Football For The Next Generation

I was one of three boys, born ‘up north’, but living in Liverpool for only the first five years of my life before a massive move to the South-East.

To say that Kent is not as keen on football as the North would be an under-statement. So, my Dad enforced football on all three of us - eager to carry on the proud family tradition of following Liverpool FC. Indeed it was his way or the highway.
Match-day was always a special occasion in our house, particularly live games. Mum would make herself scarce, hoping for a Liverpool win as much as the rest of us, but for a slightly different reason – three happy males is better than three upset/angry ones. There we would be, Liverpool shirts on, sat in our usual seats and cheering on The Reds as if they could hear or it made any difference whatsoever to the final score.

Now, at nearly 30, I have two boys of my own and the set up in this house is entirely different. I have married a Manchester United fan (gasp) and needless to say, I have mellowed somewhat. I am the first to admit that I was hugely biased both in my love of Liverpool and hatred for all things United; but things change as you get older and other things become (slightly) more important. The wife is a ‘proper’ football fan. She knows the offside rule, she has been to her club’s ground and can name players from most of the recent history. We now watch both sets of fixtures together and are able to constructively critique the game during and afterwards. It was no easy transition though!

Our boys are aged five and two. The older boy is a Manchester United fan, along with his mum and Grandad…while the younger is obviously Liverpool, along with me and his uncles. That was the easy part…the hard part is proving to be what to teach the boys and when. I do not want them growing up only caring about their own team, with blinkers on. My brothers and I were deluded I guess and unfortunately you meet a lot of football fans who simply haven’t grown up, or have failed to realise their delusions.

I do not think that my boys will grow up this way, as supporting opposite teams should encourage them to think outside the box, I hope.

It is a challenge to get them to grow up with the viewpoint I now hold, and not the one I was given in my early years. Yet, it is a challenge I relish. We are very much a football family and will be encouraging open minds and respect for the opposition when it comes to the beautiful game.