| Some help please gentlemen 12:24 - Sep 11 with 8951 views | real_loftus |
OK, so I've bitten the bullet and I'm taking my 7yr old to his first game at HQ for the Middlesborough game. We've got seats in the Lower Loft in the family area.
So in previous years, my routine has usually consisted of an early meet in The Bush, followed by enough Kronenbourg to kill a small mammal and a bleary journey home at some point in the evening. So clearly my match-day experience is about to change considerably.
For those with younger kids, whats the best pre-match drill to keep them entertained and interested? What time do the players arrive, and where's the best place to get photos/autographs etc? What are the best kid-friendly boozers for a cheeky beer? Any other successful hints and tips to make this an enjoyable experience for me and for him?
Ta |  |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 12:37 - Sep 11 with 7531 views | WokingR |
Don't know if it's still there with all the changes going on at the BBC but my daughter always got excited walking past the tv centre to see the Prank Patrol bus parked outside.
Also Fire & Stone in the Westfield Centre is highly recommended for a kid friendly pizza before or after.
Then its all about drinks and treats to make him want to come back and hope we win as sitting next to a moody pissed off dad doesn't help. |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 12:37 - Sep 11 with 7530 views | W7Ranger |
Take a DS/DSI/3DS with you!  |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 12:53 - Sep 11 with 7478 views | swisscottage |
| Some help please gentlemen on 12:37 - Sep 11 by W7Ranger |
Take a DS/DSI/3DS with you! |
I've taken my niece and nephew from and early age.
My niece loved it an was immediately hooked, but it wasn't until she got past 9 or 10 that the attention span started moving to the whole game. Obviously every kid is different, and if he's been brought up with footy on the box at home and is already a fan, then he may be able to last the whole match, but just in case he gets bored have something with you for him to play with.
My Nephew on the other hand, wasn't happy with the crowds or the noise levels and for him a set of headphones was absolutely necessary with a DS as his attention span was about 20 minutes. He's better now, but he's more into his rugby than footy or QPR.
Nando's on the Uxbridge road always goes down well with the kids ... but now my niece and nephew are teenagers moving up to Jamie's kitchen or other restaurants at Westfield is a nice treat for them.
Get into the ground early and then he get go to the front of the loft and get autographs from players whilst they warm up. We did this a couple of occasions in the paddock, and the kids love to see the players up close... especially if they already have their favorites.
Also take some sweets or snacks with you.
Anyway I hope he has a good time and loves it. |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:10 - Sep 11 with 7424 views | actonman |
Probably no help at all but my boy comes to every game with me (he,s 9 and been coming since he was 4 or 5.
His day generally consists of sitting in the car or train for a couple of hours while we travel down, getting a McDonald's and watching me neck a couple from the off licence on the way to the ground.
Then after watching whatever is served up on the pitch (which hasn't been a lot for the past couple of years) we do it all again on the way home.
Doesn't sound very exciting for a nine year old (or me reading that back) but he loves it and you can't beat the feeling watching him singing and doing a proper mental when we score ! |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:29 - Sep 11 with 7389 views | jo_qpr63 |
Make sure they eat well before game otherwise, if they are like my kids ,they will be nagging all game. Bring sweets with you. | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:38 - Sep 11 with 7371 views | bigstevec |
My 7 year old loves spending 3 hrs at the Springbok before a game. |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:42 - Sep 11 with 7362 views | baz_qpr |
Am doing the same, see you in the lower loft.
Will be bringing DS for picture taking, sweets and pop and will be going for breakfast / lunch at a greasy spoon beforehand |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:57 - Sep 11 with 7342 views | A40Bosh |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:42 - Sep 11 by baz_qpr |
Am doing the same, see you in the lower loft.
Will be bringing DS for picture taking, sweets and pop and will be going for breakfast / lunch at a greasy spoon beforehand |
and make sure they go to the bog every five minutes BEFORE kick off time - ortherwise they will be wanting to go to the bog every five minutes AFTER kick off time. |  |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 14:14 - Sep 11 with 7307 views | Lewes_r |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:38 - Sep 11 by bigstevec |
My 7 year old loves spending 3 hrs at the Springbok before a game. |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 15:42 - Sep 11 with 7216 views | SonofNorfolt |
I'm not taking mine as it will ruin their lives.
It also means I have to leave the pub early, so it will ruin mine. |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 15:52 - Sep 11 with 7197 views | kingsburyR |
| Some help please gentlemen on 13:38 - Sep 11 by bigstevec |
My 7 year old loves spending 3 hrs at the Springbok before a game. |
Seriously?????????????????????????????????????????????????/ |  |
| Dont know why we bother. .... but we do! |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 18:11 - Sep 11 with 7132 views | ted_hendrix |
Stuart, keep the lad away from you know who. |  |
| My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic. |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 18:14 - Sep 11 with 7129 views | hoopstilidie |
My daughter's first game was away at Forest. She was 11.
I took her to Hooters.
I'm going to burn aren't I? |  |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 20:02 - Sep 11 with 7041 views | Hayesender |
Took my son to his first game last season and he loved it.
Wasn't sure how he'd handle the crowds or the noise as he has aspergers, but it wasn't an issue at all.
