How early have you taken your children to a game and it be ok?

[RoyalBlue]

Think i'll stick to 'Stow for a few more years yet based on the advice. There is a strong possibility i just end up going to Leyton Orient games with her instead and become a Leyton fan.

Appreciate this is sacrilege on a football forum.

I think that absolutely makes sense and plan to do the same (Charlton in my case)

I supported Reading because they were my local side so why shouldn't the next generation have the same chance? It's no life commuting on GWR and the matchday experience is shocking in any case.

I can understand the argument for kids being encouraged to support their local team, however:

Our kids have never lived in Reading (40 miles away) but are lifelong dedicated Royals. Our granddaughter lives in the US but Reading is her English team, just like her mum and her dad who became a Royal through marriage! Our grandson now lives nearer Reading and if his dad has anything to do with it will be a Reading supporter, rather than Leeds like his mum's family.

Oh, and heaven forbid that I had encouraged our kids to support their local team - they could well have ended up fake hoops!

[Green]

Depends what you want I guess.

Do these far flung second and third generation royals get to many games, or is it more of a follow online kind of arrangement?

I just think if you're planning to go to games then logistically, practically, financially, common sensically it just has to be local otherwise it's not gonna happen.

(Yeh I know some people regularly do 300 mile round trips to watch their "home" sides but f* that, especially with youngsters in tow)

[Dave the rave]

I took my lad when he was 5 (almost 6). We went with my mum (lifelong fan) and he had a great time. The last ten minutes I could sense he was waning but we've been going on/off ever since and he's now 12.
We get the bus in, have a pint before (he'll get chips or some such), shout and sing then get the bus home. Love it.
When he was younger I couldn't get him into football but he enjoyed the day out. Fast forward 6 years and he's football mad. Begging me to take him to away games too.

3.75 is probably to young.

Whatever you do, make sure you take a load of haribos etc and be prepared to buy chips/pizza as she'll probably be more interested in that than the football.

[Winchester Royal]

I've been taking my son since he was around 3 and a half, but more for my benefit than his. As others have said, take lots of snacks and be prepared to go to the toilet on a regular basis. I also took ear muffs, and and ipad and headphones. As time went on he would watch more of the football, and spend less time on the Ipad. I'd say that once he was 6 he was able to attend a game and actually enjoy it.

Now he's 8 he wants to go to every game and have every kit.

[St Pauli]

he's 8 he wants every kit.

PLOLastic

[RoyalBlue]

Depends what you want I guess.

Do these far flung second and third generation royals get to many games, or is it more of a follow online kind of arrangement?

I just think if you're planning to go to games then logistically, practically, financially, common sensically it just has to be local otherwise it's not gonna happen.

(Yeh I know some people regularly do 300 mile round trips to watch their "home" sides but f* that, especially with youngsters in tow)

I fully understand where you are coming from.

Clearly our granddaughter in the US gets to go to very few games but can watch them with her mum and dad online. As she gets older I'm sure she will be going to MLS games too but hopefully will always be A Royal at heart. Both our kids were quite happy to make attending games pretty much a day out when they were young. As they got older they also loved making it really full days out by attending away games too.

I think having growing numbers of supporters who have never actually lived in the town or even local area is part of the transition towards being 'a big club'. I look forward to the day when we too are mocked for having large fan bases in the wrong part of the country!