Funny how priorities change when you become a parent.

Things you never dreamt of doing during your younger, less responsible days are now commonplace.

Taking your kids to, or picking them up from, brownies/friends'houses/after school clubs/sleepovers/discos are more than a regular occurrence in our house these days.

Long before I encountered fatherhood, I used to laugh when I saw a car complete with 'Dad's taxi' or 'Mum's taxi' hanging down off the rearview mirror.

I don't laugh anymore. I just nod knowingly.

So it was last Saturday when I could be found driving my son across the New Forest and up the M3 towards South Wonston, north of Winchester.

If it was a Saturday morning, it was time for Testway Youth League footie action once more!

It wasn't, of course, always like this.

Once upon a time, before the kids came along, Saturday football meant watching 'by far the greatest team the world has ever seen' in action.

Exeter City FC.

My friends and I really did sing those words, and we meant them. We weren't being ironic or serious; we were just being football supporters.

For many years, most weekends, I would watch the mighty Grecians, home and away, come rain or shine, win, draw or lose.

I could write a book about my life following my hometown club, and one day I will.

Some games were good, some poor, some dreadful.

Some had hardly any atmosphere at all, and some had plenty.

Our main derby has always been Plymouth Argyle, even though Torquay United are geographically much closer.

In the same way Saints and Pompey fans feel about each other, so it is the same for Exeter and Plymouth.

We don’t like them and they don’t like us.

I would always want to watch the Plymouth games, for a healthy dose of tribalism does no-one any harm unless it spills over into hooliganism.

Last Saturday Exeter were home to Plymouth, and I was not there.

Instead, as already mentioned, I was at South Wonston Swifts to see my lad Ben play for Fordingbridge under-11s.

As I also said earlier, priorities change.

I have only missed one game Ben has played for Fordingbridge in a season and a half, and I was well miffed I missed that as his team won 6-0.

Perhaps I should miss a few more?

No, I will always try and make sure I'm there watching him.

It's one of the rites of parenthood, surely? Standing on the sidelines watching your sons and daughters play competitive sport (and it must be competitive).

Standing there hollering words of encouragement, passing on all my knowledge gleaned through decades of watching football with incisive expressions such as 'good pass', 'get tight on No 6', 'stay with your man'.

You can see I've watched a few games in my life, can't you?

I've done my bit for Exeter City FC, and I will always try and get to some games as and when.

But now I am doing my bit for Ben's footie career with words of wisdom and four wheels to get him to games.

Though I would have liked to have been at Exeter last weekend, I was glad I went to South Wonston instead.

We won 8-0 away.

You don't get many days like that in adult football, so you might as well enjoy them when they come around at kids' level.

We're away this weekend too, and again I will be there - instead of at Torquay v Exeter, another Devon derby.

I have been to many Torquay v Exeter games in my life, so I don't mind missing this Saturday’s match.

I have not been to as many West Harnham v Fordingbridge under-11 league games, and this week's encounter could be instrumental in the promotion race.

The top four teams in Division 2 play each other on Saturday. We take on Harnham and Upper Clatford face Tidworth.

Ideally we'd win and Clatford and Tidworth would both lose against each other, but I'm not confident that will happen ...

It is a SUPER SOCCER SATURDAY, as Sky Sports would no doubt bill it if they had the rights to show live Testway Youth League games via satellite.

You can picture it now. Jeff Stelling sitting there, with his panel of ex-professional stars in the studio.

Charlie Nicholas would be watching live pictures beamed from Tidworth and Matt Le Tissier would be beside him commentating on Harnham v Fordingbridge.

'What a SUPER SOCCER SATURDAY we've got lined up for you today,'Stelling would shriek.

'There's been a goal at Tidworth,' shouts Nicholas.

'Oooooooooooooooooooohhhh' Le Tissier would interject as Fordingbridge go close.

On and on this would go, before finally ......

'Goooooooooooooooooooal' Le Tissier would scream.

'Ben Carter's fired in a thunderbolt from 20 yards to give Fordingbridge the lead in the last minute'.

'Just like his dad used to in the Blackmore Vale League' Stelling would add.

Perhaps this 2012/13 season will end in celebration for both Ben and for Exeter.

Perhaps we might both win promotion.

Go on, ask me the question, I know you want to.

'What if you could have just one promotion, who would you choose?'

Now THAT is a tough one, and I can't phone a friend.

I've seen Exeter promoted three times, but I've never seen my son's team celebrate going up.

So, to sum up the changing priorities, I'd have to choose the blues rather then reds.

And I never thought I'd say that ...