Poor little Bugger didn't even moan when I took him into the springbok  |  |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 20:19 - Sep 11 with 7012 views | londonscottish |
Have they relaxed the (PL) rules at the Bok so you can drink outside again? I've been away for all the home games so far so haven't managed to check it out.
That used to work fine when I took my boy (then 6). The last two seasons has meant going in and even upstairs he hates it. So now it's a no no when he's with me.
Failing that I started going to the North Pole. Now that is closed, the Pavillion. Or if I'm meeting my mates from South London somewhere in the outside food/drink area of Westfield. All very forgettable chains there but you can get a few scoops in/keeps the kids happy.
The Crown and Sceptre is fine but on the opposite diagonal from the direction I'm coming from. So rarely make it there.
On the way home I often go to the Elgin on Ladbroke Grove as It's an old local of mine, my mate runs it and there's a QPR s't holder behind the bar. |  |
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| Some help please gentlemen on 20:47 - Sep 11 with 6987 views | daveB |
I've started taking my 4 year old son this season, my pre match routine is basically the same as last year, few beers in the white horse and he is quite happy playing on my phone or his with his toys plus we go with a few other parents so always other kids for him to mix with.
At the ground the club are doing good things for the kids, worth getting to the ground about half two/ twenty to three. Kid can meet Spark if he likes that sort of thing (most seem to love it) and they do a football bingo card whre you tick off corners, goals, shots etc, that keeps them interested in the game. No kid is going to sit and watch the full 90 minutes on his first time so worth having games on your phone or a ds so he can keep himself amused during the game Noise may also be an issue, mine was petrified of the noise at first but is getting used to it. An mp3 player or ear muffs usually help.
god luck with it, it's hard work and a very different match day experience but will be worth it in the end |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 21:51 - Sep 11 with 6937 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
It was the Smuts when I were a lad with my dad, i thought it was great! Standing in the lower Loft was all the entertainment I needed, but ah how times have changed and we have to scrape our knees on the backs of seats now *sigh*
I'd suggest toys (3ds etc), sweets/snacks and plenty of toilet breaks! When are you planning this? I'll be bringing my nephew before long, poor sod lives in Lewisham so gotta get the Hoops on him! |  | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 21:56 - Sep 11 with 6934 views | Deano19766 |
Fcuk me, what's all this bring a DS bullshite? If you're bringing them to the game then they can watch the game, and if they don;t like it then don;t bring them again. It's that simple. We all managed at Loftus Road without a DS when we were kids, so why should todays spoilt little shites be any different? | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 21:59 - Sep 11 with 6930 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
| Some help please gentlemen on 21:56 - Sep 11 by Deano19766 |
Fcuk me, what's all this bring a DS bullshite? If you're bringing them to the game then they can watch the game, and if they don;t like it then don;t bring them again. It's that simple. We all managed at Loftus Road without a DS when we were kids, so why should todays spoilt little shites be any different? |
Because they have the attention span of a nat and let's face it we are hardly a big name in the playground, we need every fan who will turn up, admittedly watching and cheering rather than playing DS but if that's what it takes to get the lad interested why not lay off and let father and son have a good day out? | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:04 - Sep 11 with 6920 views | Deano19766 |
| Some help please gentlemen on 21:59 - Sep 11 by Pablo_Hoopsta |
Because they have the attention span of a nat and let's face it we are hardly a big name in the playground, we need every fan who will turn up, admittedly watching and cheering rather than playing DS but if that's what it takes to get the lad interested why not lay off and let father and son have a good day out? |
I guess what you mean is let father have a good day out while son is bored off his tits and resorts to playing on his hand held computer to alleviate the boredom??? If they don;t want to watch the football, leave them at home to play on their DS! Why force them to come along if they are not interested and would rather play computer games???? As I said in last post, we all managed without such thungs and just enjoyed the football. If they would rather play a computer game then they are clearly not interested so leave them at home rather than being a selfish dad forcing them to do something you want to do but which they don't want to do! [Post edited 11 Sep 2013 22:07]
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| Some help please gentlemen on 22:07 - Sep 11 with 6912 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:04 - Sep 11 by Deano19766 |
I guess what you mean is let father have a good day out while son is bored off his tits and resorts to playing on his hand held computer to alleviate the boredom??? If they don;t want to watch the football, leave them at home to play on their DS! Why force them to come along if they are not interested and would rather play computer games???? As I said in last post, we all managed without such thungs and just enjoyed the football. If they would rather play a computer game then they are clearly not interested so leave them at home rather than being a selfish dad forcing them to do something you want to do but which they don't want to do! [Post edited 11 Sep 2013 22:07]
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I'm not a parent but guess you're not either? | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:11 - Sep 11 with 6899 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
That's a crafty edit, Deano 
In any case, I disagree. | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:16 - Sep 11 with 6889 views | Deano19766 |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:11 - Sep 11 by Pablo_Hoopsta |
That's a crafty edit, Deano
In any case, I disagree. |
Thought I had better not insult/abuse anyone....  | | | |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:33 - Sep 11 with 6876 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
| Some help please gentlemen on 22:16 - Sep 11 by Deano19766 |
Thought I had better not insult/abuse anyone.... |
We're all friends here!
That said, I think it's a parents right....nay...obligation, to take their offspring to the football and by hook or by crook they will learn to love the Hoops!
Just not near me, please, can't stand kids personally, my good lady and I are quite happy with our cats for now, dogs to follow.... | | | |
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