Your kids in the opposition replica kit

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Anyone else have to deal with this, due to a child following your spouse's team instead of yours? My wife is the fourth generation in a line of dedicated Chelsea fans, e.g. her father was a Chelsea season ticket holder for decades until recently he has got too old to attend much. My daughter is very much closer to her Mum than to me, so frankly she was always going to follow her Mum and her maternal Grandad. It does jar, I have to say, seeing her do her football practice in that outfit, but it's not a big deal.

[elguapo4]

A work colleague is a Bohemians fan and when his son signed for Shamrock Rovers he went along to the games. I wouldn't let the little bollocks back in the house.

[Guy Profumo]

Anyone else have to deal with this, due to a child following your spouse's team instead of yours? My wife is the fourth generation in a line of dedicated Chelsea fans, e.g. her father was a Chelsea season ticket holder for decades until recently he has got too old to attend much. My daughter is very much closer to her Mum than to me, so frankly she was always going to follow her Mum and her maternal Grandad. It does jar, I have to say, seeing her do her football practice in that outfit, but it's not a big deal.

Yeah.

That famous Cambridge v Chelsea rivalry

[Nesta]

Learn to read m8, Cambridge is his favourite biscuit, not team

[Nesta]

Gauss is Leeds if memory serves. I call it the Alien v Predator derby: Whoever Wins- We Lose

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Learn to read m8, Cambridge is his favourite biscuit, not team

heh! I hadn't checked my profile since we moved over to the new site, and I'm pretty sure I put Cambridge down for location, not biscuit. Jaffa cake would be my FB, even though as a tax lawyer I ought to respect the court's ruling that they are "cakes", not "biscuits" for VAT purposes. I love the city of Cambridge and will probably live here for the rest of my life, but my football loyalty is from my childhood, which was in Leeds from birth to adulthood.

We haven't been in the same division as Chelsea for over 15 years now of course, but I did go to see the glorious LUFC at Stamford Bridge twice in the 1990s and I look forward to victories over them in future.

[treibeis]

Ex-Fräulein treibeis' son was HSV. I was together with her between 2002 and 2011, when he was between three and twelve years old. I took the little bastard to home games, and even paid the admission myself.

And I ripped the piss out of him. I made his life hell. Little HSV bastard.

[Eggchaser]

I told my daughter her choice is West Ham, or the team from place of her birth, Watford. She's less than impressed, I have to say.

[Bored Of Education]

Not so much the kit but Bored Jr is a Liverpool (should be Tranmere) supporter. Never thought it would be a problem but Cardiff ended up playing Liverpool twice while I was supporting the former and we went along to both. The first was the first game in ages against them in the League Cup 12 years ago at Anfield. I went with Ray, our other brother (all three of us Cardiff), Bored Jr and my Dad (both Liverpool). We were all in the Liverpool end so I had Bored Jr primed that, in the unlikely event that Cardiff scored, he was not to say anything to us - although Liverpool supporters are a fairly benign bunch to other supporters. Liverpool went up 1-0 so it looked like there would be no issues but then Darren Purse equalised. We all sat there looking neutral but two hitherto unknown Cardiff supporters sitting right next to Bored Jr leapt up and started celebrating wildly to the annoyance of the Liverpool supporters. The second time was the League Cup Final seven years ago where Cardiff were 1-0 ahead for forty minutes before Liverpool went 2-1 up only for us to draw 2-2 at the end of extra time. Bored Jr ended up so enthralled by Cardiff's performance (and was in the Cardiff end) that if we had won, I think he might have turned (he had seen Cardiff play live as much as Liverpool at this stage). This would have been ironic as this was the last time I saw Cardiff play in blue and, having won him over, I would have then had to explain that I was not going to support them anymore as they played in..red.

[treibeis]

I told my daughter her choice is West Ham, or the team from place of her birth, Watford. She's less than impressed, I have to say.

What, she wants to be Luton?

[Eggchaser]

My wife works in Luton, so my daughter is aware of that folly.

It's likely to be some Big Six team. Probably Tottenham, every bugger seems to support them around here.

[treibeis]

My wife works in Luton, so my daughter is aware of that folly.

It's likely to be some Big Six team. Probably Tottenham, every bugger seems to support them around here.

Nah, I reckon she's Northampton.

[ad hoc]

A boy who fancies my daughter tried to engage her in football conversation. She's not very interested at all, but when he (knowing her dad to be English) offered up his favourite team as Arsenal, she told him that she hated Arsenal (god I'm so proud). A couple of weeks later he tried again with Liverpool, and now she tells me that he's trying to learn about Sheffield Wednesday having unsurprisingly never heard of them before.

I have told her that she is doing God's work turning people away from Arsenal, but that anyway this lad is clearly not boyfriend material since he seems to lack any sort of loyalty.

