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if

neil rockley

Wednesday, August 8th, 2007

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 If you can reach a header when all about you are missing theirs and blaming you
If you can shoot yourself instead of passing but make allowances for the rebound too
If you can run when you are tired of running
Or being talked about but don’t talk about others
Or being taunted but don’t give way to taunting
and yet don’t look too smart or talk too much
If you can dream of glory and not make glory your master
If you can think and not let thoughts affect your aim
If you can see triumph and not disaster
and treat home games and away games just the same
If you can bear to hear results you have dreaded
Twisted by strikers that beat an off side trap for fools
Or watch your goalie beaten and stoop and build him up with worn out boots
If you can make one cross connection and all free kicks count
If you are losing and can come back and win it
and never doubt that you would win it
If you can play from your heart keep your nerve you’ll win now
To swerve and turn your man sees you are gone
And hold up play when no ones with you
except the will to just hang on
If you can please the crowds and keep your shirt on
or win each game with just a touch
if neither foe’s or friends can hurt you
if all the team can count on you, not one but all
If you can play for 90 minutes with both halves filled with skill
yours is the premiership and all that’s with it
and which is more you’ll be a man of the match my son

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Inspired by a poem by Rudyard Kipling

© neil rockley

Notes

I wrote this poem when Bradford city entered the premiership

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/if/