Are you raising your kid to be a blue?

[Prevenger17]

Important to teach your kids that life isn't fair. That the strong consume the weak and morality is a hollow construct. That whatever you aspire to, there will always be something just around the corner to crap all over your hopes and dreams. Life may well throw you a scrap from time to time, and you will thank life for this pitiful crust even though you know, in your empty pit of a soul, that life only reveals these small shards of hope so that you know exactly what is being snatched away every other hour of your unrelenting, laughable existence.


Support Everton, children

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

Important to teach your kids that life isn't fair. That the strong consume the weak and morality is a hollow construct. That whatever you aspire to, there will always be something just around the corner to crap all over your hopes and dreams. Life may well throw you a scrap from time to time, and you will thank life for this pitiful crust even though you know, in your empty pit of a soul, that life only reveals these small shards of hope so that you know exactly what is being snatched away every other hour of your unrelenting, laughable existence.


Support Everton, children

Without doubt the best summation of the realities of being an Evertonian I've ever read. Congratulations.

 

[tim cahill]

I am but I feel guilty about it every day.

What can I say? Misery loves company.

 

[evo1878]

i have thought about this a lot plus me and my brother have discussed it a lot too. We've followed Everton, home and away and all over Europe for years.

i don't have kids myself but my brother has 2 boys aged 9 and 6. i took the youngest nephew to his first game at Goodison aged about 2 as soon as he was just about able to walk the length of Goodison Road. He's been an Evertonian since that day. His younger brother loves Everton too. Both have the kits etc.

My nephews love watching live football most of all. But the last few seasons since TV really started messing round with our fixtures (Sundays, Mondays, Fridays, late Saturdays, early Saturdays etc) it's really limited how much the nephews can watch Everton live and they don't understand and they've stopped caring because they have other things to do. They live an hour from Goodison and Saturday 3pm is still the time that fits around all the other things they do. So rather than deny them going to any match we started taking them to watch Stockport County who have fallen right through the leagues and now play in the Conference North. It's pretty poor standard of football but a lot of commitment and most games are evenly matched and competitive because few teams have much more money than others in that league to make a significant difference.

Now here's the really messed up thing that makes me fear for all future young Evertonians. We had a time about 6 weeks ago when Everton were playing well and Stockport were as mid-table as ever in that league and my nephews said they would now rather go and watch Stockport. So i asked why. They said because all the players live near Stockport in a house like they do and the players say hello to them and thank you if they get the ball back when it goes out of play. And they can also get closer to the pitch (although Stockport still has a ground fit for a league club). And finally ... and this was the killer .... they said they couldn't really understand why Lukaku keeps saying he wants to leave Everton when he gets millions for kicking a football like they do at Stockport and the Stockport players don't get millions but they seem to like playing football. The bottom line is my football-daft nephews have stopped being able to identify with over paid premier league players (it wasn't just lukaku - they said a few players don't try any more) and a club where it costs just to say they are a fan e.g. Junior blue membership (or whatever it is now). What's also interesting is that the postcards they get from Everton they now throw in the bin "cos Everton just want more of our pocket money". Don't get me wrong they'll watch the blues on telly at every opportunity and we take them to Goodison but this season i felt for the first time we've probably lost their sense of connectivity to the club.

And the nephews will be the first generation in our family lost since the club started in 1878 when my great-great gran used to watch the early matches. Do i blame them? probably not. I can't identify with the players myself in a way that i can still chat with Reidy, Sharpy, Sheeds, Snods and anyone else from those great sides.

I would be interested to see what the average attendances of young supporters has been over the past few years. i know the club gives a lot of free tickets out through EITC but i suspect it could the start of a very long road to the end for many premier league clubs, ourselves included?

 

[QLDBlue]

My two boys are coming along nicely as Blues. Being over here it's hard to enforce in them a natural hatred of the RS, but we're getting there

 

[Hangleton]

I am proud of my 10 year old son being a blue. He has a much more rational view of football compared to his Chelsea and Arsenal mates.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I'd offer a little comfort and hope to anyone with a child showing a tendency to move over to a much darker side. My dad uncle brother and cousins are all Evertonians. But my youngest cousin flirted with Chelsea during the first Jose period, got a shirt with Damien Duff on the back. I can see it well still to this day, the utter monstrosity of a kit. But thankfully he came to his senses by the time he reached his teens, has not looked back since and is as passionate and aggressive in his support and booing of the team as the next blue.

Come back to the Blues all you who have strayed. Once a blue...

 

[koolblue77]

I made my Mrs walk with me to the match heavily pregnant so my little girl could hear zcars and the roar of the crowd even before she was born. She recognises everything Everton even the dodgy old badge, even though she's nearly two! Damn right she's going to be a blue!!

 

[Jokerdan]

My eldest is a passionate Blue but at times I look at her and feel as if I have let her down. We don't get to the Old Lady very often basically due to both having work commitments and the uncertainty surrounding BT/Sky scheduling. But she assures me that Everton is as much a part of her life as they are mine and it is a case of 'what makes you stronger wont kill you' which should mean we may have a few more years of suffering to endure yet.

I lived through the late-60's/early 70's and saw the Holy Trinity, Big Bob's remarkable 30-goal season, the halcyon days of the mid-80's and the roller coaster of the 90's. My daughter has known very little other than the '95 Cup win - I guess she should be grateful to have been old enough to experience that - and has since had to endure the dirge that has been offered up since. I mean, the highlights of any season is if and/or when we beat the RS which doesn't offer much by way of compensation for all the heartache we endure especially as despite their woes they can somehow pull off the occasional trophy win.

But I wouldn't swop this club - MY club - for anything. We are a special breed and, forgive me Honey (this is addressed to my daughter and not Bungle or any of the other reprobates on here), but I am afraid you are part of that.

 

[Pootsy]

My Kids were born Blues.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

Terrible parenting.

My eldest doesn't even understand football yet but tells me he loves Everton and gives me the thumbs down if I mention Liverpool.

My son is autistic.
You cannot persuade a child with that mindset. They see it for what it is.
He thinks the world of me and my wife though and that is the most important thing in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Blue Cheese]

My Kids were born Blues.

I hope you revived them ok with no lasting damage.

 

[Boss_Blue]

My son is autistic.
You cannot persuade a child with that mindset. They see it for what it is.
He thinks the world of me and my wife though and that is the most important thing in the grand scheme of things.

My eldest is being put through the pathway at the moment so I feel your pain.

Still, you should have been drilling it into him from the moment he was born mate x

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

My eldest is being put through the pathway at the moment so I feel your pain.

Still, you should have been drilling it into him from the moment he was born mate x

I tried, and I have tried the same with star wars. He is his own person and very strong willed. Maybe one day he might show interest.
I am fine with that as what matters the most is that he is happy

(He does join in booing Liverpool, I got that spot on )

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

My eldest is being put through the pathway at the moment so I feel your pain.

Still, you should have been drilling it into him from the moment he was born mate x

Some good support avenues out there. We applied for DLA (certainly do this if you haven't), and he attends a school where he receives constant support (1 staff member to 2 pupils) and he has progressed. Good luck