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Ell Tel

Lee,DS

Tuesday, August 27th, 2002

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 There were some venerable names in the frame
Young and ambitious men, who had much to offer, to the game
Full of energy and forward thinking
Eschewing the culture, of laddish drinking
But Ridsdale and the board
Desperate to add to Revie’s hoard
In their great and infinite wisdom, have decided to install
Tel, give him the mantle of manager, the overseer of our football
Though some of us frown
Seemingly it boiled down
To a straight choice, between
(so says a stray voice, unseen)
England’s current number two, versus former number one
At least Tel will bring with him, his wonderful sense of fun
A world class innovator, I’m thinking of his Christmas tree formation
So we’ll be looking forward, to soccer with a swagger, rather than automation
TV, author of Hazel the telly detective
He’ll have to pen a happy ending, to avoid our invective
If he thinks his smarmy patter
Could smooth over any bad results, those that really matter
And though not all of us had grown weary
Of the still promising O’Dreary
If Tel can be anywhere near as successful, as Wilko or the Don
Then all our misgivings will be gone

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 But first, he has to last more than 40 days
Lets hope, he’s not given to ol’ Cloughie’s ways
That he stays, away from Scribes
And from all who within imbibes
That there be not a taint of bribes
As he tries to impress, his new tribes
A tall order, given the probable sale of the trio
Bowyer, Dacourt and Rio
And he’d better leave the singing just to us
Have us swinging, with the minimum of fuss
And let the results speak for themselves
So that any dirty digging, only delves
Into the antics of our foes
And that the only prose, be praise
As neat a turn of phrase
As a Kewell jewel
That leaves defenders skewered to the ground
And rapturous fans, composing eulogies all around

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 So we’ll give him a few months, or maybe only weeks
Hopefully we’ll hear cheers, rather than shrieks
But if this Cockney crooner
Can better either recent Gooner
Then we’ll take him to our hearts, even sooner

© D S Lee, August 2002

Notes

On the appointment of Terry Venables to the hot seat of Elland Road, summer 2002

And a start of two wins out of two, augurs well

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/ell-tel/