Would you let your 14 year old son go one his own to Blackpool away?

[the other bob wilson]

Most probably the Charlton game at 11am then off to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea/Newcastle in the afternoon, I went aged 14, great day out but, perhaps, times are different now, the past is another world.

Nah, you’re a bit older than me SP, pretty sure City didn’t have a game that day.

[Fatty Thornton]

Would you let your 14 year old son go one his own to Blackpool away on the train ?
that's it basically

Reminds me of a Preston trip we did with the RAMS in 2005 where we stayed overnight in Blackpool. Two lads took their two (younger than 14!) kids and subsequently got themselves arrested after the game. Cue the two kids having to be babysat by the Valley RAMS collective (all positive influences I might add). Neither were released on the Sunday morning before the coach left and the lads had to come home on the coach - mental really. Anyone remember that? I think Corky was on the bus!

[MacAdder]

My parents did and they let me go to watch a couple of games in London on Good Friday with a school mate who was also fourteen. We had a great day as we took in a visit to the Football Hall of Fame I think it was called in between games. I cant ever remember feeling intimidated and my parents never gave the impression of being concerned about my safety.

I know it’s a different time now, but with mobile phones and other advances in technology, it’s much easier to keep in touch with your kids now if you’re a parent. When and why have things changed so much in the last fifty years?

Come on Bob, I don't believe you are that naiive.
Sure there were baddies about back in the day but far less than now.
The worst you could have got was a good kicking and even then there were bobbies about who you could rely on.

[Der Kaiser]

Went to Reading in 2011 when I was 15 with mates on the supporters bus and it was fine, knew not to be a tit and go straight into the ground and straight back to the bus. Train to Blackpool, or Reading for that matter, wouldn't have had a chance convincing my parents to let me go.

[splott parker]

Nah, you’re a bit older than me SP, pretty sure City didn’t have a game that day.

One year older, one bloody year..... a bit indeed!!!! You were Jonathan Moore’s year I believe. The Charlton game I went to was Good Friday, 4th April, 1969, lost 4-1, Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-0 in the afternoon............a bit older

[dembethewarrior]

Come on Bob, I don't believe you are that naiive.
Sure there were baddies about back in the day but far less than now.
The worst you could have got was a good kicking and even then there were bobbies about who you could rely on.

Peer pressure has always been about. Just different things, back then maybe more towards smoking and drinking than hard drugs. Why far less than now? Probably just made the news less, anything can make the news these days whereas back then you had tidy reporters and didn't need to fill up the pages with a "look who's been at court" section and you didn't need to have the paper filled up with all sorts.

[dembethewarrior]

Went to Reading in 2011 when I was 15 with mates on the supporters bus and it was fine, knew not to be a tit and go straight into the ground and straight back to the bus. Train to Blackpool, or Reading for that matter, wouldn't have had a chance convincing my parents to let me go.

You are 26?

[the other bob wilson]

Come on Bob, I don't believe you are that naiive.
Sure there were baddies about back in the day but far less than now.
The worst you could have got was a good kicking and even then there were bobbies about who you could rely on.

I’m just stating the truth, I was going to away games on a train with school mates at the age of fourteen and fifteen - never had any trouble and never was unaware of the possible pitfalls. I was only ten or eleven at the time, but even I could see how much the adult world was affected by the Moors murders and it was drummed into me about not speaking to “strange” men. My memory is that my parents’ willingness to let me travel hundreds of miles to watch football games with kids my own age was not that out of the ordinary then and as I remember it, there was never any reason for any of the parents of my friends to regret their decision.

[the other bob wilson]

One year older, one bloody year..... a bit indeed!!!! You were Jonathan Moore’s year I believe. The Charlton game I went to was Good Friday, 4th April, 1969, lost 4-1, Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-0 in the afternoon............a bit older

He thing is when it’s working in your favour, one year makes a HUGE difference

[Wales-Bales]

I hitchhiked around Europe when I was 14.

[Der Kaiser]

You are 26?

For another week, yes.

[dembethewarrior]

I hitchhiked around Europe when I was 14.

[dembethewarrior]

For another week, yes.

You've been around on here years always had you as a bit older. Watch it after 30 it's not as easy to stay slim...

[MacAdder]

I’m just stating the truth, I was going to away games on a train with school mates at the age of fourteen and fifteen - never had any trouble and never was unaware of the possible pitfalls. I was only ten or eleven at the time, but even I could see how much the adult world was affected by the Moors murders and it was drummed into me about not speaking to “strange” men. My memory is that my parents’ willingness to let me travel hundreds of miles to watch football games with kids my own age was not that out of the ordinary then and as I remember it, there was never any reason for any of the parents of my friends to regret their decision.

I'm not suggesting you aren't telling the truth, just replying to your apparent dismissal of Mr Dandruff's post.
Your parents were probably like mine in that you let your kids out to play and whatever they got up to, within reason, was fair game and if it was a bit 'dodgy' then it was fine as long as we don't find out about it or the police didn't come knocking on the door.

Peoples' awareness of potential pitfalls are now far greater and I tend to agree with BD in that I think parents are much more vigilant, taking their kids to football training, getting lifts with their mate's dad or whatever.
Back then you did your own thing, just had to be back by x oclock.

