...lightly turns to love."
The words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his famous 1842 poem Locksley Hall.
Well after yesterday I can confirm this. I witnessed Camel Jr. truly fall in love with Bolton Wanderers as he had his first away game at Notts Forest and experienced for the first time, the camaraderie and atmosphere of travelling away with a band of fellow supporters into enemy territory. He was so excited as we walked down from the centre to the ground that he nearly shrugged off the chance to have a jumbo hotdog with all the trimmings. Nearly but not quite.
There were people there that he had seen in passing in the reebok and when they saw him they actually went out of their way to say hello. He felt part of something and the grin on his face was a mile wide. A particular highlight was having his photo taken with the fan's mascot Fat Frank. Many Facebook likes for that photo.
He experienced standing at a match for the first time. The singing and the banter and the sheer craic of it. It's something that has fired him up. Coming away from the ground he was too fired up to sleep in the car for the 3 hour drive back. No mean feat for a 9 year old that's been walking and standing all day.
It has given me a boost too. It's brought home to me that while the conversations about tactics, selections and what Dougie Freedman is giving the players for brekkie are entertaining, they are essentially a sideshow.
Supporting the team and the matchday experience is the real thing. It's the only real reason to stay interested. I like a conversation about loan players Vs homegrown lads coming through to the first team as much as the next fan. It's not the thing to allow yourself to get worked up about though.
My lad loves his stats and can quote you endless streams of numbers about BWFC players past and present but yesterday he forgot all that, he just loved the day, the team and the people around him.
I think some of us forgotten that that's what it is really all about .
Kids can really teach you things sometimes.
THC
" In Spring a young man's fancy...
posted on 18/2/13
Great article, I'm sure the two of you will have many more great days out. Enjoy.
posted on 18/2/13
4 stars. -1 for letting your kid near fat frank.
posted on 18/2/13
A really excellent post, brought back memories of taking both junior Madnotlobians (both now on here!) to their first matches.
Having said that, we should both be had up for child cruelty...
posted on 18/2/13
I remember my first walk down to Burnden Park in 89. We won and I didn't see us defeated for a couple of years. Mainly due to not going to many Saturday matches and mainly due to the massive home unbeaten run when I did.
Ended pretty abruptly with a 4-1 defeat against Bournmouth. In the rain.
One of my first away matches was Forest. Though I was 21 not 9 and ended up going with a Forest, Leicester and Arsenal fan. I got very drunk after the match. Though we did start on the train at half 11. (went from Lincoln).
posted on 18/2/13
Taking both of mine to Derby tomorrow.
The Boy came to Stoke with me last season and he is addicted. It'll be my daughter's first competitive away game (we've been to a few pre-seasons). Trying to knock Man City out of her...but the Joe Hart hormones are raging.
posted on 18/2/13
Lovely, heartwarming article, THC.
Days like these are to be treasured, they will fly by and before you can blink your little one will be man!
5* for taking me on a trip down memory lane.
posted on 18/2/13
Ta for your kind words, fabrice is the 4 star bandit!
I'm planning at least one more away game before the end of the season and while going to the home games together is great, I'm already looking forward to the nextaway one that we attend.
Glad to have reminded some other fans of what brought us to the Super Whites in the first place.
posted on 18/2/13
Cracking article, mate.
There is nothing like the buzz of waking up on a match day when you're going to the game. Wish I could attend more often than I'm able to and can't wait to take my boys along one day.
posted on 18/2/13
My son has been distinctly underwhelmed by his trips to see Bolton away from home and I have so far been unable to turn him away from Chelsea. One thing i will say is that he is absolutely fascinated, and slightly repelled, by the phenomenon of Fat Frank
posted on 18/2/13
Exiled, I understand that you're fighting an up hill battle pal. Keep at it!