Ah, those were the days… jumpers for goalposts, playing keepy-uppies with your pals in the park, oranges at half-time. There’s something about a game of football that sees dads’ eyes mist over with nostalgia. But ‘street’ football no longer exists, at least not in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so there’s little chance of the old man reliving his youth and getting stuck into a kickabout with their kids these days. Or is there?
While everyone works themselves into a footie frenzy ahead of the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa this summer, sports and education company Libra is calling on father and son teams to get into the spirit of the game, with a series of lads and dads mini-tournaments followed by the chance to catch the key games on the big screen, surrounded by your pals.
It’s a great idea, say daddy duos already signing up. Take Simon Ashworth, father of Thain, aged eight. ‘As dads, we take the kids to football, rugby, swimming and tennis lessons, but we never get a chance to join in. This will let us roll back the years and play again ourselves.’
Abu Dhabi fathers are, typically, a busy bunch. Business travel, long working hours and rush-hour traffic mean opportunities for father-son bonding are few and far between. ‘I’m at work and he’s at school. We don’t get to spend so much time together,’ says GB van Wijck, who, along with his nine-year-old son, Cooper, plans to enter the tournament.
The prospect of running rings around the past-it-papas, seeing them huff and puff as they haul their pot bellies around on knackered old pins is, for most kids, too funny to resist. But the whipper-snappers are under no illusion that the old fogies will give them an easy ride. ‘It can be quite challenging playing against the dads because they’re really competitive,’ says Benjamin van Rooyen, aged 12. ‘They don’t give anything away.’
Thankfully, his brother, 10-year-old Ruben, has already noted a few weaknesses in their game. ‘I think they get tired more easily, and some of them have really dodgy knees,’ he says. ‘But on the other hand they’re taller, so they’re better at getting the headers.’ Cooper van Wijck has that problem sorted. ‘Ah-ha! But sometimes you can run under their legs,’ he says.
The whole idea is the brainchild of Adrian John, the head of football at Libra Football Academy. AJ, as he’s fondly known, used to coach in the United States, and is confident the lads and dads tournaments will be a big hit in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. ‘It’s a fantastic idea. I see a lot of dads trying to relive their youth, wanting to show their kids just how close they were to becoming a pro,’ he laughs. ‘Then you see those same dads trying to bend over…’ he says, shaking his head. ‘But I love the idea of getting dads involved, and watching the matches together afterwards is a really good way to bond.’ For sure, there’s nothing better than sitting down with a few pals to watch a world-class soccer game. AJ hopes to recreate the thrill of the crowd, getting everyone gee-ed up to support their national or favourite team. Conveniently, the matches kick off at the family-friendly Middle Eastern times of noon, 4pm and 7pm. ‘Watching it together, in a big group, makes it much more exciting, much more exhilarating,’ says AJ. ‘And the lads will learn more about the game by listening to their dads. They’ll hear what’s a good pass, what’s not.’ (All expressed, we hope, in family-friendly language).
But won’t the tournament itself – pitting teams of two fathers against teams of two sons – be a testy affair? Will there be tears, tantrums and sendings off? ‘There will be a bit of competition, that’s for sure,’ says Benjamin van Rooyen, father of Ben and Ruben. ‘Kids can find it intimidating playing against adults, but they know we’re not going to run over them… unless it’s to score.’ Simon nods in agreement. ‘I’m up for it. In my mind, I’m still 21. I can still cut it. I just have to communicate that to my legs and deal with the fact that my knees give way and my heart stops pumping after three minutes.’ The tournaments will take place at Al Raha School throughout the World Cup, which kicks off in South Africa on June 11 with the final on July 11.
