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In praise of the unsung

Neale Blackburn

Friday, January 10th, 2003

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Drummers they say like to be round musicians.
Goalkeepers suffer similar derision.
Crucial to success but oft unregarded,
Classified as oddball, one off, or retarded.
Hanging out with the holders of more skilful positions
Only really highlighted during fault inquisitions,
I doubt though that drumming presents the same dangers
As last line of defence at poor old Queens Park Rangers
Drummers lose teeth on beer tops or in brawls
Goalies suicidal diving at feet in free fall
On stage or in goal high levels of efficiency
Greatly enhance degrees of invisibility
Technical positions, sometimes lonely too
Colleagues behave as if superior to you
Safely up front where bum note or shinner
Will not still be haunting when they sit down to dinner,
Drummers at least can display some flamboyance
Goalkeeping extemporising just causes stress and annoyance.
Keepers have one big advantage I’ve seen
There’s no football equivalent of a drumming machine.

© norm the jedi 2003

Notes

Having done both I felt moved to compare, started off completely goal keeper related and got nowhere then a friend made the crack in the opening line on discovering my penchant for percussion and from festering resentment I fashioned this such as it is.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/in-praise-of-the-unsung/?shared=email&msg=fail