First game for a child

[TheSouthendUnitedRunner]

This weekends game vs Solihull Moors will be the first game of the season I’m able to attend, but more importantly, I’m going to be taking my eldest son, who is 3, along for his very first football match. I’m sure his mind will change between now and then a million times, but I’ve now booked the tickets.

He got his junior blues hat through, and has been wearing it round the house. When I asked about going, and said he can wear his Southend shirt, he then said “and the hat”, so thank you Junior Blues for that.

We are going to get the train, go to the fish house, pop into the Club shop, do it all properly. Not sure about the pub, don’t think he’ll get served yet.

What advice would you give for bringing a young child along for his first game. Bag full of snacks? Headphones for the noise? A phone with full charge in case the game isn’t brilliant?

I don’t think he’ll sit in his seat properly the whole game, and we may not even make the full 90 minutes at the ground, but hopefully it’s the start of a love affair for him

 

[Tommy's Mooney]

This weekends game vs Solihull Moors will be the first game of the season I’m able to attend, but more importantly, I’m going to be taking my eldest son, who is 3, along for his very first football match. I’m sure his mind will change between now and then a million times, but I’ve now booked the tickets.

He got his junior blues hat through, and has been wearing it round the house. When I asked about going, and said he can wear his Southend shirt, he then said “and the hat”, so thank you Junior Blues for that.

We are going to get the train, go to the fish house, pop into the Club shop, do it all properly. Not sure about the pub, don’t think he’ll get served yet.

What advice would you give for bringing a young child along for his first game. Bag full of snacks? Headphones for the noise? A phone with full charge in case the game isn’t brilliant?

I don’t think he’ll sit in his seat properly the whole game, and we may not even make the full 90 minutes at the ground, but hopefully it’s the start of a love affair for him

I'm in a similar boat with my 3 year old. I think she's a good year off but very interested to read others' replies

 

[Barry.C]

I took all my children at age 5. Three of them really took to it very well and thoroughly enjoyed the outing, one daughter though was scared by the noise and perhaps the crowds, however on a second appearance she became a real shrimper fan, and all four remain so

3 might be pushing it a bit? But hope all goes well

 

[shrimperjon]

This weekends game vs Solihull Moors will be the first game of the season I’m able to attend, but more importantly, I’m going to be taking my eldest son, who is 3, along for his very first football match. I’m sure his mind will change between now and then a million times, but I’ve now booked the tickets.

He got his junior blues hat through, and has been wearing it round the house. When I asked about going, and said he can wear his Southend shirt, he then said “and the hat”, so thank you Junior Blues for that.

We are going to get the train, go to the fish house, pop into the Club shop, do it all properly. Not sure about the pub, don’t think he’ll get served yet.

What advice would you give for bringing a young child along for his first game. Bag full of snacks? Headphones for the noise? A phone with full charge in case the game isn’t brilliant?

I don’t think he’ll sit in his seat properly the whole game, and we may not even make the full 90 minutes at the ground, but hopefully it’s the start of a love affair for him

Great news mate. Ben was 5 when I first took him. Never looked back, now 19 and on the trust board and we travel the country home and away supporting the lads

 

[TheSouthendUnitedRunner]

I took all my children at age 5. Three of them really took to it very well and thoroughly enjoyed the outing, one daughter though was scared by the noise and perhaps the crowds, however on a second appearance she became a real shrimper fan, and all four remain so

3 might be pushing it a bit? But hope all goes well

It might be.

The guy I used to go with told me to wait until they can sit still through a film because it’s roughly the same amount of time as a football match. He sat through the Mario film really well when we went to watch that.

Now we have two, was thinking/hoping, he might like a bit of one on one time with just Dad.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Waited until our girls were teenagers before they saw their first game (here in Spain).Was gratified that our younger daughter (30 in Dec) wantd to come to our last game of the season back in April against the Stones though.

 

[Pak Power]

Start em young , younger the better I say, I think my dad took me when I was six!
I could have got so many more games in ...

Hope you both enjoy the bonding experience he will (should ) never forget

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Taking a 3 year old can be difficult according to friends. It's the attention span, and restlessness in the seats, and they can ask about going home after about 30 minutes. Although one friend took his 3, nearly 4 year old and he was as good as gold and sat and watched the whole game.

 

[TheSouthendUnitedRunner]

Taking a 3 year old can be difficult according to friends. It's the attention span, and restlessness in the seats, and they can ask about going home after about 30 minutes. Although one friend took his 3, nearly 4 year old and he was as good as gold and sat and watched the whole game.

My son is 4 in January, so hopefully a similar experience

 

[Holy Joe]

Be mindful they don't kick the back of the chair Infront for the whole 90 mins.

