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Bad Owners

Richard Williams

Sunday, November 26th, 2023

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 We’ve all seen them arrive,
a scarf across their shoulders
filched from the club shop,
or sometimes wearing a shirt
to show their commitment is real.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Photo op completed,
before statements for the media,
a wolf-grin of superficial plans
to keep people onboard,
until the truth becomes clear.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Charlatans, embezzlers, property developers,
men of questionable means
all passing the fit and proper test –
heck, down here at Pompey,
we almost had one who didn’t exist.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 How many times it ends in tears,
with redundancies and bills unpaid,
weeds growing on the terraces,
padlocks round the gates,
bulldozers readied outside.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 From Brighton up to Blackpool
and Darlington to Torquay,
we’ve seen it everywhere,
a near A-Z of failed ownership
from Accrington all the way to Yeovil.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 But clubs don’t die that easily,
there’s a fire that won’t burn out,
through protests and bucket collections
court cases and phoenix club campaigns,
‘til they’re supporter run or true custodians come;

Notes

Appeared in the match day programme for the game between Pompey and Blackpool yesterday.

I’m not planning on making any comment or poem about that particular match!

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/bad-owners/