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This sounds like my Childhood in the entire 90s! Fun times! "Come and support a proper club. Blah blah blah etc. "
Everyone knew I was Albion and that wasn't for changing but I must admit I was more reserved about wearing team colours to school on non uniform day etc. A club pencil case and a bit of stationery was as far as I went with it.
All I can really say from personal experience is that you can't win the short battles unless you have the size, confidence and personality to overcome each and every one. If he doesn't have that yet, try to build the character and the young man over time so that he appreciates football and understands the game to a better level than the eejits giving him jibes. One day he will show them up on it.
Many of the oafs I have dealt with over the years actually know less about their own team than I do, or are just Johnny come lateleys. Occasionally I would have the confidence to call them out on it in front of their mates. Other times I'd realise I was pissing in the wind with a dafty even if I was right.
Circumstances meant I had to guide myself on this journey as a youngster but it was a success and I am guiding two youngsters of my own through it now. He has you in his corner and that means a lot.
Build his confidence and friendships and experiences inside and outside of school as much as possible. Do other things to help him become as popular as he can be to have enough of a network around him for the battles ahead. Get him to excel at a sport if he can, or be better than others in the class at something that will be noticed. It all helps.
There will be times when he is less proud of the Albion and has to lay low, but his time will come! Good luck and PM if you need anything.
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My lad is the only Baggies fan in his school, all west ham/spurs. His best mate is a Southend fan. He's 7, slowly learning that it's ok for other people to support different teams, but we are a household of Baggies fans. It's tough, but I managed it in a school full of Forest fans when SVC was there, and I turned out "alright", sort of...
In the form of his life.
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Keep encouraging him, he’ll grow up strong and resilient and miserable every Saturday/Tuesday just like his family 
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The biggest advice I’ll give anyone in terms of children, is to get them in to martial arts.
My 4 kids all hold various level belts in kickboxing, with my son being a high level brown belt at 10. It’s also a key factor in why he was signed in academy football.
Discipline, self defence, social and fitness. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do and you’ll have no worries about what your kids are enduring at school.
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Ah, that is grim at that age. I grew-up in South Birmingham too, and I think there were literally three Baggies fans in my school, a few Liverpool fans, one Manure and the rest an even split between Villa and Blues (late 70s/early 80s) - so I feel the pain, and we had a good team then, can't imagine what it is like now.
Couple of practical things if pennies allow:
1. Get him to a game and make the whole thing special. Maybe hang around after the game to get a player he likes to sign his shirt. You can't beat a hero
2. The mascot thing if that is a possibility
3. Get him to invite a school friend along and make it a special day for the pair of them. He'll enjoy it more and it creates an ally etc.
Basically, lots of positive reinforcement with a sprinkle of magic.
Good luck though
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(02-11-2026, 09:49 AM)Dumbo Wrote: The biggest advice I’ll give anyone in terms of children, is to get them in to martial arts.
My 4 kids all hold various level belts in kickboxing, with my son being a high level brown belt at 10. It’s also a key factor in why he was signed in academy football.
Discipline, self defence, social and fitness. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do and you’ll have no worries about what your kids are enduring at school.
Agreed.
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02-11-2026, 10:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2026, 10:09 AM by Brentbaggie.)
(02-11-2026, 10:00 AM)baggiebloke Wrote: (02-11-2026, 09:49 AM)Dumbo Wrote: The biggest advice I’ll give anyone in terms of children, is to get them in to martial arts.
My 4 kids all hold various level belts in kickboxing, with my son being a high level brown belt at 10. It’s also a key factor in why he was signed in academy football.
Discipline, self defence, social and fitness. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do and you’ll have no worries about what your kids are enduring at school.
Agreed.
Very worthwhile. Both my children did judo - my daughter excelled. My son was a much more cheerful but quiet lad who took time to find himself but judo helped a lot. I'm very proud of both of them, but my son gained huge resilience and self-confidence which judo had a huge part in. Sadly, they still both suffer from their family curse and support West Brom - despite living in London.
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02-11-2026, 10:20 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2026, 10:27 AM by ericlegrisly too.)
Horrible place to be for him Vinebaggie, but he sounds like he has a brilliant granddad on his side.
My lad is the same age and, although being geographically better off from an Albion 'area' point of view, he does have similar issues. His friendship group has kids who support Arsenal, Man U, Barcelona and Bayern! But he's sticking to his colours, even to the point where the Middlesbrough defeat made him cry for an hour afterwards.
Advice-wise, let him follow his heart. If it gets too much being us, then he can either pretend to support someone else for peer pressure purposes (though not the purples, obviously) or really just adopt a glory team.
Classroom politics is a bitch, but I reckon the lad will be fine as a baggie - because we are, for certain, the best fanbase.
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Obviously he's too young to realise it now but that connection with you and Albion is special. In the future when Albion have success, and we will, it will mean so much more to him than the glory hunters will ever know. I know so many people that think of me when they hear something about Albion. It gets to be a great proud thing.
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02-11-2026, 10:34 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2026, 10:37 AM by HawkingsHalfpint.)
My lad has Citeh blood on his Mom’s side; he was Blue through and through until age about 10 when he actually started to enjoy coming to games with me (about the time Lai sold and I started going back). Although he still buys one of the new Citeh away kits if he likes it, he does the same for Albion; more importantly only if he likes the kit (he plays a lot of competitive football so does wear ‘em out).
As for the stick he takes for being a baggie, that’s a lot easier in Wolves this year but he wears it. I told him not to listen - footy for clubs like us is just a very slow see-saw, and the Vile are an Emery-luring away from being shite again. It won’t last. Meanwhile, encourage him to glory hunt anyone but them for a little bit, even if it is the Arse or someone like that (but not Man Utd, Chelsea or Liverpool - they are all equally as despicable as Vile, to me at least).
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