Taking kids to Tottenham

[Khilari]

Apologies if already posted

I've successfully brainwashed my 4-year-old who is really desperate for me to take him to a game.

He has a little dribbler membership card, though I'm not sure what that means.

Was going to try to get seats in the family bit but wondered what other people's experience was taking kids to games.

Assume that after about 15min he may get bored and I'm sure a toilet break will be necessary now and then.

I wasn't going to take my 2 1/2 year old yet, but he'll get quite upset even though I'm sure he won't enjoy himself yet.

Couple of questions
Is 4 too young? My oldest does "hate" Arsenal and dislike "Hole Campbell" as he calls him. But can just keep attention through a Jurassic Park and Avengers movie.
Would I have to pay for my 2.5yr old or could he sit on my lap?

Cheers!

 

[Gbspurs]

Jurassic park and Avengers at 4? I have a 4 year old daughter and she is nowhere near ready for that.

Based on my experience I would say 4 is too young for a spurs match but it appears like your 4 year old is a little further on (my daughter has no concept of tottenham get, just knows that daddy like to watch football and she cheers when a goal is scored)

Only you know your child but obviously there is a fair amount of profanity at the spurs games, even in the family stand. Should be able to see if he stands on the chair as people will be sat around there.

Could you try him on a "local" match before spurs?

I don't know about the 2.5 year old, all I know is with those 2 you would never get to watch the match!!!

 

[bigfrooj]

My son was five and despite his desperation to go was bored and fidgeting after a short time. He's been going for 18 years now so must have liked it anyhow!

 

[Mr.D]

Make sure you load your phone up with games as he'll need something to entertain him after 5 minutes of watching our beloved Lilywhites.

 

[KingKay]

Planning on bringing my daughter down this season, she's only 2 and a half but I want to get a photo with her outside the old ground before it get's knocked down. She's nowhere near ready for a game yet, but when we win the league in 15 years time she'll have evidence that she's not a glory supporter

 

[Sanj]

Much as the above comments Khiladi,
Took my son for his first match aged 6 - Hull at home in the Carling Cup - or whatever its now called - got bored just before half time and fidgeted throughout the 2nd half, and extra time.
Last year - age 7 he really got into it - and could sit through a full game (nearly).
Hope he can last the 90 mins when i take him to the Stoke game.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Take them to an U21 game - if you have to they get to see the ground etc - but personally I think there to young for a first team game

 

[Styopa]

Much as the above comments Khiladi,
Took my son for his first match aged 6 - Hull at home in the Carling Cup - or whatever its now called - got bored just before half time and fidgeted throughout the 2nd half, and extra time.
Last year - age 7 he really got into it - and could sit through a full game (nearly).
Hope he can last the 90 mins when i take him to the Stoke game.

To be fair, there have been a few games against Stoke when I haven't lasted the full 90 min.

 

[Lilbaz]

I went when I was around 5. Couldn't hardly see over the wall of the terrace.

Much preferred the evening games. My dad got us tickets in the west stand upper and I thought the pitch looked beautiful floodlit and the kits were so white. Being able to see the whole pitch properly and see how the ball curled kept me more interested. Also wasn't as loud. Kids ears are sensitive.

 

[EighteenEightyTwo]

My dad didn't take me until I could sit through an entire match on TV. I'd just turned 6 when I first went.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

I was 4. No problems.

 

[ILS]

I'm taking my 5 year to his first Spurs Premiership match away at Leicester. He went to the Schalke friendly last year and enjoyed the day, however spent most the match on the Mrs mobile phone playing games.

So anyway I thought as his interest in football increases this would be a good opportunity for a father and son to spend some quality time with each other. So we going to drive over to Leicester...meet my old man who is a Leicester Season ticket holder...give him my son who will be sitting with him in the Leicester end, whilst me and my mate go in the Spurs end and have the time of our life.

and I hope after all that I never get accused by the wife of not spending enough quality time with my eldest!!

 

[Gassin's finest]

I'm no parent, but I think 4... certainly 2... is too young for it. My first match was aged 7, which I think was about right.

