Replica Kit Heartbreak

 It's non-uniform 'wear your football kit' day at my kids' school tomorrow and my oldest boy (7) has decided that he no longer wants to wear Dublin or Clare GAA colours but an English football team shirt. He has always said he supports Leeds so I said I'd be happy to sort him out."No, Dad, I want an Arsenal shirt."
"But. But what about Leeds?"
"Arsenal."
(My voice getting high pitched and whiny) "You said you supported Leeds."
"They're alright. But I want an Arsenal shirt."
"Eddie Gray... er, Arthur Graham... Ken Bates?" 
He doesn't understand.
"Arsenal."
"Look I'm happy for you to *like* your local village team - which just happens to be Arsenal - but you need a big Northern team too."
He shakes his head. "All my friends support Arsenal. "

So this morning I trudged down the road to the Arsenal shop. Now that two of my children have become Gooners I only have one kid left - my 3 year old - to indoctrinate with my irrational, heartbreaking and futile love of Leeds United. 

I might have to resort to bribes with this one.

Comments

[Account Deleted]

Schools in England encourage the idea that you need to own merchandise to demonstrate your support for a football team?
You could indoctrinate your son by showing him YouTube clips of Revie's Leeds team. This one, perhaps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO4vV0KEw08
Oh, and I've meant to say this for a long time, I love Urban Country Diary to bits.

[Stay-At-Home Indie-Pop]

Kids won't do as they're told. My nephew in Dresden refuses to support Dynamo Dresden, but is keen on Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. "You've never been to Madrid and you stayed once in Munich overnight and didn't even see a game," I pouted at him. "Dresden are Scheisse," he replied. You can't argue with that.