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John (Stonewall) Jackson king of the Palace

John J O’Connor

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 A mighty man of six feet three,
and weighing fourteen stone,
when Palace struggled in the first,
John Jackson stood alone.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 John (Stonewall Jackson
kept Palace up for years,
why he never got an England cap,
is a question for his peers.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 He starred in our promotion,
in nineteen sixty- nine,
the country’s finest keeper,
on or off his line.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Forget about Banksy,
Shilton,Stepney,Sprake,
none of them could match,
the saves that he could make.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 For years, he was the King,
to the fans who filled Selhurst,
as he defied the forwards of the day,
like Chivers,Greaves and Hurst.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Even now at Palace,
they still talk of him in awe,
as they tell of saves he used to make,
from Astle, Best and Law.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Of his tip over from Osgood,
or his dive at Bremner’s feet,
their was no doubt about it ,
John Jackson was elite.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 With his large green padded jersey,
usually plastered up with mud,
he’d dive around his goalmouth,
landing with a thud.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Even with the noisy crowds,
you’d always hear his call,
as he jumped above the forwards.
screaming “keeper’s ball.”

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 ‘You’ll never beat John Jackson,
Jacko is the king”
and “Jackson for England,’
around the ground would ring.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 But Ramsey never listened,
to the pleas to cap ‘Stonewall’
so England’s finest keeper
never got an England call.

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 Then came a new team manager,
seeking all the fame
Malcolm Allison with his cigars
and glasses of champagne

13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 Within a month he’d succeeded,
in getting us relegated,
and our hero Johnny Jackson,
he publicly berated.

14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 So ‘Stonewall’ went to Orient,
and to a new team did adapt,
and was still the finest goalie,
who was never capped.

15 Leave a comment on verse 15 0 So thanks for all the memories John,
of your feats between the sticks,
now come out of retirement,
and teach David James some tricks.

16 Leave a comment on verse 16 0 ——————————————————————————–

17 Leave a comment on verse 17 0 © John J O’Connor 07/ Nov 02

© John J O’Connor

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/john-stonewall-jackson-king-of-the-palace-2/