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Stuck In A Timewarp

Andy Lockett

Saturday, April 15th, 2006

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Flicking through boxes, that stuffy old smell
All around – then, success…a missing number
Found at last to complete the set. The world of
Programme collectors – a place of nostalgia,
Obsession; ‘wants’ lists clutched and checked,
And checked again – just in case you missed.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 The fifties four pagers – teams in 2-3-5 format,
World famous names in plain black typeface.
Then, the glossier sixties and groovy ‘magazine’
Styles – self consciously modern, with photos
And the Football League Review inside – all for
A modest shilling; Great days, great games.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Came the seventies, came the colour –
Bigger sizes, more pages. Your favourite star’s
Favourite meal (Steak and chips, of course),
And the manager always had his weekly say –
Dodgy refs, boggy pitches, international call-ups;
Now it was decimal – an inflated ten ‘new’ pence…

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Stiil, the lads and the Dads kept that collecting
Habit – now, programmes are all the same, no
Matter what the team. No odd sizes, no contentious
Opinions, just in case the sponsors disapprove.
It’s all inane trivia, adverts and irrelevant stats –
For a small fortune; no real fun to read, any more,.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 But the bug has bitten deep, and it’s hard to lose.
The flash of excitement when you spot a rare cover,
Especially at a modest price – that twice-postponed
Texaco Cup tie, even if it’s a bit tattered and torn.
Only a hobby, you understand – a few quid here and
There to treasure memories from special, lost times.

© Andy Lockett 2006

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/stuck-in-a-timewarp/