I took my son to his first game at a similar age - but it was a preseason friendly v Witham (or maybe Braintree don't recall properly). Sat him on the wall surrounding the pitch, when the players had finished warming up and walked off the pitch he asked if we could go, he seemed abit surprised when I said it hadn't started yet! We made a deal at halftime that we'd leave after the next goal (I think we were about 4 or 5 up at halftime). About a minute into the 2nd half we won and scored a penalty. So we left, but I persuaded him with a fruitshoot and a bag of crisps to go into the clubhouse bar where I had a pint (it was my birthday) and we sat at a table and he declared "dad we're boozers aren't we".


Ah memories.

So i guess be prepared to leave very early!

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

I took my son for his fifth birthday as he loved to play football and was very eager to join me as always asked to go to a game when we drove past Roots Hall.

His first game was not a thriller so after his initial excitement of being in the ground he spent the rest of the first half eating sweets.

Sadly no mobiles to entertain kids then so for most of the second half he either asked me questions along with doing a step work out.

He will be thirty five latter this year and apart from a brief period in his teens when he went with his mates he has sat with me for hundreds of games and gladly the questions have been replaced with some tactical chat.

 

[dbailey3]

As I'm told by my dad, I cried the entire time at my first game as it was absolutely freezing. Not sure how old I was, I would say younger than 3. Probably 1. Might have been a tad annoying for everyone else around me but I was hooked from that moment onwards (ok maybe from my second game)

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Good work mate, took my girls early and the one who still lives local is now a season ticket holder.

I am sure you are fully aware how awful the toilets are everywhere in the ground.
Fish House is a good call.

When I took my girls first in the late 1990s there was a particular game where a bloke was fffing and ****ggg, however when I asked, polite and all, that he tone it down, surprised me and he apologised and did!

And Octoberfest is on at Priory Park so you may need to explain about some folks in leather shorts and stuff on the train.

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

my girl was about 9 months when I took her to her first game, 2-2 with Wrexham with Phil Brown still in charge. She really enjoyed it, lots going on. I haven't taken her since, but I really want to. thinking of starting lower down first to get her used to it. never too early, normalise it so it's just a thing we do

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Took my son to his first game, SUFC/Bolton, when he was 2yrs 6 months. Took him in the Golden Lion that was full of Bolton and then the North Bank. He loved it that day and his passion for SUFC still burns bright. He even took meeting Podge Morgan for the first time in his stride.

 

[Sensei Phil]

This weekends game vs Solihull Moors will be the first game of the season I’m able to attend, but more importantly, I’m going to be taking my eldest son, who is 3, along for his very first football match. I’m sure his mind will change between now and then a million times, but I’ve now booked the tickets.

He got his junior blues hat through, and has been wearing it round the house. When I asked about going, and said he can wear his Southend shirt, he then said “and the hat”, so thank you Junior Blues for that.

We are going to get the train, go to the fish house, pop into the Club shop, do it all properly. Not sure about the pub, don’t think he’ll get served yet.

What advice would you give for bringing a young child along for his first game. Bag full of snacks? Headphones for the noise? A phone with full charge in case the game isn’t brilliant?

I don’t think he’ll sit in his seat properly the whole game, and we may not even make the full 90 minutes at the ground, but hopefully it’s the start of a love affair for him

Sedation ....

 

[united we stand]

I didn’t do this , but someone else posted it and I thought’ - I wish I had done that’
Do go to the fish house or somewhere for food
Do something mum doesn’t do/ let him do
Get a treat from shop on way home, or something

Basically Make it a day out with football part of it and not the most important thing (in his opinion), that way even he doesn’t like the football he still might like the day out with dad.

 

[Ramsdenblue]

I took my eldest when he was 18 months old, into the east blacks, still goes home and away now 24 years later.

But, then I had three boys, the wife at the time would work evenings and I would take 3 boys between 2 and 6 years with me to the footy on my own.

From great experience of this I would say.

1. Take an electronic game with you for him to play as he will not be interested in the footy for to long and will get bored.

2. Expect him to be really figaty.

3. Take some lite head phones for him to wear, as when we score everyone will jump up and shout and scream, and this always got my 3 boys crying as it scared them.

4. Don’t push your luck in trying to watch a full game with the young lad, after 30 mins he will possibly get really bored. Be prepared to possibly leave at half time.

I always had to leave at half time with my 3 as by then they were crying and bored,
but at least watching half a game is better than watching no game at all,
and they have all grown up to be SUFC fans.

Good luck all the same.

 

[Sensei Phil]

You could always take a colouring in book and some crayons, unless Powelly is willing to share his?

Welcome back, and hope you both enjoy the game.

 

[Bromley Blue]

I’ve got a son of a similar age and haven’t taken him. I’m not local anymore but I think I’m gonna wait until I know he can sit and watch the whole game and enjoy it. Maybe 5 or 6. Might also take him to Palace or Bromley as he doesn’t have the same connections to the area that I do. But nothing would make me prouder than one of my sons becoming a Shrimper.

The mentions of pre season friendlies on this thread seem maybe a good way to start? That way if they want to go after ten minutes it doesn’t really matter. I think I’d get a bit frustrated if we had to leave early but at the age our boys are at at the mo it’s highly likely.

Good luck with it though and please report back on here with how it went.