# Urgent problem - son becoming a Chelsea fan !!!!



## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

While I'm not a big fan of that FOREIGN SPORT ...(spit) I know I dont like Chelsea. Maybe its the Denis Wise to John Terry effect - "lionhearts" that they were "in the trenches"...... & Now its all cash and flash boys. High ticket prices.

He's being led astray by his cousin (a year older), what can I do?, is there a counselling hotline I can ring???

In terms of clubs I could tolerate easier:

West Ham
Newcastle
Liverpool - though hated them as a child, had the smuggest fans on earth, probably passed the mantle to Man U. Easy to get to when he'd do his inevitable stint in the big schmoke.
QPR (on the way up)
Any of the other London clubs.
Even Man U

I realise the top 2 would leave him languishing with ne'er do well clubs and no trophies, but it could be character building (or I'd have big therapy bills for him).

So, has anyone had to tackle this phonomenon, should I whisk him off to Upton Park or Anfield, is it alrady too late?, which club would you recommend?  (He's 4 going on 5, cousin is 6).


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

I think you still have time. If not, there are plenty of childless couples out there who would probably raise your son despite everything.


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## Firefly (15 Apr 2011)

Betsy Og said:


> While I'm not a big fan of that FOREIGN SPORT ...(spit)



And then....



Betsy Og said:


> In terms of clubs I could tolerate easier:
> 
> West Ham
> Newcastle
> ...




Seems like you know more that you're willing to admit


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## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

I'm a "watch a game if its on" type, would rarely make it my business to see a game unless its Ireland in a significant match. Might look at The Premiership (still called that?) or Match of the Day but as I dont have a team I'm obsessed about it wouldnt be crucial to me. Never bothered getting Sky.

Sure you know yourself, if you didnt take some interest you'd have nothing having to say in about 50% of all-male conversations. I might ask how's such a fella going, to be told he transferred to Spain 2 years ago.


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## Deiseblue (15 Apr 2011)

What an appalling quandary !

Still , Chelsea with no silverware in sight may not be the most attractive team for impressionable children to pick as their team currently.

They will like Man. City be there or thereabouts in coming seasons but it's all so predictable isn't it ?

Give me the uncertainties of following Spurs anytime - it may be nerve shredding and wearing at times - but predictable never !

Have been to West Ham & QPR games in the past - grounds where fans are hugely involved & passionate about their team & football in general - a far cry from the rather antiseptic feel to bigger teams & stadia.

Bring him to West Ham & he'll also pick up all the colourful language he'll need to impress family & school friends


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## Booter (15 Apr 2011)

Betsy Og said:


> While I'm not a big fan of that FOREIGN SPORT ...(spit) I know I dont like Chelsea. Maybe its the Denis Wise to John Terry effect - "lionhearts" that they were "in the trenches"...... & Now its all cash and flash boys. High ticket prices.
> 
> He's being led astray by his cousin (a year older), what can I do?, is there a counselling hotline I can ring???
> 
> ...



There's only one surefire cure for this. Bring him to see Utd at Old Trafford, and let the magic begin.


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## micmclo (15 Apr 2011)

You've failed as a parent

Only messing, bring him to another game, though season almost over


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## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

interesting that no Chelsea fans commending his choice, even they dont think its a good idea.


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

Very few Chelsea fans around. They only started winning stuff in the past couple of years so most fans are too young to use AAM!


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## ivuernis (15 Apr 2011)

I second Indiansign's choice of action. Do it now before it's too late. You can't go back!

Or, you could go continental, Barcelona and Real Madrid play each other 4 times over the next few weeks. 

Steer clear of all the newly moneyed clubs, i.e. Chelsea and Manchester City


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## Mucker Man (15 Apr 2011)

Could you not bring him to Turner's Cross and let him support your local team?


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## Latrade (15 Apr 2011)

Disown and remove from Will.


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## micmclo (15 Apr 2011)

http://www.adoption.ie/

There is help available OP


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## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

he's already a Barcelona fan (got him the jersey when there a few years back) - dunno if he's actually seen them play (or Chelsea for that matter). BUT wouldnt you also have a premier league team. Ditto even if, say, followed Celtic or, God help us LoI. Not too keen on putting him onto Celtic either, been to a few games myself and there's still a fair bit of the knuckledragging stuff. Went to a few games in Turners Cross when in college but far from home now.

As a GAA man the only 'imperative' is that he would follow his own county (not my native county unfortunately - so hoping to get the 2nd slot there). 

