New father chooses FA Cup over his baby's birth

[Lewis]

New father chooses FA Cup over his baby's birth when his wife goes into labour as he queues for tickets

A football fan was so desperate to see his team play in the FA Cup he risked missing the birth of his first child by remaining in a ticket queue when his wife went into labour.

Vince Reeves, 32, and wife Rebecca, 26, had been waiting in line for about 90 minutes when her contractions started.

The Southampton supporter was determined to get tickets for the FA Cup clash with arch-rivals Portsmouth, so he arranged for a friend to take his 26-year-old spouse home to collect an overnight bag.

Mrs Reevesâ?? waters broke a 90 minutes later when she was in the bath â?? but her husband remained in line as he was only 50 places from the front.

Luckily, he was able to grab the tickets and be by his wifeâ??s side in time for the birth.

Mr Reeves, a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Liverpool, said: â??Iâ??m a huge Southampton fan but have never been able to see a local derby before because Iâ??ve previously been away on service.

â??When I saw Southampton had drawn Pompey in the FA Cup I was desperate for a ticket. This is the biggest game of our season and the hottest ticket in town.

â??I couldnâ??t believe it when Rebecca went into labour - of all the times it could of happened, it had to be then.

â??Iâ??ve never queued this long for anything before and didnâ??t want to lose my place but her contractions became more frequent so I offered to take her home.

â??Thankfully for me she insisted I stayed.â??

Mrs Reeves, an assistant bank manager, said: â??After queuing for so long there was no way we were going to lose out on a match ticket.

â??Vince offered to take me to hospital but I insisted he stay.

â??We kept phoning each other when I left the stadium. It was like a mad race - he was checking my progress and I was checking his.

â??Thankfully my mum was able to pick me up and take me to hospital while Vince kept our place in the queue.â??

Mr Reeves continued to look at his watch as he edged ever closer to the ticket office, hoping he would make it to the hospital in time for the birth.

As soon as he bought the tickets he jumped in his car and drove the ten minutes to the hospital - arriving just 15 minutes after his wife at about 2.30pm.

Both were delighted Vince had made it to the hospital in time to witness the birth of a healthy 7lb 6oz girl, called Jessica.

Rebecca said: â??We were both delighted to have made to the hospital in time.

â??The first thing I asked Vince when I saw him was â??did you get the tickets?â?.

â??The speed I went from contractions to birth was surprisingly quick. Iâ??m delighted I managed to hold on long enough for Vince to get to the hospital.â??

Southampton Football Club Executive Chairman Nicola Cortese was so impressed with the coupleâ??s dedication to the team he gave Jessica a life-long season ticket.

He arranged for a teddy bear and body grower to be delivered to the hospital along with a handwritten card.

It said: â??Dear Rebecca and Vince. Congratulations on your new birth of a little girl. And a warm welcome to our newest Saints fan.â??

Vince is now looking forward to teaching his daughter the rules of football but said she will watching the game against Portsmouth on television.

He said: â??The fact she has a season ticket for life means thereâ??s an extra excuse to go and watch Saints every week.â?? Southampton versus Portsmouth has been tipped as the best fifth round tie of the FA cup.

The last time the two teams met was in 2005, when Portsmouth won 4-1.

Troubled Portsmouth are currently bottom of the Premier League and Southampton are challenging for a play-off place in League One.

Relations between the two sets of fans are tense and police are planning extra security around the match.

Website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... birth.html

[i_like_1981]

It's not exactly evil. I mean, after all, the guy can't help it, can he? He has been infected with the dreaded sports virus which has engulfed his body, life, soul and mind. Sports have overtaken his brain completely. They have influenced him to put everything after getting his beloved opportunity to see his team play. I guess they have taught him to treat getting a seat for the big game with more regard than supporting his wife during the arrival of their new child, the new addition to the world which he has to bring up, shape in his image, and make ANOTHER mindless sports fan out of! Yeah, he may have been there for the actual birth, but he just HAD to get the tickets first, didn't he? They were, like, SO much more important, weren't they? Seeing his daughter being born was a price he could easily afford to pay if it meant getting those WONDERFUL tickets! Failing to get them would have rendered his life meaningless and his daughter may never have met her father at all! I don't know how this happens with some people that they fail to get their priorities in the correct order but... sports fans, eh. I need not elaborate.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Snesgamer]

Just imagine if he hadn't made it in time for the birth. Imagine him having to answer his daughter when she asked him about how he waited for her in the delivery room. Somehow I don't think "Um... waiting in line for some NFL tickets?" would quite cut it.

[i_like_1981]

Just imagine if he hadn't made it in time for the birth. Imagine him having to answer his daughter when she asked him about how he waited for her in the delivery room. Somehow I don't think "Um... waiting in line for some NFL tickets?" would quite cut it.

By the time she'd ask something like that she'd probably have been brainwashed into becoming a sports nut herself. I don't think she'd care - in fact, she'd probably even deem it an honour that her dad prized the game so much. After all, devotion to your team is the only thing that matters, isn't it?

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[abitagirl]

Southampton Football Club Executive Chairman Nicola Cortese was so impressed with the coupleâ??s dedication to the team he gave Jessica a life-long season ticket.

He arranged for a teddy bear and body grower to be delivered to the hospital along with a handwritten card.

It said: â??Dear Rebecca and Vince. Congratulations on your new birth of a little girl. And a warm welcome to our newest Saints fan.â??

Fight the power, Jessica!

Don't you just love when some guy slaps a football jersery or something on his newborn and proclaim "My kid's gonna be a ________ fan just like me!" I always hope the kid will become a rebel and hate sports.

[Earl]

After all, devotion to your team is the only thing that matters, isn't it?

Yes, you're absolutely right. Now you're catching on, i_like_1981. Who dat? Who dat?

[abitagirl]

After all, devotion to your team is the only thing that matters, isn't it?

Yes, you're absolutely right. Now you're catching on, i_like_1981. Who dat? Who dat?

I'm telling your wife.

[Earl]

Oh, no! Not now! Mrs. Earl is in a bad mood.

[Earl]

She really did pour water on my head!

[abitagirl]

Can't say you weren't warned!

If she ever comes to Louisiana, she'll have to bring a lot of water!

[Earl]

*Mrs. Earl laughs and says, "I love abitagirl."*

[i_like_1981]

Fight the power, Jessica!

Don't you just love when some guy slaps a football jersery or something on his newborn and proclaim "My kid's gonna be a ________ fan just like me!" I always hope the kid will become a rebel and hate sports.

What would be just as funny is if the kid grew up to support the rival team. That would put the wind up him just as much!

Not that I'm promoting sports fanaticism in any way...

Yes, you're absolutely right. Now you're catching on, i_like_1981. Who dat? Who dat?

What's happening Earl?!?! I thought you were a voice of sense in this forum! You've got me on the ropes now.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Earl]

What's happening Earl?!?! I thought you were a voice of sense in this forum! You've got me on the ropes now.

Uh-oh, you just used a sport metaphor.

[rotten]

on the ropes

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, wait. No he isn't.

[abitagirl]

Pardon my ignorant question, but what sport uses rope? All I can think of is rope-climbing, but I don't know if that's really a sport.