Football Poets

Boro v Sheffield United (01-01-2007)

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 This afternoon, my friends, you are cordially invited,
To be guests of the Boro against Sheffield United,
And, now that a brand new year is just beginning,
Let us start the best way possible, and that’ll be by winning.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Improvement is required and it needs to come quite quick,
And three points at home today, could very well do the trick,
Then, one thing is most certain, as the season does unravel,
We must get used to winning, especially when we travel.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 This ‘Season of Goodwill’ should end: all gifts we now must stop,
If we are to ever clamber clear of the hugely dreaded drop,
For it has to be accepted that it still remains a threat,
It’s a mighty, uphill task and it ain’t all over yet.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Whether we all like it, or if we like it not,
There still remains the danger of a relegation spot,
Just one New Year’s Day statistic, as the kick-off time now nears,
We’ve won but just a single game, in forty-seven long years.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Yakubu left his marker looking totally dejected,
When he got a shot on target that was cruelly deflected,
The Yak, without a doubt’s a massive thorn in Sheffield’s side,
Then Arca saw his shot drift agonisingly just wide.

¶ 6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 After Boro’s positive beginning they were suddenly looking nervy,
Worried looks all ‘round and it’s so awfully topsy-turvy,
Neil Warnock’s getting heated and at times he’s quite bizarre,
As he displays to all assembled his amazing repertoire.

¶ 7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Gillespie tested Schwarzer when he struck from twenty yards,
And a Sheffield goal, alarmingly, was looking almost on the cards,
The corner that resulted brought a quickening of the pulse,
But, it was thankfully, headed slightly wide, by Sheffield’s Robert Hulse.

¶ 8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 There’s a massive blow for Boro in a game that’s oh, so tense,
When injured stalwart, Woodgate, leaves the heart of our defence,
It’s some injury to his knee, which we hope is not too serious,
For the local lad – on loan to us – at times has been imperious.

¶ 9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Then came the best move of the day: a bit of Wizardry from Oz,
Defenders all turned inside out and what terrific skill it was!
Into the net it’s rifled by the wonderful Viduka,
Another from his arsenal: an unstoppable bazooka.

¶ 10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 In injury time – a penalty – that the Sheffield boss saluted,
The ref. was pointing at the spot: claimed Hulse had been uprooted,
Pogatetz was deemed the villain and the cost we paid was high,
For an awful call by Chris Foy, as the pictures testify.

¶ 11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 Jagielka brought it level then the Blades were well on fire,
Were it not for Julio Arca we’d be really in the mire,
For he headed off the line as the Boro seemed to wobble,
A fractious ending to this half of an often-heated squabble.
———-
We really must forget the lively first half’s closing stage,
Go out and seek to rattle on United’s creaking cage,
Cool heads are certainly called for in this boiling Riverside setting,
Then we might come out successful but; I wonder: what’s the betting?

¶ 12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 With the managers clearly suffering all the stresses and the tension,
We really must be patient; remain cool and show invention,
Then a second goal arrived and it certainly was no fluke,
It was netted by Yakubu with great assistance from The Duke.

¶ 13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 Viduka turned his man with skill and the Riverside then rocked,
Then silence did descend as the shot was somehow blocked,
Parried by the ‘keeper then the great Yakubu pounced,
“2 – 1 for the Boro” was then speedily announced.

¶ 14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 Relief was clear to see on almost every single face,
Now, at least for the moment, we have a little breathing space,
That all came about inside the sixty-ninth minute,
Now let’s keep it up and then continue on to win it.

¶ 15 Leave a comment on verse 15 0 United’s Captain Morgan then did clearly foul the Yak,
If we benefit from this then we should have them on the rack,
It was well inside the area and the clearest, stonewall pen,
If this one nestles in the net we can surely say, “Amen.”

¶ 16 Leave a comment on verse 16 0 The Yak got up: composed himself and showed the utmost cool,
Gerrard was left bewildered but the rest of us could drool,
Surely, that’s enough, now that we have a two-goal shield,
And it’s ‘High Fives’ all around as the points are surely sealed.

¶ 17 Leave a comment on verse 17 0 At 3 – 1 for the Boro the New Year suddenly seems brighter,
For all the loyal fans, and I include in that ‘The Writer,’
No better start was possible to the year two-thousand-seven,
And the faithful now depart and they are all in seventh heaven.

¶ 18 Leave a comment on verse 18 0 The result was certainly sparkling though the game was not champagne,
But it’s something now – home and away – we must seek to maintain,
For the slightest little blip could see us once more in the mire,
I do have an awful feeling that this could go down to the wire.

¶ 19 Leave a comment on verse 19 0 George Kirby

¶ 20 Leave a comment on verse 20 0 (01-01-2007)