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Homage To A South East London Legend.

kevin raymond

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 I’m told when nights are cold in boozers down The Old Kent Road
Twenty minutes walk or so from The Old Den
There’s talk of a full back that could tackle a rake of wild feral cats
Harry Cripps who was idolized amongst South east London men.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 For Harry Cripps was tough, made of pretty stern stuff
Been known to have two wingers in his half time tea
A pure bred Millwall docker, who was pretty good at the soccer
When Harry finished they were lucky to be breathing.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Folks called Harry raving mad, to die hard Lions fans that’s sad
Harry wasn’t graced with barrow loads of skill
But a heart made from an oak made a South east London bloke
A legend, Lions punters speak of avidly still

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 What did Harry earn as dough? Not that much as far as I know
But those were days when money didn’t count
Blokes like Harry played each week, earned a pittance so to speak
Eamon Dunphy’s book tells what such times were about.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Did Harry ever play for England? Are the docks of Millwall in the Midlands?
Blokes like Harry rarely got that chance
Was he what you’d call a sweeper, a leader like that Uwe Seeler?
Nah. Harry was what you would call…well hard.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 How would the likes of Harry fare today? I once heard a pundit say
In these times of dieing swans who feign and scream?
I’m not sure to tell the truth but if Harry went right through em
Play-acting? They’d do that in A and E.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 There was Storey of the Arsenal, Crazy Horse at Anfield
Chopper who was tough at Stamford Bridge
Ah but when the nights get cold in boozers down The Old Kent Road
True Lions fans speak highly of Harry Cripps!

© kev 2007

Notes

This poem is not meant to be in praise of dirty players or what they would get up to, but is a sort of homage to a Sarf London legend who like the other blokes mentioned in the poem was completely fearless in his job for the team from the days when our game was about those we worshipped from the comfort of the (sic) terraces, true bona fide one hundred percent triers and real working class hero’s.

Sadly not too many of them to grace the green playing fields of our great game today is there?

For those who haven’t read it, check out Eamon Dunphy’s terrific book about the same period, when he (Dunphy) like Harry Cripps played for The Lions of Millwall ‘over the water’ in South East London.

As we say in the smoke!

Er eds you’ll have to kindly add the books title. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of it. A cracking read for any fan never the less.

peace

kev

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/homage-to-a-south-east-london-legend/