Enjoy The Match campaign

[Ian Royal]

I think it's a good idea to encourage children to come to football, but if you're going to take them to a more 'hardcore' section of fans, you're going to have to expect aggression and swearing.

But you don't know where the neanderthals are going to be week in week out. They don't all have STs and neither do many of the occasional attendees with children like myself.

I'm all in favour of families and being friendly towards getting children to the game, but at the same time if I want to shout and swear during the match I want to be able to do this.

If I take my nephew I'll avoid the more boisterous parts of the East stand. Any child over 11 knows most swear words anyway, those younger don't really fully appreciate a match that much anyway. But As far as I'm concerned they're welcome in a family area.

[Sarah Star]

I wasn't aware there was a family area at the Mad Stad. When I bring the kids and book my tickets, they don't book me into any different area than when I book them for me and my hubby/friends. Where is it?

[Rex]

outside

On a more serious note though, with the south stand presumably being taken up by the away support, and historically this stand used to be the bastion of casual support / young families, where exactly is this elusive family area. Have i missed this, or is it the west stand for the crumblies and youngsters. Just thinking laterally for those who might have wished for an option to move into this area for the youngsters.

[Jerry St Clair]

Familys or some sort of atmosphere! You can't have both Madejski.

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

Agreed, but we shouldn't turn football stadiums into creches. Generations of children have got hooked on football by the atmosphere and game itself. No need to sanitise it now.

[Streets]

Familys or some sort of atmosphere! You can't have both Madejski.

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

Agreed, but we shouldn't turn football stadiums into creches. Generations of children have got hooked on football by the atmosphere and game itself. No need to sanitise it now.

That's exactly what got me hooked back at Elm Park.

My dad took me into the South Bank having stood behind the goal in the Tilehurst End for a few games, and the atmosphere consumed me. I was hook immediately.

Now kids come along, they get some food and drink, they sit and watch, see a man in a suit rubbing his belly and they go home. Might as well be the cinema!

[Readingfanman]

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

Agreed, but we shouldn't turn football stadiums into creches. Generations of children have got hooked on football by the atmosphere and game itself. No need to sanitise it now.

That's exactly what got me hooked back at Elm Park.

My dad took me into the South Bank having stood behind the goal in the Tilehurst End for a few games, and the atmosphere consumed me. I was hook immediately.

Now kids come along, they get some food and drink, they sit and watch, see a man in a suit rubbing his belly and they go home. Might as well be the cinema!

Although, saying that I only got hooked by RFC 5 or 6 years ago, and it was the atmosphere that got me hooked too. The evening and away games just grabbed my attention. Couldn't help but love them.

[Royal Soupanoodle]

Damn, I thought this was a campaign to ban the long ball at the Mad Stad!!!

[Royal Rother]

I think it's a good idea to encourage children to come to football, but if you're going to take them to a more 'hardcore' section of fans, you're going to have to expect aggression and swearing.

But you don't know where the neanderthals are going to be week in week out. They don't all have STs and neither do many of the occasional attendees with children like myself.

I'm all in favour of families and being friendly towards getting children to the game, but at the same time if I want to shout and swear during the match I want to be able to do this.

If I take my nephew I'll avoid the more boisterous parts of the East stand. Any child over 11 knows most swear words anyway, those younger don't really fully appreciate a match that much anyway. But As far as I'm concerned they're welcome in a family area.

Indeed - that's the whole point of this campaign isn't it? Why do I sense you think you're disagreeing with me....?

[earleyroyal]

Familys or some sort of atmosphere! You can't have both Madejski.

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

True, and it is possible to have designated family areas (which we do) and singing areas (which we should) - Birmingham are doing it this season aren't they?

[Royalshow]

Familys or some sort of atmosphere! You can't have both Madejski.

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

True, and it is possible to have designated family areas (which we do) and singing areas (which we should) - Birmingham are doing it this season aren't they?

I'm getting oxf*rd off with the clubs constant focus on promoting a family atmosphere at the ground.If they want more families at the ground then that automatically implies they want less of another type of supporter.The club love to applaud the fans after a so called 'fantastic' atmosphere that they want at every game but families in general do not create an atmosphere!

In the words of BrendyWendy "SING YOU oxf*rd'

[zummerset]

Can you smell the spirit of 80's football - baying fans separated by thin lines of police, you only watched half the match because you were having more fun goading the opposition fans and the raw power of the surging terraces, chanting and local derby atmospheres. The only thing I would be ashamed of is the racist chants which were quite rare at Elm Park from what I remember.

