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On Running Down The Clock

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 It rarely garners plaudits
it often ushers pain
those masters of the darkest art
who waste our time again
the dragging to the corner flag
that Shangri-La of spaces
the long slow walk to be replaced
the tying up of laces
the going down with cramp again
the stuff that just goes on
the seeming agony that’s then
miraculously gone
a plague on all those actors
on ev’ry football ground
who specialise and master
in running the clock down

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 it’s reached another level now
in ev’ry land the same
those last minutes we used to know
have vanished from the game
it starts as early as it can
in front of you and me
it’s acted out now week on week
sophisticatedly

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 a useless task for referees
so helpless when they fall
to watch with us the goings on
however big or small
they waste away the moments
the minutes fly so fast
before you know that added time
has oh so quickly passed

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 a curse upon time-wasters
who bring stops to the action
and fool us with theatrics
of one more fake distraction
and you can call it what you like
game management they say
it’s fine if it’s your team ahead
but not the other way

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 It rarely garners plaudits
it sometimes ushers praise
those masters of the darkest art
who waste away our days
the dragging to the corner flag
that sacred of all spaces
the long slow walk to be replaced
the tying up of laces
the going down with cramp again
the stuff that just goes on
the seeming agony that’s then
miraculously gone
a curse on all those culprits
on ev’ry football ground
who specialise and master
in running the clock down

Notes

“I thought we saw the game out and managed it well.” A Manager.

Yeah right.

Not that we ever shout “corner flag” or “keep the ball” to the ball boy or a fan when the ball flies into our end when we’re winning of course!

God forbid.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/on-running-down-the-clock/