Football Poets

Scotland, brave but battered

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 It was the opening night
Of Euro 2024 hostilities
The smoke and carnage
Of a Bavarian evening
Scotland, thumped and thrashed
By frightening Germans
It shouldn’t have been like this
But it did happen
We feared the worst
And they were confirmed
Before the game
A huge white inflatable
Sheet stretched across
The hallowed turf
Of Bayern Munich
Suggesting excruciating torture
Scotland, pinned to the ground
Pleading for mercy and clemency
Just for being victims
Of circumstances
But this was a Munich massacre
And Scotland the Brave
Became Scotland the bewildered
We should have known
A crushing defeat for our
Hogmanay heroes
When New Year dawns
It was written in the stars
Omens of misfortune
All around the Allianz Arena
Cards of all colours
Across the rainbow spectrum
Were held aloft
European symbolism at its most
Vividly best
Then the referee blew the whistle
The whisky distilleries of Glasgow,
Edinburgh and all Scottish watering holes
Cried and wept into the alcoholic
Seat of Jack Daniels
Even Bonnie Prince Charlie
Would have sobbed into his
Flagon of mead
Foaming pale ale
Fountains of tears
On navy blue terraces
Flood through Scottish pride
Drowning their sorrows
A night to bury for all time
Sleep peacefully Scotland
Don’t dwell
On what might have been
Since this was a night
Of German excellence
A Teutonic masterpiece
Scotland, strangers in
Sinatra’s night
Simply damage limitation
5-1 should have been
Double the final figure
The Tartan army
Trounced
With almost military
Efficiency and
A passing carousel
That spun around
Dazed navy blue shirts
Three down
With nowhere to go
Before half time oranges
Scotland, lacking in
Any zest or tang
On a night of cards
And German cads
There could have been
Only one result
For now it’s Hungary
And Switzerland
For our tartan friends
Four points
May be enough

2