Football Poets

The Ballad Of King Kenny Dalglish

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 The 4th of March 1951
The birth of the greatest man to pull the red shirt on
The Glasgow cub with golden boots
Became a legend first with The Hoops
For The Pride of Parkhead he would shine
Following in the footsteps of the Lisbon Lions
A Celtic heart beat in his chest
But his greatest days would be with The Reds

¶ 2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 The fee was a record but he was worth his weight in gold
14 glorious years in the greatest story ever told
The press said we were finished now that Keegan was to leave
But me Dad just smiled, said: “Wait and see!”
The pride of Shankly’s eye was Keegan
But after Rome said he’d be leavin’
Yet canny Bob without a doubt
Knew then the replacement was sorted out

¶ 3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Some Reds thought we’d fail with Keegan gone
But Liverpool’s a team not just about one
For coming South was Jock’s protégé
And we knew soon the best was yet to be
He made his debut against the Salford Hoards
Finding his way plenty of time to score
And then against Middlesborough found the back of the net
At Anfield against the magpies scored again

¶ 4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 He won our hearts he thrilled the soul
When he scored against Bruges, the only goal
The next season 20 goals the title again won
The reign of our King had well and truly begun
He played 180 games without injury in a row
And the medals and honours over the seasons would flow
The angles he created no other could repeat
The ball would dance for joy from the rhythm of his feet

¶ 5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Ice cool finishing the greatest mark of his trade
Blessed were we who came to see the King when he played
His partnership with Rushie was the best that’s ever been
The magic they created bordered on telepathy
Then Bob stepped down and Uncle Joe picked up the reins
In 84 in Rome once more and the very first treble came
But in ’85 the shame and pain of Heysel too much for Joe to bear
His heart was tired time to rest King Kenny was the heir

¶ 6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 He gave us back the wounded pride and restored the heart
Our faith remained would never change as he ruled the park
The famous double came to us his first season in charge
His worth to the cause immeasurable, a light within the dark
In 87 Rushie left and joined the Turin black and white
But no need to worry we had Barnes and Beardo in the side
29 matches unbeaten that record stands there still
With Aldo baggin’ goals like Ian we were better than Brazil

¶ 7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 But the crazy gang of Wimbledon they had to spoil the fun
When Aldo missed his penalty we knew the Cup had gone
In 88 Rushie came home he was homesick for his mates
But with Aldo still commanding Ian would have to wait
We set off on a winning streak many games won in a row
But the devil he would plot and scheme kept his cards down low
15TH April 1989 that day like any other started fine
But by the end the reports came in 96 innocent souls had died

¶ 8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Fathers, Mothers, Daughters, Sons, all been snatched away
Because of Police incompetence and a stadium falling away
Hillsborough Christ the very name makes my blood run cold
To think that at a football match 96 would not return home
Shanks once said that football was more important than life and death
But up in heaven the great man shocked and just like us he wept
Our broken hearts turned to our king and then without a sound
With dignity he pulled us from the grief and never let us down

¶ 9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 And though we won the Cup from the blues for once we didn’t care
Our thoughts remained with the ones who couldn’t make it there
The title came down to the wire and close as close could be
Ours if we could avoid against Arsenal a less than 2 goal defeat
But the football gods upon that day decreed the Gunners the result
The pain that was Hillsborough for us would prove to be too much
But the next season with a faith renewed our 18th title secured
The Double was on but Crystal Palace knocked our dreams to the floor

¶ 10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 The season of 90-91 started off with 10 straight wins
Dalglish astute as ever after his hat trick brought Rocket Ronnie in
But the clouds were quickly gathering and the signs were on the wall
Whispers rumours and the face of the King haunted and forlorn
And then the bombshell fell on the 22nd February 1991
Like other dates in the club’s history we’d all remember this one
The abdication of the King was a hammer to our hearts
Our senses reeled it can’t be true Christ someone say it’s not

¶ 11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 But the smile was gone, the stress too much the time had come to leave
But a Liverpool without Dalglish was a throne without its King
And when he left I’m not ashamed to say I wept the tears
I’d loved him for his dignity and for his football down the years
With Souness and with Hansen what a trinity they made
The red machine rolled over all every time they played
He made us Kings of Europe when the call went forth he came
Who’s the greatest Red of all? Dalglish, Dalglish his name.

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