My wife is the most urbane, polite person outside football but loves singing chants, flicking V's and waving off the away fans. My kids were shocked at first but now are appreciating the semi controlled aggression of a football match. We won't be joining the North and West stands for cucumber sandwiches......

[Royalshow]

Can you smell the spirit of 80's football - baying fans separated by thin lines of police, you only watched half the match because you were having more fun goading the opposition fans and the raw power of the surging terraces, chanting and local derby atmospheres. The only thing I would be ashamed of is the racist chants which were quite rare at Elm Park from what I remember.

My wife is the most urbane, polite person outside football but loves singing chants, flicking V's and waving off the away fans. My kids were shocked at first but now are appreciating the semi controlled aggression of a football match. We won't be joining the North and West stands for cucumber sandwiches......

Thats a very valid point.Singing at football does not make you an illiterate,small minded,racist,inarticulate,stupid,uneducated being.

[West Stand Man]

Can you smell the spirit of 80's football - baying fans separated by thin lines of police, you only watched half the match because you were having more fun goading the opposition fans and the raw power of the surging terraces, chanting and local derby atmospheres. The only thing I would be ashamed of is the racist chants which were quite rare at Elm Park from what I remember.

My wife is the most urbane, polite person outside football but loves singing chants, flicking V's and waving off the away fans. My kids were shocked at first but now are appreciating the semi controlled aggression of a football match. We won't be joining the North and West stands for cucumber sandwiches......

Thats a very valid point.Singing at football does not make you an illiterate,small minded,racist,inarticulate,stupid,uneducated being.

You are right , it doesn't.

The above comment does, however, make you seem like one.

[Royalshow]

Can you smell the spirit of 80's football - baying fans separated by thin lines of police, you only watched half the match because you were having more fun goading the opposition fans and the raw power of the surging terraces, chanting and local derby atmospheres. The only thing I would be ashamed of is the racist chants which were quite rare at Elm Park from what I remember.

My wife is the most urbane, polite person outside football but loves singing chants, flicking V's and waving off the away fans. My kids were shocked at first but now are appreciating the semi controlled aggression of a football match. We won't be joining the North and West stands for cucumber sandwiches......

Thats a very valid point.Singing at football does not make you an illiterate,small minded,racist,inarticulate,stupid,uneducated being.

You are right , it doesn't.

The above comment does, however, make you seem like one.

I am.

[North Somerset Royal]

There were stickers in the Upper West gents yesterday asking for no swearing in the family areas. I would be interested to know whether similar stickers were placed in other stands particularly the East or does this signify that UW has been designated a family area?

[John Madejski's Wallet]

There were stickers in the Upper West gents yesterday asking for no swearing in the family areas. I would be interested to know whether similar stickers were placed in other stands particularly the East or does this signify that UW has been designated a family area?

Stickers in the East stand gents too.

So i'm guessing they're there in case any of us decide to sit in the family stand one day

[Ian Royal]

I'm all in favour of families and being friendly towards getting children to the game, but at the same time if I want to shout and swear during the match I want to be able to do this.

If I take my nephew I'll avoid the more boisterous parts of the East stand. Any child over 11 knows most swear words anyway, those younger don't really fully appreciate a match that much anyway. But As far as I'm concerned they're welcome in a family area.

Indeed - that's the whole point of this campaign isn't it? Why do I sense you think you're disagreeing with me....?

Because I'm cautiously pessimistic about this campaign which gives Stewards a licence to get arsey with people a whole lot more just because they are swearing.

[earleyroyal]

Disagree - the kids brought along today by parents will be the vocal supporters of tomorrow.

True, and it is possible to have designated family areas (which we do) and singing areas (which we should) - Birmingham are doing it this season aren't they?

I'm getting oxf*rd off with the clubs constant focus on promoting a family atmosphere at the ground.If they want more families at the ground then that automatically implies they want less of another type of supporter.The club love to applaud the fans after a so called 'fantastic' atmosphere that they want at every game but families in general do not create an atmosphere!

In the words of BrendyWendy "SING YOU oxf*rd'

Obviously families aren't going to create as much of an atmosphere as the South East corner but there's nothing stopping the club from making a small area of the stadium appropriate for families, it wouldn't affect the atmosphere much and those people who get offended by swearing could enjoy the match while those who want to sing shout and swear could also have the match they want. I don't see why there needs to be a conflict between housing more genteel types of supporters and having any atmosphere.

Of course many of us would prefer 22,000 screaming, singing supporters in order to create a good atmosphere (me included) but we have to accept some people just want to watch the game without joining in crowd participation.