Son is finally a blue

[If You Know Your History]

Brilliant work.

 

[b-rad]

I don’t know if this is helpful mate. But many years ago someone I know pushed Sunderland to install sensory rooms for autistic fans (his own son - who was struggling to go to the match). And that’s been rolled out across the country now, with lots and lots of clubs and stadiums following suit.

and I’ve just googled it and no surprise Everton’s new stadium has one. Might be worth taking your son in there, so it’s less overwhelming for him (if that’s a problem like with the tour/ Goodison game for the sounds of your post)

https://www.evertonfc.com/fans/disabled-supporters/accessible-facilities/sensory-box-and-sensory-room

Class he’s getting into football anyway mate. Hopefully he can enjoy matches going forward.

Thanks - it's something he probably won't need to make use of, but certainly good to know it's there.

 

[b-rad]

It was only a few weeks ago that I posted about my son finally being an Everton fan.

At the weekend, he walked out with Tarkowski as the mascot against Chelsea. Both kids have had junior membership for a number of years, and I vaguely remember seeing something about the chance of being selected as a mascot, but the chances of this happening are almost zero, right?

After receiving an email from Everton, I spent an anxious 24 hours trying to verify it's real, then a nervous wait for the kit to arrive, plus a journey to Stamford Bridge well ahead of kick-off. I don't think it's fully sunk in for my son just how huge a deal it was, but he had an incredible time. The Chelsea mascot team, and Everton players and coaching staff, all made him feel welcome and comfortable. It's a small thing for players to spend a few seconds, have a little chat, pose for a photo and sign a program, but it means the world to the little kids. The players will forget all about the mascot they high-fived within seconds, but my boy will remember it.

I also need to give a special shout out to @alan ball who helped out with some tickets so that my wife and daughter didn't miss it.

 

[kev]

It was only a few weeks ago that I posted about my son finally being an Everton fan.

At the weekend, he walked out with Tarkowski as the mascot against Chelsea. Both kids have had junior membership for a number of years, and I vaguely remember seeing something about the chance of being selected as a mascot, but the chances of this happening are almost zero, right?

After receiving an email from Everton, I spent an anxious 24 hours trying to verify it's real, then a nervous wait for the kit to arrive, plus a journey to Stamford Bridge well ahead of kick-off. I don't think it's fully sunk in for my son just how huge a deal it was, but he had an incredible time. The Chelsea mascot team, and Everton players and coaching staff, all made him feel welcome and comfortable. It's a small thing for players to spend a few seconds, have a little chat, pose for a photo and sign a program, but it means the world to the little kids. The players will forget all about the mascot they high-fived within seconds, but my boy will remember it.

I also need to give a special shout out to @alan ball who helped out with some tickets so that my wife and daughter didn't miss it.

Brilliant that mate.

 

[tommye]

View attachment 337127

It was only a few weeks ago that I posted about my son finally being an Everton fan.

At the weekend, he walked out with Tarkowski as the mascot against Chelsea. Both kids have had junior membership for a number of years, and I vaguely remember seeing something about the chance of being selected as a mascot, but the chances of this happening are almost zero, right?

After receiving an email from Everton, I spent an anxious 24 hours trying to verify it's real, then a nervous wait for the kit to arrive, plus a journey to Stamford Bridge well ahead of kick-off. I don't think it's fully sunk in for my son just how huge a deal it was, but he had an incredible time. The Chelsea mascot team, and Everton players and coaching staff, all made him feel welcome and comfortable. It's a small thing for players to spend a few seconds, have a little chat, pose for a photo and sign a program, but it means the world to the little kids. The players will forget all about the mascot they high-fived within seconds, but my boy will remember it.

I also need to give a special shout out to @alan ball who helped out with some tickets so that my wife and daughter didn't miss it.
View attachment 337128

View attachment 337129

That's amazing.
What a lovely memory for you all. Superb stuff
UTFT

 

[Ray Purchase]

You are a responsible Dad, preparing your nipper for real life, via the Toffee's.

Moments of ecstasy, largely submerged by years of boredom and disappointment.

Just keep him away from your Leonard Cohen records.

 

[gonetomorrow]

It finally happened! Neither of my kids has been particularly into football, other than a quick kickaround in the garden once in a while, which is often replaced by basketball, or just tossing a tennis ball around.

We took a trip last October for a tour of Goodison and one last match (which was also a first match for both kids), but my son especially wasn’t fussed. He is on the autistic spectrum and had headphones on, keeping himself stimulated and not really engaging with his surroundings. It felt a great shame, given the history, but ultimately that history really didn’t mean anything to him, and the day passed him by without being particularly special. The match was probably a little overwhelming (and low on quality), but I think he did enjoy the spectacle of 40,000 fans packed in, under the lights. The trip was mostly for me though, and I’m thankful that they came along. I wanted to get them to Goodison, even if they didn’t care.

I’ve always been keen to get my son and daughter into football, whether playing or just watching, purely because it was a big part of my childhood and it’s a part of me that will always remain. Neither my daughter nor son has caught the bug…until now.

My son, now 8, expressed an interest in joining a local football team and going to training each week. I was very happy to hear this, though I tempered my own expectations as I half-expected it to be a short-lived thing. Three months in, and he is loving it. Living and breathing football, playing whenever he can, but still rarely watching.

I had the game vs Tottenham on my phone (I was half watching and half running round after kids, etc.), but suddenly I realised we were both just sat on the hallway carpet, watching the game on a little screen – him getting really into it and talking about what Pickford was doing (he wants to be a goalkeeper), me getting angrier and angrier with the performance but trying to keep it together as this was the first time being glued to it. Perhaps it wasn’t the ideal performance to decide whether or not he was going to be an Everton fan, but somehow it did the trick.

Now, he chooses to wear his 3rd kit whenever he can, and I can’t wait to take him to a match now that I know he will be watching it closely, emotionally invested, and appreciating the occasion. Living in the South that’s more awkward to do, but I’m hoping to get up to Bramley Moore for a weekend later in the season and ideally also grab some tickets for an away game in London if we are lucky!

Tremendous.