As you may be aware, I am the father of three daughters. It’s a female household where ‘girly’ things are the order of the day.
Despite this, I’ve tried to instil in all of them a love for football and, in particular, Arsenal. I can’t help it. It’s a family thing. My dad supported Arsenal, his dad supported Arsenal. I tell my girls that it’s the law.
It works sometimes. Sometimes they wear their Arsenal shirts without having to be asked (usually, it must be said, when they want something). Sometimes one or all of them will sit with me to watch a game. Well, five minutes of a game. Sometimes I’ll get asked a question out of nowhere, such as, ‘Dad, has Thierry Henry always scored goals?’ Those moments are priceless. It’s not indoctrination. It’s not torture. I told you what it is – it’s the law.
But I’ve been stupid. I’ve overlooked the one thing that could just tip the balance. Arsenal Ladies FC!
The Women’s Cup Final was live on BBC1 last week and Arsenal beat Leeds 5-0! And they also won the league! The Double! For the umpteenth time! I can’t believe I haven’t thought of taking my girls to the games before.
After the match I checked the Arsenal website (www.arsenal.com) to see if there were any more matches this season. But no, I’m going to have to wait until next season now.
I just have to keep them interested until then.
10/05/06 @ 17:03