypopcorn thank you. That sums up exactly how I feel.

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WheresMyTaco · 01/10/2017 22:40

If she wants to get in to football are there women's teams she could follow? I take my kids to see the local one. It's a great day out. No aggro. A fraction of the men's ticket prices.

No diving, whining, crying, diva behaviour like you get with men's football. All round good way to spend an afternoon and it's good female role models.

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:41

Ella, I do understand that not all fans are bigots. My cousins are Celtic daft, season ticket holders, and they are lovely people. But there are always the idiots!

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EllaHen · 01/10/2017 22:43

Yeah, I do understand I promise.

It's just that, for all the ugliness, supporting Celtic is magic. Grin

Ttbb · 01/10/2017 22:45

I feel exactly the same way. This whole primative tribal loyalty thing is just a bit messed up. I can understand feeling that way about your family, or maybe your country (at a stretch if you live in a really good one) but a football team? Come on. If you have an interest in football and you enjoy watching/playing it ok, not my thing but whatever floats your boat, I watch dumb things too (thanks Netflix). But feeling sad because a particular team didn't win? Or sitting in a cold stadium yelling silly chants about your favourite team. It's a bit bonkers. I would also worry that if people are able to feel that way about a football team that they could feel the same passion for facism or communism.

WheresMyTaco · 01/10/2017 22:45

The worst thing I've heard in fact was one uncharitable spectator impling the ref had indulged in one too many pies.

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:45

Wheresmytaco that sounds great, and I'd be fine with that. But really I feel like this has come from peer pressure. She can try to say it's because she loves football, but in reality she is buying into the whole "tribe" thing. If it was just about football she could support our local team. But running enough she wants to support the team all her friends support Hmm

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squoosh · 01/10/2017 22:46

I would also worry that if people are able to feel that way about a football team that they could feel the same passion for facism or communism

Grin Grin

pigeondujour · 01/10/2017 22:46

Fucking hell. Bit of a leap there!

NotEnoughCushions · 01/10/2017 22:47

I lived in the West of Scotland for a few years and only then really appreciated what the Old Firm represented. I wouldn't wear blue or green on a day when they were playing - people were very quick to judge.

I don't have an answer to your question OP. Part of me says it's ok to have a football shirt to be worn when playing or watching football; the other part of me says to buy her a Scotland strip instead!

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:49

Yeah, I have said she can have a Scotland top preferably arugby one. That's not good enough apparentlyHmm

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pigeondujour · 01/10/2017 22:51

OP, all football fans are buying into the tribe thing. Almost anything anyone does is buying into a tribe thing. I agree with you re the strip, but don't stop her supporting the team. Unless it's Rangers, obviously.

PoppyPopcorn · 01/10/2017 22:53

Platypus - could you maybe strike a compromise? Get her a Celtic t-shirt or hoodie or something, there must be something with more subtle branding than the classic white and green hoops. Like attached. Conditions to be applied to wear - only in the house, or at friends' houses. Never to school (highly unlikely that she'd be allowed anyway) and definitely not while out and about locally or further afield.

Football colours
lifetimelimit · 01/10/2017 22:54

ellahen

Is it magic isn't it? Grin I really enjoy reading about their history and there was a programme on a few months ago with the surviving Lisbon Lions - I was greeting like a wean watching it Sad

That said, absolutely no display of football colours in public.

squoosh · 01/10/2017 22:55

I'm now trying to think if you actually see that many kids in Glasgow wearing football colours. I don't think you do.

Original poster
ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 01/10/2017 22:58

Poppy I like that idea, thanks!
I've explained to her that it isn't just Me, that there is a reason football colours are banned from pubs etc.

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