This season I have started to take the boy to football
matches. We’ve been to a few local non-league clubs so that he can get a feel
of what going to the football is like. I felt it was important that he grew up
thinking that football is something you go
to rather than just watch on TV. I have already convinced him to be a
Forest fan so I also see non-league football of a good way of showing that
football isn’t just about the likes of Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.
Our latest match was a visit to Middle Road – or as it has
just been renamed, The Taxi Link Community Sports Ground – home of Shoreham FC
aka the Musselmen. This was our second time watching Shoreham but this game had
the added glamour of being in the FA Cup. The visitors were Eastbourne Town who
had beaten Shoreham earlier in the week in a league cup match so revenge was
surely in the minds of the home side.
Another reason why I have chosen to take the boy to
non-league matches first is that at four years old it is unlikely that he would
want to sit still for 90 minutes, whatever the standard of football on show.
One of the many attractions of non-league football is that you can move around
the ground. You can also drink beer on the terraces all through the match.
These two plus points make both me and my son very happy.
As far as the match was concerned, Shoreham didn’t start
very well and an awful goalkeeping error saw Eastbourne take the lead fairly
early on before adding another before half time. Apparently it was another
defensive mistake that led to the goal but I am unable to confirm that as I was
taking the boy to the clubhouse toilet at the time. This wasn’t the last piece
of crucial action we would miss.
After a half time break spent watching the latest scores in
the bar we emerged for the second half not that confident that Shoreham would
be extending their FA Cup journey this season. But the team seemed
reinvigorated and soon scored a great goal with an assist from man mountain
Melford Simpson who had come on as a sub (apologies to the actual goal scorer
whose name I don’t know yet – it’s only my second game!). Shoreham were looking
far more threatening with the young – make that VERY young – left winger posing
as much problems as anyone for the Eastbourne defence.
With only minutes to go – and after repeated earlier
questioning – the boy revealed that he desperately needed the toilet again.
Under duress we went back into the clubhouse. While we were there we heard a
cheer. Shoreham had scored. “How do you know its Shoreham daddy?” the boy asked
as he sat on the toilet. At this level you don’t get many away fans so any kind
of cheer meant that Shoreham had scored I explained. My point was doubly proven
as we went back onto the terraces. It looked as if Eastbourne had scored again
as Shoreham were restarting the match. We had heard no cheer but thanks to a
couple of toilet trips we had managed to miss three goals and Shoreham were out
of the FA Cup, losing 3-2 in added on time.
We have also been to see Southwick and plan to visit
Whitehawk soon but I do have a bit of a soft spot for Shoreham now as the home
of the boy’s first football match. Hopefully next time we will plan the toilet
breaks better but we will be back soon.
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