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Prior To A St Stephens Day Sell – Out.

kevin raymond

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 That morn the freezing Fulham road
Looked like a pane of glass
There were touts decked out in crombie coats,
Homburgs, and paisley scarves.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Hot chestnuts kept us fortified
As the gates to heaven heaved
Then we flew on in, to that sacred place
Like scattered autumn leaves.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Ten groundsman did a sterling job
To sweep the pitch of snow
Would they have it be clear by kick off time?
Was all we’d want to know.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Straw adorned the dog track
With Coppers round the pitch
As the tannoy churned out a right bad batch
Of dodgy Christmas hits.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Eleven sheepskinned martyrs
Who’d missed their Christmas lunch
Were worshipped to the rafters
By some bleary eyed half drunks.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 As they eyed the scene of white and green
And waved to friendly fans
They autographed some programmes
Or shook hands with some old man.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The visiting team tried out the pitch
To hoots of loud abuse
Shaking off long travel stiffness
Whist deciding choice of boots.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 As shovel fulls of sand were sprinkled
Across the penalty box
A fan who’d far had too much to drink
Tried to focus on his watch.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 By now the crowd was heaving
Expectant, on alert
There was no way we were leaving
Till that final whistle burst.

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 As the deejay reeled off players names
We ticked programmes with our pens
Then got ready for the be all that’s the game
On a cold St Stephens Day.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 We’d clap our hands and stamp our feet
Adjust scarves and dodgy hats
As I look forward to a hectic month of football
I’ve still fond thoughts, of wondrous days like that!

© Kev 2007

Notes

It’s all there in the poem!

This could or should be, if my memory serves me well, Stamford Bridge London circa 1964-65 ish.

A magic time to be a twelve year old.

As I was bought up in an Irish household, Saint Stephens Day is what we would call Boxing Day. And was more popular amongst the Irish families, I lived amongst, than Christmas Day itself.

peace.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/prior-to-a-st-stephens-day-sell-out/