[treibeis]

A boy who fancies my daughter tried to engage her in football conversation. She's not very interested at all, but when he (knowing her dad to be English) offered up his favourite team as Arsenal, she told him that she hated Arsenal (god I'm so proud). A couple of weeks later he tried again with Liverpool, and now she tells me that he's trying to learn about Sheffield Wednesday having unsurprisingly never heard of them before.

I have told her that she is doing God's work turning people away from Arsenal, but that anyway this lad is clearly not boyfriend material since he seems to lack any sort of loyalty.

You're a hard bastard. He's learning about Sheffield Wednesday because he wants to get it on with your daughter. What more of a sacrifice can a boy make?

("Bristol Rovers" is the answer to that )

[Nesta]

heh! I hadn't checked my profile since we moved over to the new site, and I'm pretty sure I put Cambridge down for location, not biscuit.

Before the migration, my favourite biscuit was arbitrarily selected as "Swansea" which is not actually a biscuit as far as I'm aware, nor is it where I live or my team (my grandma was from there though).

[Simon G]

I have told my children that they may support/follow any team they wish, however, due to my own childhood prejudices they must be aware that under absolutely no circumstances will pay money for items linked to Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. See also Forest Green Rovers as an adult prejudice.

The oldest turned to Man City, the middle child is Cheltenham and Spurs, the twins are too young to decide at the moment.

[andrew7610]

Despite everybody recognisable to them in their family tree supporting Southampton, my 3 boys have taken it upon themselves to support Manchester United, Millwall and Tottenham between them. I am clearly a terrible father.

My daughter followed Crawley home and away for a while as she was very intent on shagging Matt Tubbs, but that phase soon passed and she has expressed no further interest in football whatsoever since then.

[Patrick Thistle]

My nephew has a couple of Shrewsbury kits and would say he supports them but when we play football in the back garden it is always Liverpool v Croatia or England v Manchester City or some other confusing match up like that. I don't think he really gets how football works. But then he has only just turned six.

[seand]

I had a great concern that my boys might be tempted to followed the Hooped Minions of Beelzebub, as the wife and her family are Shamrock Rovers. At the time we got married and thoughts turned to kids Dundalk moved slowly from dismal First Division side to Premier Division also-rans, while Rovers steadily ascended to be the top team in Ireland. My only hope was do you wanna go to the football with you Mam or your Dad? Then just as the youngest was developing an interest Dundalk rose spectacularly, so it was an easy sell. They both support Dundalk and go to the odd Rovers game too. The older fella, now 10, is died in the wool and will be following Dundalk when we go bankrupt and restart in the Meath and District League. The younger fella, 8, is pretty committed but keeping his options open, and he's suggested he might defect to the Rovers side of the family for the cup final if we both make it (we're in opposite semis). He probably will, just to be awkward. In fact he's liable to decide he's supporting Bohemians or Cork City instead.
Being in Ireland we're contractually obliged to have a 'proper' team to support in England, and in fairness they be quiet the outcasts if they didn't support one of the Big 6. If for some bizarre reason they'd managed to discover Spurs or City I could have lived with it. Perhaps even Arsenal or Chelsea at a push. But not United. A gentle push and a couple of Champions League finals has got them firmly aboard the Liverpool bandwagon, which is the least objectionable option of the 6.

[Kevin S]

This might best explain my situation. My brother isn't really into football but did go to some Town games with his friends back in the day. My paternal great-granddad died before I was born but was a huge United fan. In fact he died in his bed the night after a game. Whether that in itself was enough to put Grandad off football I don't know but I suppose it could've been.

Anyway I'm basically now assimilated into Ipswich. Norwich has become more of a passing interest.




Amber and black = Cambridge
Yellow and green = Norwich
Blue = Ipswich
White = not affiliated

[Sporting]

My father was born in Ipswich and remained a fan all his life. I've been to Portman Road a few times but sorry to say never really found much of interest in the town itself.

[Patrick Thistle]

One of my nephew's friends at his birthday party on Saturday was wearing a full PSG kit, including socks, with Neymar's name & number on the shirt. The boy's father abandoned the family over the winter. I'm not sure if these two things are connected but my gut feeling is they are.

[3 Colours Red]

I'm not sure to go with your gut there - I've mentioned before that my nephew has full PSG and Barcelona kits (and also claims to support Man City), almost to smite his Arsenal fan dad. They still see each other though... and I have to confess I quite enjoy how much this riles his father. It's his birthday next month - I may buy him a Bayern or Juve shirt!

[Patrick Thistle]

I'm not entirely serious. I felt sorry for him really. His dad is turning down opportunities to see him and his sister.

I said "Ooh, Neymar. He's a good player." and he beamed at me.

[3 Colours Red]

Oddly enough, my nephew wanted Neymar 10 on his shirt as well but didn't have enough money left for it. When I first saw him wearing it I jokingly said I'd rather have had Mbappe on there. I think most PSG fans right now would make the same choice as me.