[Football] Friends who know nothing about football.

Goldstone1976 said:

Gives me something to tell her on this evening’s call. She’ll be delighted to hear that - thanks!

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hart's shirt said:

My mum's in her 80s as well and I know she'd react almost identically even after my paranoia, concern and likely exasperation was evident.

Love her reaction to clapping the opponents equaliser and your threat of never taking her again!

There should be a Senior Seagulls club.

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hart's shirt said:

There should be a Senior Seagulls club.

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Goldstone1976 said:

This affliction is curable, even with an 80-something year old, though it does take time.

In 2015/16, we lost my Dad, and my mum asked if I would take her to a game - I think mostly because she wanted company. We went to the Birmingham home game. She was very excited when we took the lead, and clapped politely when they equalised. In a more venomous way than I intended, I took her to task, explaining that I would never take her again if she ever did that again. “Well, we always clap a good shot if an opposing player plays a good wood in bowls”, she said by way of explanation. “It’s not bloody bowls”, I succinctly said.

She went to a couple more games that season.

In our promotion season, she went to six games, including Wigan, where she was properly excited.

Last season she went to 12 games, including Arsenal and United, and half way through the season, we agreed that we’d get her a ST for next year. We sat in the seats that I’d picked out for us as best candidates for the Spurs and United games. The chap two seats down from us delights in calling the ref a “fing cxxx” at every justifiable occasion, and many somewhat less justifiable occasions. After the United game, I asked if she was happy with those seats for next season:

“Yes, dear. They’re perfect”
“Even though - well, err, you know?”
“I just tune him out, dear. Besides, he’s lovely before and after the game”.

She’s ready.

Though she does get very excited at seeing Gully. “Oooh - there he is” - every bloody game.

Having failed to get any of my kids at all interested in football - I think an extremely cold, wet Boxing Day loss at Withdean kiboshed that - I take at least some comfort from having introduced at least 1 new STH.

Persistence, clarity about etiquette, and a willingness to explain every nuance to start with (“See that big box? Well, the keeper is allowed to use his hands in the area”) will convert a total ingenue in three years.

Yesterday evening, on our daily catch up phone call she asked when the fixtures for next season would be out.

Atta girl.

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dazzer6666 said:

Lovely post, but how did she get through the ST waiting list ?

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Goldstone1976 said:

1901 seats. There's a boring longer story, but the previous sentence is core to it.

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