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“Escapism”

Dulwich Poet

Friday, April 27th, 2018

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Half a mile from the station
A delight of a ground
Half decent programme
Admission just five pound.
Out of my local area
Jumped on a train
Headed for Risborough Rangers
No I’m not insane!
A sun setting evening
Weather dry and fine
Such a gorgeous setting
For ground six eighty nine.
Basic but cared for
In their club they take pride
A much better set up
Than my local step six side.
Club house full of photos
Ground painted red and white
It’s got that total ‘cared for’ feel
That makes groundhopping a delight.
Resting on the railing
Football’s not the best
But what do you want at Step six
As long as they try their best?
It can’t exactly be easy
On a bumpy bone-dry pitch
I doubt if they can afford summer top soil
They don’t exactly look rich.
But who needs Billericay style money
When all you need is love and care
Clubs like this are football’s lifeblood
Despite trophy cabinets usually bare.
Inside I’m quietly content
As the sun sets tonight
Darkened trees for backdrop
Under the glow of artificial light.
A single goal in it
Certainly could have been more
But you won’t hear me complaining
About the one nil score.
This is genuine entertainment
The highlight of my week
Albeit that’s only because
Losing to Grays was so bleak.
This was simply football for enjoyment
No Pink & Blue tinted specs tonight
There was even a late ‘cabaret’ bonus
Of ‘handbags’ masquerading as a fight.
Leicester were playing in Europe
Tannoyman updates the score
Game on the telly in the bar
Not bothered to go in the door.
Why would I want artificial Champions League
That I’ll never be able to afford
Much better to see real live honest football
Where I doubt I’ll ever be bored.
In the second half it’s getting colder
The crisp air doesn’t make me chill
For ninety minutes I’m without a care
Non-league football’s my total thrill.
Tomorrow I’ll start to ‘worry Dulwich Hamlet’
As play-off nerves kick in
But for now it’s going to Risborough Rangers
That keeps me calm and content within.

Notes

(About a year ago I went ‘groundhopping’, ticking off Risborough Rangers, who were at home to Buckingham Athletic, in the Spartan South Midlands League First Division, the day after Dulwich Hamlet suffered a very disappointing one nil defeat at home to Grays Athletic. This trip was the perfect ‘pick-me-up’ after that! I jotted this down on the train back to Marylebone)

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