Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No, you don't need to know Maths to be a footballer

251 replies

Ronbo · 03/02/2023 10:26

"NSPCC Number Day" at school again. 🙄

The letter says "children are invited to dress up as someone who uses maths/numbers in thier everyday jobs". Lots of girls dressed as engineers, builders, astronauts, chefs. Well done to them.

Of course, just like every single previous dress up for school day, all the boys turn up in full football kits.

"Coz there is a number on my shirt, and err, u need maffs to count the score."

It was depressing when the same thing happened at "dress up as your favourite character from a book day" but for me this is a new low.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 03/02/2023 14:25

Would love to know how one dresses up as an Engineer....?!

Jeans and a jumper made of something which doesn't wear into holes at the elbow.

GreenWasTheColour · 03/02/2023 14:25

Merrymouse · 03/02/2023 14:22

I like this dressing as an engineer idea - presumably you just wear clothes?

A great option for those kids who hate fancy dress!

GasPanic · 03/02/2023 14:27

confusedandisolating · 03/02/2023 14:22

Grin

Would love to know how one dresses up as an Engineer....?!

Show quote history

Proper working from home attire.

Stained joggers. Unshaved beard. Thick hoody over fleece to save on heating and double socks.

Ponoka7 · 03/02/2023 14:29

Ronbo · 03/02/2023 12:46

I would be willing to bet that 99.9% of professional footballers have never read a single Researchgate article on the biomechanics of football

Show quote history

I was always impressed with my Mum doing the pools, it made no sense to me. She was a bookkeeper though. Listen in on football conversations and it's all about points and who needs what, that's maths. Listen to the after game interviews and it's partly about points, that's maths. The after playing jobs are coaching, managing or presenting and you've got to talk tactics and points, involving maths.

FKATondelayo · 03/02/2023 14:31

Maths is a very big part of football coaching and analysis. Here for example.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/64353402

My company ran fantasy football leagues for years - the finance department always won - forecasting, historical data analysis, probabilities, working out the maximum points available - all relevant.

My son is a footballer and a maths champion and those two aren't mutually exclusive.

Anything that wants to engage kids in a complex subject and make it relevant to them is a good thing.

MajorCarolDanvers · 03/02/2023 15:52

Would love to know how one dresses up as an Engineer....?!

My sister is an engineer. She just wears clothes.

She doesn't even write "Engineer" on her back in washable ink. 😝

GoodChat · 03/02/2023 16:53

MajorCarolDanvers · 03/02/2023 15:52

Would love to know how one dresses up as an Engineer....?!

My sister is an engineer. She just wears clothes.

She doesn't even write "Engineer" on her back in washable ink. 😝

She clearly isn't an engineer that uses maths then Grin

Sazzling · 03/02/2023 16:56

When people impose stupid rules, others find a way round them.
Good training for life.

RoseGoldEagle · 03/02/2023 17:00

Sounds sensible to me. For any dressing up day we have, I just see what my DC currently have and work that in somehow, it doesn’t actually matter and is a lot better than buying something just to be worn once.

steff13 · 03/02/2023 20:11

It really isn't "arrogant and condescending" to believe that Christiano Ronaldo doesn't spend a lot of his time solving geometry problems.

I use math in my job everyday and I haven't used geometry since junior high school. I agree with the others, professional sports requires an understanding of math, even if they're not sitting around solving problems.

Sirzy · 03/02/2023 21:04

If we want to move away from the “I can’t” attitude to maths we need to make people realise the every day applications of maths which they use without realising.

so many people believe that maths is out of their reach, and then pass that message on to their children (and so on and so on).
to tackle the maths stigma we need to stop the impression that it’s an elite subject out of the reach of most people

AllLopsided · 03/02/2023 22:58

Unisex costumes for those bored with dress-up days: school shirt, pj bottoms and maybe fluffy slippers: accountant working from home. School shirt and trousers, possibly a tie if male = accountant working from the office. T-shirt and jeans = graphic designer. Any of the above: IT person, depending on role/sector. They won't be winning the prize for most original costume but neither will the 15 class members in football kit.