Re the OP, an organised bus with their mates would probably be fine as far as I was concerned.
I might think twice about a train journey away to Millwall though

[Tito Fuente]

I hitchhiked around Europe when I was 14.

[MacAdder]

Peer pressure has always been about. Just different things, back then maybe more towards smoking and drinking than hard drugs. Why far less than now? Probably just made the news less, anything can make the news these days whereas back then you had tidy reporters and didn't need to fill up the pages with a "look who's been at court" section and you didn't need to have the paper filled up with all sorts.

Far more drugs about and far more desperate people about too.

Carrying of knives is now commonplace and I suspect the threat of a tragedy is greater.

[dembethewarrior]

Far more drugs about and far more desperate people about too.

Carrying of knives is now commonplace and I suspect the threat of a tragedy is greater.

Yeah, why I said about there being alcohol and tobacco around back then.. but agree with your post

[TWGL1]

Went to watch Brentford in the morning and then up to Spurs for the afternoon match - Brentford were in Division Four then and were going for promotion, from memory there were 16 thousand there. My main memory of the Spurs game was how the crowd got on the team’s back so quickly - they won 1-0 with a late goal by Martin Chivers, but that was when the first germs of my long held opinion about Spurs supporters being an entitled lot first began to take hold.

Sounds like a great experience especially doing two grounds in a day. Griffin Park looked a great ground when the terrace behind the goal was covered and to have 16,000 in must have been fantastic.

In some ways Tottenham supporters sense of entitlement is partly justified as they did do the double in 61, and have had a major influence over the years as a “cup team”.

[Divine Wright]

Far more drugs about and far more desperate people about too.

Carrying of knives is now commonplace and I suspect the threat of a tragedy is greater.

Isn't it a THING that violent crime is generally going down year upon year?? .....compared to thirty years ago I'd imagine there is a much lower chance of getting duffed up at a football match.

Conversely , the Western Mail has got shitter and shitter and now dedicates all it's time to "reporting" on petty crime and posting mugshots of pasty faced , drug crazed loners who did a ram raid in 2019.

Desperate, sensationalist media is responsible for a perceived increase in violent crime.

That said, personally, I'd kick that can down the road for another year or two.


Quick google ...


........1 plus million victims of violent crime in 2022 compared to 4 somethign million in 1995.....knife crime down on prepandemic figures ......et etc

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulat...ndingmarch2022

[splott parker]

U

one year makes a HUGE difference

Yeah, when you’re 7

[splott parker]

Sobering thought for me on this thread is that I’ve been talking about an away game I went to 54 years ago 40 years before OP’s son was born. 54 years! Dear God, where’s it gone?

[Tuerto]

Isn't it a THING that violent crime is generally going down year upon year?? .....compared to thirty years ago I'd imagine there is a much lower chance of getting duffed up at a football match.

Conversely , the Western Mail has got shitter and shitter and now dedicates all it's time to "reporting" on petty crime and posting mugshots of pasty faced , drug crazed loners who did a ram raid in 2019.

Desperate, sensationalist media is responsible for a perceived increase in violent crime.

That said, personally, I'd kick that can down the road for another year or two.


Quick google ...


........1 plus million victims of violent crime in 2022 compared to 4 somethign million in 1995.....knife crime down on prepandemic figures ......et etc

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulat...ndingmarch2022

This would actually make a decent thread on its own. Anecdotally, i believe that society is less violent today than it was when i was growing up. When i was a kid, the chances of getting a hiding from bullies on the estate, fighting at the football or on a night out was a considerable risk, this from someone who never courted violence. Teachers used violence, as did the police, and plenty of parents hit their kids and even the neighbours kids!

[the other bob wilson]

Sounds like a great experience especially doing two grounds in a day. Griffin Park looked a great ground when the terrace behind the goal was covered and to have 16,000 in must have been fantastic.

In some ways Tottenham supporters sense of entitlement is partly justified as they did do the double in 61, and have had a major influence over the years as a “cup team”.

Spurs are one of those sides where winning is not enough, you need to win in a certain style - I'm a bit too young to remember their double team, but they won things in style it seems and, in a way, the club has been paying for that to this day. I may not remember the double team, but I do remember reading in the sixties about how terry Venables used to get stick from the Spurs crowd and Alan Mullery took a long time to win the White Hart Lane crowd over - apparently, he was seen by many to be Dave Mackay's replacement which didn't help his cause.

[Swiss Peter]

Come on Bob, I don't believe you are that naiive.
Sure there were baddies about back in the day but far less than now.
The worst you could have got was a good kicking and even then there were bobbies about who you could rely on.

My Dad was forever telling me that he took a bike at 14 and cycled half way around France and Germany.

When I was 14 I lived in Kent. I went up to London with some school friends for Arsenal v Man U, against my mother's wishes. I remember ending up lying face down on a tube station platform taking a few kicks, and then taking a smack full in the face as I came out of the tube station. I arrived home with a black eye and a split lip. My mother almost beat me up again . That was 1974. At least times have changed!

I would say no.

[cyril evans awaydays]

I hitchhiked around Europe when I was 14.

That's possibly because you went to a school for high achievers that encouraged that sort of thing.

https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...20-Wales-Bales

We don't know how worldly-wise pipster's "youngster" is in comparison.