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Season 2019/2020 – Missing Presumed Lost

S B Ingle

Monday, April 13th, 2020

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Days stretched into weeks
No football, at all
Football is just a game, say those who don’t get it
To us, it’s all we’ve ever known
the centre of everything we’ve planned
Friendlies, cup, home and away,
Life on the calender was H A AHA HAA – not laughing any more
it’s all H H H H H H H H H home home home
no win situation, no draw
just loss (no change there then Norwich City fans)
Stay home – easy when we’ve got live football on TV – but now?

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 It’s a contact sport, being a football fan
We know each other, every child, woman and man
Some fans, we know by name
Others are ‘the man on the end of the row’ (yeah, catchy)
or the bloke who sits behind Peter
but now they’re all absent friends

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 The people you used to work with
The one you talk Only Connect with
Old neighbours you sometimes bump into
Not-quite-strangers give you a nod, or a wave
Others you look out for, to give them space to cross your path
With their age, their crutches or frame
It’s football – of course they still came

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 The one with a glowering, granite face who taunts the ref
But when we score it’s like dawn breaking
Beaming, he hugs two rows, but, first, his dad

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 People from down our road
fellow sardines on the 1.15pm train
Those we went to school with
the ones who share our load
Good to see you, all right mate
How’s the missus, take care
People no longer here, in this life
Still always in the crowd

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Yeah, course we’re all hooligans to some
But there’s only love here, never hate
People of all shirts, giving banter, taking bait
It’s all been snatched away till we don’t know when
Who knows what next, some we’ll never see again

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Its changed us for ever, this vicious virus
Our lives have changed, and yeah it is only football, but I miss it
To end, I’m mangling words from Billy Ray Cyrus
It broke my heart, my achy-breaky heart
And I just think you fans will understand.

Notes

I’ve been going to Carrow Road since 1977. I see a lot of the same people every home game (I’d recognise that coat anywhere!) Now I don’t. I don’t know them, mostly, but they’re always there, Yes, we’re missing football but its more than that, we’re missing familiar. Normal, Routine. Way of life. Belonging. I was doing all right, wasn’t missing football at all. Then it sunk in.

It is only football and of little consequence in the circs. But we’re in shock, we’re allowed to miss it and feel down about it. We realise that it may change forever and we don’t yet know the cost.
This whole thing can be overwhelming, thinking of all that’s been pulled. Some changes will be temporary. Jobs, money, homes, businesses, health – all at risk. But many people are lost and it’s shocking.
Keep looking out for each other, keep talking, practice listening a bit harder. If you do nothing else, write it down. It might help.
I feel better now! NCFC – One City Strong

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Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/season-2019-2020-missing-presumed-lost/