I suppose you could argue that UK footballers need to be able to calculate the co-efficient of friction for all those rainy day games? Or is that more physics?

EdithWeston · 04/02/2023 06:41

Sirzy · 03/02/2023 21:04

If we want to move away from the “I can’t” attitude to maths we need to make people realise the every day applications of maths which they use without realising.

so many people believe that maths is out of their reach, and then pass that message on to their children (and so on and so on).
to tackle the maths stigma we need to stop the impression that it’s an elite subject out of the reach of most people

Good post

Teateaandmoretea · 04/02/2023 06:46

Most parents cba with dress up days. People spend money on school uniform and done want to waste the earth’s resources with ridiculous throwaway outfits. I’d do the same.

EdithWeston · 04/02/2023 06:52

Teateaandmoretea · 04/02/2023 06:46

Most parents cba with dress up days. People spend money on school uniform and done want to waste the earth’s resources with ridiculous throwaway outfits. I’d do the same.

Well, as Sirzy points out, if the side aim of the NSPCC fundraising day is to spread awareness that maths is omnipresent, then you don't need to buy anything special for this one.

Either use any occupational themed costume you already have, or nearest thing to business/office formal, or smart top half/PJ bottoms for working at home, video calls expected, or full on software developer at home (could be literally anything, one hopes it is something......)

Roxie99 · 04/02/2023 06:59

You are being a bit rude saying we are lazy. My son didn't want to be any other people who use maths in their jobs I asked him which professions use maths and he told me and yes there was a kit with a number lying there in the rush to get out in the morning when I forgot it was number day so he wore it. Jeeez do you have kids would you refuse your son to wear a footie kit if he wanted to on number day? Also Cristiano I'm pretty sure has a law degree off subject lol

TheGuv1982 · 04/02/2023 07:19

Funnily enough football is one of the replies I give the children if I ever hear “I hate maths, I’ll never use it when I leave school”.

Still, not sure that’s a reason to go dressed in a football kit but then parents probably don’t want to shell out for a costume that will never get work again…

malificent7 · 04/02/2023 07:30

Why get worked up over this non issue op? Dress up days suck.

MatronicO6 · 04/02/2023 07:30

We have banned football kits on days like this due tribal arguments at break times and the inevitable uproar when a shirt gets ruined.

EdithWeston · 04/02/2023 07:33

malificent7 · 04/02/2023 07:30

Why get worked up over this non issue op? Dress up days suck.

OP doesn't sound remotely worked up! Rather the complete opposite.....

abyssofwoah · 04/02/2023 08:01

CoffeeRightNow · 03/02/2023 10:39

Parents going for an easy ‘not another fucking dressing up day’ win. Sensible! I would’ve sent my DD in in a footie top, too.

This, absolutely

mondaytosunday · 04/02/2023 09:09

I always thought if they could somehow incorporate football statistics into math lessons my son would have aced it! He seems to be able to calculate all sorts of 'if Arsenal wins this on points the aggregate means that Man City will go down two places in the league table ...' or something like that. So maybe they should all dress up as football fans, snd wearing their teams' kit is what many fans do!

GrinAndVomit · 05/02/2023 17:59

Some of the best footballers have received absolutely no formal education.
It’s a cop out.

But really, it’s just a fancy dress day. It really doesn’t matter.

JudgeJ · 05/02/2023 20:35

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 03/02/2023 10:49

Ah so you hate working class people. Why not just say that OP.

Show quote history

She thinks that football is frite-fly common!

JudgeJ · 05/02/2023 20:44

HappyBinosaur · 03/02/2023 12:31

Of course, just like every single previous dress up for school day, all the boys turn up in full football kits.

"Coz there is a number on my shirt, and err, u need maffs to count the score."

Who are you implying is stupid here by your deliberate misspelling @Ronbo ? Professional footballers or ‘all the boys’?

Either way it’s a very rude thing to imply, but if you’re referring to the latter then it’s an incredibly sexist and stupid thing to write.

I took the original post to mean that the OP's son speaks poor English, he should hear better than that.

Swipe left for the next trending thread