He also has a Munster rugby jersey - which is ok though I'd feel like a real bandwagon jumper if I was to wear one (never having played it, only ever been at 1 club game, seen Munster live maybe 5 or 6 times) - now I know that doesnt stop 30 of the other 40 thousand but thats another story


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## liaconn (15 Apr 2011)

My brother is a Chelsea fan. We don't really like to talk about it but my parents have come around to the idea and love him anyway.


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## Liamos (15 Apr 2011)

Maybe you should consider Leeds! In addition to following a team who may be in the Premier League next season, he could also learn some valuable lessons on how not to run a business, the process of going into administration and the agony of the play offs.

You could also tell him if he does decide to support Chelsea, Norman "bite your legs" Hunter might come and pay him a visit!


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## Latrade (15 Apr 2011)

Betsy Og said:


> He also has a Munster rugby jersey


 
Jaysus, it's worse than we thought.


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## horusd (15 Apr 2011)

Tell him Chelsea is a flower show, they dont have a footie team( nearly true), that'll cure him.


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## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

Latrade said:


> Jaysus, it's worse than we thought.


 
In his defence his Mam bought the jersey, he is in Munster (not like bloody Athenry) and the 'culture' of the province is, I suppose, somewhat GAA friendly, as compared to maybe the early days of Leinster (though recently heard that Leinster is no longer so much a D4 bastion  - I've my doubts)


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## Teatime (15 Apr 2011)

Sunny said:


> Very few Chelsea fans around. They only started winning stuff in the past couple of years so most fans are too young to use AAM!



by couple of years, do you mean 2? I count 12+ years of recent success:

Premier League = Winners: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10
FA Cup = Winners: 1996-97, 1999-00, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
Football League Cup = Winners: 1997-98, 2004-05, 2006-07
FA Charity Shield = Winners: 1955, 2000, 2005, 2009
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup =  Winners: 1970-71, 1997-98
UEFA Super Cup = Winners: 1998


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## DB74 (15 Apr 2011)

You know it's desperation time when Charity Shield wins and Super Cup wins are brought up as evidence of success!


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

DB74 said:


> You know it's desperation time when Charity Shield wins and Super Cup wins are brought up as evidence of success!


 
Especially when you include that famous charity shield win of 1955. Ah the glory days!


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## DB74 (15 Apr 2011)

LOL - I missed that one


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## Teatime (15 Apr 2011)

Edited for the glass half empty folks...

Premier League = Winners: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10
FA Cup = Winners: 1996-97, 1999-00, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
Football League Cup = Winners: 1997-98, 2004-05, 2006-07
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup = Winners: 1997-98

FYI - Not a Chelsea fan but facts are facts.


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## Latrade (15 Apr 2011)

DB74 said:


> You know it's desperation time when Charity Shield wins and Super Cup wins are brought up as evidence of success!


 

Could be worse like Spurs and only point to their DVD releases of when they beat Arsenal.


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

Latrade said:


> Could be worse like Spurs and only point to their DVD releases of when they beat Arsenal.


 
Or that amazing night when they beat Man City to finish eh fourth!


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## Latrade (15 Apr 2011)

Sunny said:


> Or that amazing night when they beat Man City to finish eh fourth!


 
I got the Special Edition version that contained various lasagne recipes.


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## Deiseblue (15 Apr 2011)

Latrade said:


> Could be worse like Spurs and only point to their DVD releases of when they beat Arsenal.



A dreadful slur  on this great old club whose record includes :

The only club to win the FA cup when still a non league club.
The first club to win the double in the 20th century in 1960-61 ( when money was more evenly spread throughout the league & teams found it immeasurably more difficult to buy success )
The first British club to win a European trophy & the inaugural winners of the UEFA cup in 1972.


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## Latrade (15 Apr 2011)

Deiseblue said:


> A dreadful slur  on this great old club whose record includes :
> 
> The only club to win the FA cup when still a non league club.
> The first club to win the double in the 20th century in 1960-61 ( when money was more evenly spread throughout the league & teams found it immeasurably more difficult to buy success )
> The first British club to win a European trophy & the inaugural winners of the UEFA cup in 1972.


 
And who've beaten Arsenal a couple of times recently.


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## DB74 (15 Apr 2011)

Teatime said:


> Edited for the glass half empty folks...
> 
> Premier League = Winners: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10
> FA Cup = Winners: 1996-97, 1999-00, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
> ...


 

I'm not a fan of anyone really* but Chelsea do stink of new money and realistically success has only arrived since Abramovich took over.


