That’s probably one of my favourite posts ever on this site.
Fair play to you for saying that and offering him a way out - must have been gut wrenchingly hard as a diehard Saddler
But monumental Kudos to your lad for his response - tell him there are very few more admirable things in life than true loyalty. And true Saddlers have it in their blood.
I know how he feels! I lived near Green Lane but went to senior school in Wolverhampton in the 70’s. I had to put up with all the gloating Wolves fans - they won the League Cup in the 70’s you know!!
I grew up in a WV postcode with a 50% 50% split Wolves and Albion all through school , until i persuaded a mate to come to Fellows Park aged 13 and then he too was hooked ( and still is)
But I had mickey taking all the way through . Never nasty as i recall , but annoying and condescending. Worse still was living down south (Kent) for 15 years where no-one genuinely seemed to be able to even fathom WHY you would support Walsall. Almost like i was a leper . All Arsenal/Chelsea/ West Ham and the normal Man U/Liverpool glory hunters. It just made me love the Saddlers more- i went to every away game in the South /South East throughout those years and absolutely loved them. It’s the sense of belonging- same faces , funny chants , gallows humour , being the underdog so much of the time.
So sad how so many need the reflected glory of a big side and can’t even recognise that supporting a small team needs so much more dedication.
Living in Hertfordshire and so my son has no roots in Walsall but is a Saddler. All his friends at school were Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, Spurs etc. When they wanted to make fun of who he supported he just pointed out to them that he went to about 15 games a season home & away. His friends, if lucky, got to a game once a season as a birthday treat. He soon had the respect of his friends and some even came to a couple of away matches with us.
Imagine supporting a football club because of their perceived size.
Tell you what, that Shawshank Redemption was beautifully directed, perfectly cast, and the plot twist was magnificent, but finding out that it didn’t perform particularly well at the box office really took the shine off it for me. One Direction sell more records than Radiohead. State of it.
My all time favourite snookered expression came from the person who once asked me “why don’t you support a Premier League team?” when I replied “Because the team I support aren’t in the Premier League.”
Vicarious affirmation is for the lame.
That’s the way to win them round really. Hiding behind all the “banter” any 12 year old would love to go to any live football game at that age and well it’s not very likely they’re going to see it at the Emirates or Stamford Bridge unless their parents own a box at those grounds.
Might be wise to keep him at home this morning 