Young kids at football - tickets and seats

[Tooting Gull]

For the first time ever, I'm considering taking my daughter to a match, at an away ground as it happens as part of a wider trip.

So I'm now interested in what the policy is generally on young kids. Do they usually get in free, what ages are the cut-offs for eg sitting on your lap or paying for a seat, how much usually in League One. I don't even know what the deal is at Withdean yet.

The ground I'm looking at (Norwich) seemed to be free for Under 1s, but you paid the same from 13 months all the way up to 12. My daughter will be about 2. It also seemed to be a lot cheaper in the home end family area than the away end, so I may consider doing that. If it's too much hassle it's a late match anyway, I may even have to miss it.

If you have taken young kids either home or away at say the age of around 2 (this is a bit of a one-off, probably won't do it regularly), what's the deal?

 

[Was not Was]

it was a few yrs ago that I was in yr position, but I'm pretty sure that, up to age 3-ish (and older when it's a ground that never sells out) stewards/gatestaff are embarrassed to take yr money for the nipper, even if the regs say they should pay from 1 y.o.

My rule of thumb would be: if the section won't be full, and you can say that she'll be on yr lap (even if in practice she sits next to you some of the time), just carry her thru that turnstile ...

 

[ward is god]

We have been taking our son away with us since he was one month old. He is now 8 and he has only just started paying when we turn up for pay on the day. I wouldn't risk an all ticket clash but a babe in arms is fine!

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

You've also got to consider that the kid is bound to be bored and you may not be able to stay for the whole match.

Isn't the norwich game an evening game too? might get a bit chilly for a nipper (No pun intended!)

 

[Spun Cuppa]

You've also got to consider that the kid is bound to be bored and you may not be able to stay for the whole match.

Would that be a reference to children's short attention span OR the quality of football served up at the minute by BHA?

 

[Spider]

What is actually the point of taking a babe in arms to a football match?

 

[supaseagull]

i have to admit, being a dad of 2, it's only now that my youngest who is 7 will sit and watch a whole game and even then he still gets bored.

I've seen too many over excited dads go to take their kids out to their first game only for it to be ruined because he or she always wants the toilet(the child that is not the dad lol), gets frightened of people shouting or just wants to go home.

My advice is that unless you have to, don't take your kids to a football match until their at least 5 as a) they won't remember anything about it anyway & b) there's nothing worse than spending £30 for your ticket only to have to leave early or miss half the match.

 

[Giraffe]

I went to Huddersfiled when my youngest was about 4, and they let her in free. But that isn't their general policy that was just a nice bloke on the door I think.

 

[phoenix]

i have to admit, being a dad of 2, it's only now that my youngest who is 7 will sit and watch a whole game and even then he still gets bored.

I've seen too many over excited dads go to take their kids out to their first game only for it to be ruined because he or she always wants the toilet(the child that is not the dad lol), gets frightened of people shouting or just wants to go home.

My advice is that unless you have to, don't take your kids to a football match until their at least 5 as a) they won't remember anything about it anyway & b) there's nothing worse than spending £30 for your ticket only to have to leave early or miss half the match.

Thanks supaseagull thats the best bit of advice,I have had for a long time.Was going to take them all boy 10 girls 8 & 4.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Russ went to his first game when he was 5 and Robert was 6. They never got in for free but at several grounds have squeezed together to go through the turnstile as one click.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

I remember sitting behind a woman and her two young kids in The South Stand at Withdean, with a little lad with some sort of hyperactivity issue directly in front of me, who felt the need to stand on the seat, meaning for long periods all I got to see was the back of his head...:US: