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The Battle of the Stadia

Peter Goulding

Wednesday, June 29th, 2005

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 The battle royal commenced, unplanned,
‘Tween Tolka Park and Croker,
To see whose fans were loudest and
Whose fans were mediocre.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 In Croke Park, eighty thousand odd
Sang songs at Bono’s altar,
Their strident worship of their God
Being heard as far as Malta.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Across the way in Tolka Park,
Where Longford Town were playing,
Shels sang dirges in the dark,
Eleven hundred swaying.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Bono urged the U2 crowd
To ring the decibels,
Turning all his amps up loud
To try and drown out Shels.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 But Shels supporters upped the noise –
The fight was not conceded,
Encouraging the hometown boys
To get the win they needed.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 When Jason Byrne knocked in the goal
And Tolka Park erupted,
Bono nearly lost control
As ‘Pride’ was interrupted.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Did music triumph over sport,
As both fans kept their pledge?
Well, in the end, most neutrals thought
That Croke Park had the Edge.

© Peter Goulding 29th June 2005

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-battle-of-the-stadia/