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The Assault On Patrick Battiston.

kevin raymond

Friday, June 9th, 2006

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Escapism did come take me
Via my t.v antenna
To bathe in the nostalgic atmosphere
Of the World Cup in Espana

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 When flashbacks came to visit me
I still frown upon
The sad sight on that fateful night
For Patrick Battiston

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 That brilliant score by Marius Tresor
For a soul destroyed French team
Ah but Michel Platini will soon put it right
With Jean Tigana supreme

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 That French team so exciting
Were midfield driven, strong
But never recovered from that awful assault
To team mate Battiston

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 The German keeper walked away
Not caring or concerned
The referee. What did he do or see?
Nothing as French fans sat there stunned

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 No reprimand or booking
No red card as we thought
Yet all of us sat there amazed
And looking at what he’d done to poor Battiston
Thought he’d at least be charged with assault

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Alain Giresse I must confess
Did inspire that French side
But when Patrick Battiston was carried off in pain
Les Blue’s hopes sadly died

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 So the French team left the field in tears
With thoughts of what should and could have been
The best team in the tournament were shattered
Like poor Battistons physique

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 The Germans went to the final
Where the Azzuri gave them hell
After the disgrace of that semi final against the French
Perhaps t’was just as well!

© kjp raymond 2006 !

Notes

I’ve been watching some really terrific World Cup stuff on late night t.v until this came up!

I warned my wife and daughter who were watching with me that what was coming up was horrific and now much later and having seen it a few times over the years since it happened it actually seems even that
much worse.

My wife and daughter couldn’t believe that the German keeper Harold Schumacher was allowed to stay on the field and was not even spoken to by the referee!

He, Schumacher landed with both feet on the chest of the French striker Patrick Battiston with the ball having been knocked past him and miles away.

The most disgraceful sight I’ve ever witnessed on a football field and nothing was done about it.

I think Patrick Battiston never played again that next season because of this truly horrific assault on him that left him minus three teeth and a fractured vertabra and was unconscious for three minutes needing oxygen to assist his breathing if my memory serves me well. Very, very sad.

peace.

kev.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-assault-on-patrick-battiston/?shared=email&msg=fail