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Lament to the Old Ground

Barry Lenton

Saturday, February 8th, 2003

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 The crumbling stand, the rusty nails
That held the wooden planks in place,
The grassy banks behind both goals
From where we watched the title race.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 The peeling paint stripped to reveal
The previous season’s tale of woe,
The Shed from where our anthems rang
From “Champions” to “Here We Go”.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Drain pipes leaking, gutters cracked,
Uneven sleepers we’d laid down,
Rounded barriers holding back
The fans of City, Vics and Town.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Now concrete slabs surround the pitch.
Our ground is new but grey and bland,
Victim of a grading scheme
That cost the club a million grand.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 The echoes of a distant past
Now lie subdued, our choir will die.
Each song is lost, each shout unheard
-Buried in a concrete pie.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 The Unibard (Barry Lenton)

Notes

As a follower of Marine FC, I have learned to appreciate the character of some of the older grounds in non-league football. Subjected to scutiny under ground-grading rules, they inevitably lose their uniqueness and many are becoming clones of each other without atmosphere and appeal.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/lament-to-the-old-ground/