Football match

[beckywiththeshithair27]

My ex wants to take our ds8 to a premiership football match. So very big, busy stadium in a very big busy city. Also an evening match so would be a late finish and a very long journey home.

I have no reason to doubt ex's care but still feel a bit uneasy. Am I being over protective? Would you/do you allow this?

As long as it's not one at high risk of trouble kicking off, it will be fine.

I’d allow it as a one off late night, but I’m a huge football fan.

Yes he's 8. He'll be fine Some people take 18m old toddlers to the match fgs.

Yeah you’re being overprotective. Let him go and he’ll have a fab time.

Surely your ex doesn’t need your permission? Or is it outside when he’s normally have contact?

I’d be fine with it, DS has been coming with us since he was 5 and we’ve never had any problems.

Let him go. He'll be fine.

Will this be his first big footy match then? He'll be absolutely fine, honestly! Do you know what ground they are going to?

He will be fine, there are loads of kids at football matches as long as ex isnt the type to get drunk and become a football hooligan DS will be fine with his Dad.

I'd be happy with this as long as DS will be able to snuggle in the back of the car for the journey home.

@PurpleDaisies yes it is but it's not about permission it's about us discussing the type of things we are comfortable with each other doing with him.

You just hear about a lot of violence and trouble at some games not to mention the volume of people. He's not used to it. Willing to admit I probably am being a bit OTT but I'm a worrier where ds is concerned.

He'll be fine, I've been to so many different football games throughout the leagues and in different countries and never ever had an issue.

My ds has been going to matches since he was 3 and they have been season ticket holders for years, they do away matches. The only stipulation I've ever made is no night marches apart from home matches.

Matches at our premier League games are reasonably safe and I've never worried.

Spot our team

He'll be fine unless it's a game known for trouble in which case I would suggest something lower key as a start.

Tip from my mum when I first went to a game. Teach him to walk with his hands in his pockets and elbows out in crowd.

I don't think problems are that common in the UK any more. I've been to Elland Road (many times for matches from about age 7), Upton Park, Wembley, and Anfield without witnessing any fighting and one of those was a Champions League game with international fans which can sometimes be iffy.

Unless it’s literally Liverpool V United (which has been played) I can’t think of a premiership fixture that gets much in the way of serious trouble.
It’ll be fine and he’ll have a great time.

Trouble is so rare these days. Get the odd moment but its hardly all the time. He'll be fine.

Should add I’ve been watching Manchester City since the early 90s and been to many many many Manchester Derbies and never seen any serious bother. The premier league is so corporate these days it’s a very different atmosphere to what it was 10/15/20 years ago.

My DD is a similar age and loves going to the football. Most clubs have family stands where bad language is frowned upon and there will be other children his age.

Glib answer: my daughter went to her first international sporting event when she was about 7 months old, and it was fine. Disclaimer: it was an ice hockey championship in Belfast, I was working there and as a family we had access to the VIP lounge, so not the kind of experience you're talking about. She did watch part of one game from the stands with her mum, but found it a bit dull.

More useful answer: I was about 7 when I first went to a top flight football match (was the old First Division in those days, mind). Wasn't a problem, although I was disconcerted by not getting replays and struggled to concentrate for 90 minutes.

Safety won't be an issue, the problem could be the child not enjoying it as much as hoped and dad getting upset because it's a big, expensive treat and it doesn't seem to be appreciated as much as it 'should' be. Perhaps more so if the kid isn't used to crowded places and gets spooked by the noise rather than excited by it.

Your biggest problem, when he gets home, might be reminding him that not every word he heard at the football is necessarily good to use in other contexts - my most vivid memories were of people using very rude words with complete impunity (indeed, approval) in a way that I'd not encountered in my previous seven years. Mum wasn't impressed when tried some of this out next time we were watching Match of the Day :D

As long as it's not one at high risk of trouble kicking off, it will be fine.

Oh sure, because the last time you heard of a riot at a Premier League game is...?

It'll be fine. No problem as a treat.

Yes, I’d allow it. I go to every home game (top 4 club so big stadium / city) and have done for years - have never seen violence or heard racism / homophobia etc. I genuinely feel football is a safe place to be - there’s police everywhere and cameras. Rowdy people that cause a nuisance are swiftly removed. If you are really worried, there’s a family seating area in pretty much every PL ground, if not all.

We are in the family stand, the worst language comes from the slightly older teens that are behind.

They are right old moaners at 16.

He'll be fine, my DS8 is off to 2 evening matches in the next few months with my dad. One rugby one football.

He'll be fine. I've been taking my (now adult) sons to Manchester United games since they were toddlers, the oldest had just turned one when he went to his first one, and in all those years there's only one game where we felt a bit vulnerable because Liverpool supporters had somehow got into the stand and were in the tier above us, ripping out seating.