I see people taking their toddlers to all sorts of places... footy, restaurants, cinema's... and all I see is the kids not enjoying themselves from boredom and having to sit still, the parents not enjoying themselves from having to keep the bairn happy, and everyone else around them not enjoying themselves from being disturbed by said commotion.

Give them time to enjoy themselves as kids in those early ages, all that boring stuff can come later

 

[WalkerboyUK]

Depends if you're willing to piss away the money for a kid who's going to lose interest within 5 mins!
From experiences with my own kids, I'd say 4 is too young, unless it's for a Europa League game where the club are charging £40 for a family of 4.
I took my 9 yr old to his first proper game at MK Dons 3 years ago and even then he would lose interest quickly.
He was 7 when he saw his first Spurs game, pre-season away at Watford and he was more into it all then.
Took him to his first game at the Lane a few months later (Basel in EL).

Also, don't just think about the kid - think about the other people who the kid will be around, from their perspective and your own.
When we went to the Basel game the language being used was nothing short of disgusting for kids to be hearing, and we also witnessed a drunken fight a few rows ahead of us.
For me personally, it's also a bit like going to the cinema - last thing I want is a restless kid kicking my seat or whining.

 

[Khilari]

Thanks for the really informative and funny replies

I think the avengers and Jurassic park thing is more a boy interest thing (vs girls)

I also think the idea of going with daddy to watch the mighty spurs play is probably far more appealing than 90min of dembele cut-backs and actually watching spurs play.

I might try the U21 game first, makes sense!

And no 2 yr old too it seems.

 

[Mr-T]

Took my boy to a pre season friendly when he was about 3, he loved it but got bored quickly and needed the bog all the time. Waited til he was about 8 before taking him to his first competitive game though. Seemed about right.

 

[Tott66]

Apologies if already posted

I've successfully brainwashed my 4-year-old who is really desperate for me to take him to a game.

He has a little dribbler membership card, though I'm not sure what that means.

Was going to try to get seats in the family bit but wondered what other people's experience was taking kids to games.

Assume that after about 15min he may get bored and I'm sure a toilet break will be necessary now and then.

I wasn't going to take my 2 1/2 year old yet, but he'll get quite upset even though I'm sure he won't enjoy himself yet.

Couple of questions
Is 4 too young? My oldest does "hate" Arsenal and dislike "Hole Campbell" as he calls him. But can just keep attention through a Jurassic Park and Avengers movie.
Would I have to pay for my 2.5yr old or could he sit on my lap?

Cheers!

I applaud you they are our future generation of fans

 

[Navin R Johnson]

I took my son to his first professional game a few days before his sixth birthday in March 2001. It was a bitter miserable day and the match was no different, Luton (my local team) drew 0-0 with Bristol Rovers. He sat through that without getting unduly bored (which was more than you can say for the rest of the crowd) so I knew he was ready to start taking into WHL-more to the point I was ensuring it wouldn't be a waste of money before making the schlep.

Long story shorter, we got tickets in the Paxton, surrounded by a great bunch of people who treated him as an equal and listened to his opinions rather than treating him as some kid to be endured. I sincerely believe it helped develop his social skills and maturity when dealing with adults, even his teachers noticed the change in his confidence and development from spending eight hours quality time with his dad and others with a common interest.

Yes, you will get a bit off ripe language even in the Paxton but I found if you show your child your version of the difference between right and wrong it's not an issue and they don't copy it.

Just my personal experience for what it's worth.

 

[L.A. Yiddo]

Slightly off topic, what's the best boozer to go to these days if you have a kid with you? Obviously not the Bill Nick

 

[cliff jones]

based on my own experience id say four is too young. i took my son at four to the one nil over fulham when bale glanced a header in from a vdv free kick. pretty sterile stuff, he was bored and the last half our was a real chore.

im taking the little monkey to stoke with the memory of the nil nil v stoke two years ago still fresh. we live overseas so this is an annoying quirk of the fixtures computer. might well get to see wtford at home in february.

coming back to stoke, i hope we finally turn up against them, including tactically.