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No More A Wandering – Nat Lofthouse 1925-2011

Crispin Thomas

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 my first Final our first telly
’58 and a black and white set
Munich sorrow awash that day
with sadness in our heads
that was the year I cried for another team
and swapped my blue and white rattle
for a red and white scarf in my heart
with a million others
but Nat and Bolton had other ideas
the archetypal centre forward
bustling power Brylcreemed hair
towering intimidating
passion style and fire

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 and who here old enough
can forget that moment ?
when Nat leapt to barge Gregg
the ball and our dreams into the net
breaking hearts but not the rules back then?

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 it wasn’t in the script they said
but that’s football
and as Bobby Charlton was to say today
it was about strength in those days…

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 I run I head I score
that could have been Nat’s motto
and for England
with Matthews and Finney on the wings
who could disagree?
Scoring a winning goal
just one of 30 in 33 goals for his country
and knocked unconscious in the process
says it all

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 back then
when centre forwards were massive
and wore number nine
and when equally huge
centre halves wore number 5
battling down the middle what games they were?
Roy of The Rovers Roy Bentley
Peter Sillett Jackie Charlton eat your heart out

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 back then when loyalty
meant more than newcomers
kissing the badge on their first game
and from 1946 to 1960 450 games and 255 goals
for his beloved Bolton tells the story
for those who recall the tussles
for those who were there and for those who care
for club and country Lofthouse was a legend
and.. on the field and in the stands
at Bolton and afar tears will flow
like goals he bagged

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The Lion Of Vienna sleeps tonight
and that’s how he went in his dreams
Nat will be sorely missed
but he’ll stay in ours…

© CT11

Notes

Nat Lofthouse 1925-2011 RIP

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/no-more-a-wandering-nat-lofthouse-1925-2011/