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Macedonia Nightmare

Peter Goulding

Wednesday, December 31st, 2003

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 There was no need for them to score,
No reason for such boldness.
The header which earned them a draw
Just wrapped our hearts in coldness.
No benefit to them, that goal
That chilled the warmest Gaelic soul.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 In Skopje, ‘twas a goal from Quinn
That launched our celebration.
A tight and scrappy one nil win
Ensured our qualification.
Injury time was almost up,
Dreaming of the Euro Cup.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 “Four minutes,” screamed the neon sign,
As we howled at the telly.
And then we got some luck divine –
A brilliant save from Kelly.
Into the fifth minute went
The Macedonians, almost spent…

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 The Spanish ref alas allowed
The corner to be taken.
“Defend! Defend!” we screamed out loud,
Our insides stirred and shaken.
But someone let the full back go,
And thus they struck a tragic blow.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 A header we will ne’er forget
Amid such abject wailing,
Crashed into the Irish net
With Alan Kelly flailing.
Our cup of joy was dashed away
With but a second left to play.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Why did the scorer not stay back?
Why did he come up running?
Why did he join his own attack
With fortitude and cunning?
They’d long since fallen off the wall.
A draw would bring them bugger all.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The reason that this sod attacked
Was selfish and gratuitous.
Dreams of glory, though in fact
‘Twas pretty damned fortuitous.
He put his dreams of pers’nal deeds
Before our nation’s urgent needs.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Instead of coming out on top,
We only finished second.
Airline tickets got the chop
And play-off places beckoned.
And Turkey beat us with some ease
To bring a country to it’s knees.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 The travel brochures may well say
That Macedonia’s brilliant.
But bitterly, I’ll stay away,
Sulking, but resilient.
Sure, I’ve not been to Holland since
That Wim Kieft header made us wince.

© Peter Goulding 31st December 2003

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/macedonia-nightmare/