_*I kind of half used to follow Nottingham Forest and check their result first every Saturday because I always back them to win the League but I'm not a fan because I couldn't name 5 players_


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## Deiseblue (15 Apr 2011)

Latrade said:


> I got the Special Edition version that contained various lasagne recipes.



Surely not Lasagne - recipes for Matzo ball soup , gefilte fish & chopped chicken livers are far more likely .


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## csirl (15 Apr 2011)

Could be worse - he might have ended up a Man U fan. At least Chelsea is a reasonably safe and easy place to get to if you go to matches. Crowd and locality around West Ham and Newcastle would be a bit rough for a kid. 

In these recessionary times, you might be better chosing a lower league club where ticket prices and jerseys are cheaper.


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

csirl said:


> Could be worse - he might have ended up a Man U fan. At least Chelsea is a reasonably safe and easy place to get to if you go to matches. Crowd and locality around West Ham and Newcastle would be a bit rough for a kid.
> 
> In these recessionary times, you might be better chosing a lower league club where ticket prices and jerseys are cheaper.



Location might be ok but some fans are anything but! The hard core in Chelsea Is as rough as anywhere.


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## MrMan (15 Apr 2011)

Choosing a team because of handy location, cheaper tickets and kit!
Let him get older and choose for himself, it's a lottery choosing a team as a kid, all my friends went the Liverpool way in the 80s and I chose the (relative underdogs), none of us would have thought that my team would be winning all the league titles between us since the 90's. I liked United because I used to read about players and I was really taken with Brian Robson and his amazing injury list as well as his achievements, so I think everyone has to find their own club.


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## Betsy Og (15 Apr 2011)

MrMan said:


> Choosing a team because of handy location, cheaper tickets and kit!
> Let him get older and choose for himself,


 
One fears the die will be cast 

As I said I dont particularly want to choose a team for him (I laugh when I hear of new Daddy's putting their newborn child in a Liverpool/Man U shirt), but jaysus talk about bad luck, Chelsea !!!


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

My dad lived in Manchester during the 50's so was huge Utd supporter so I didn't have much choice! Didn't particulary enjoy the first 12-13 years but no complaints since! I think most people are influenced by patents, older siblings, friends etc when it comes to choosing a team.


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

Betsy Og said:


> One fears the die will be cast
> 
> As I said I dont particularly want to choose a team for him (I laugh when I hear of new Daddy's putting their newborn child in a Liverpool/Man U shirt), but jaysus talk about bad luck, Chelsea !!!



Unfortunately you have to love him anyway. Hopefully he will grow out of it.


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## Teatime (15 Apr 2011)

DB74 said:


> I'm not a fan of anyone really* but Chelsea do stink of new money and realistically success has only arrived since Abramovich took over.



I dont know about the new money but Chelsea started to become successful when the foreign boys arrived (cant rem who owned the club then) - the likes of Zola and Gullit and Vialli were a joy to watch. I think those boys were the start of the European influx to the Premiership.

There is a lot of 'new' money in the Premiership, sure Ireland was full of new money until 2 years ago...


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## Sunny (15 Apr 2011)

Teatime said:


> I dont know about the new money but Chelsea started to become successful when the foreign boys arrived (cant rem who owned the club then) - the likes of Zola and Gullit and Vialli were a joy to watch. I think those boys were the start of the European influx to the Premiership.
> 
> There is a lot of 'new' money in the Premiership, sure Ireland was full of new money until 2 years ago...



They were great players but didn't win anything of great importance. For the Zola of the time, there was a Michael Duberry or Jody Morris.


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## Teatime (15 Apr 2011)

Sunny said:


> They were great players but didn't win anything of great importance. For the Zola of the time, there was a Michael Duberry or Jody Morris.


 
They won 2 FA Cups and a UEFA Cup Winners in the late 1990s back when those competitions meant a lot. FA Cup was second to Premiership, not much else to win in England. I remember at the time it was pretty impressive but yeah they were a 'cup' team, they never had the squad to win a league.

Keane and Irwin had a good view of Zola during an FA Cup run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iozAK_80zBo


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## The_Banker (16 Apr 2011)

Mucker Man said:


> Could you not bring him to Turner's Cross and let him support your local team?


 

There was a goal fest in Turners Cross last night. 5 nil victory to Cork City FC to put them top of the league.

For €10 (adult) €5 (kids) any parent could do a lot worse. 

Any kid would get a great kick standing in the Curragh Road Stand (formerly The Shed) listening to the singing and banter. 

I have been bringing my nephews for years and they are hooked. Once my small fella can crawl he will be going also


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