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The Grandstand Teleprinter

Mike Bartram

Friday, October 11th, 2024

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 A great memory from a time long gone.
The Grandstand Teleprinter on BBC1!
David Coleman stood beside camera 3.
But only the Teleprinter appeared on TV!

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 The Teleprinter would often stall or pause.
Kept you in suspense for the final scores!
It would judder and whirl and chatter away.
That was all very high tech back in the day!

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 If a team scored a big hat full, you could tell.
The Teleprinter put the tally in words as well!
If a team scored an amazing 7 goals or more.
It was typed as a worded, bracketed score!

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Can you imagine VAR in existence back then?
Only one score would be typed instead of 10!
The confused Teleprinter would blow a fuse.
Did a goal stand did a team win, draw or lose?

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 At 4.40 the Teleprinter took centre stage.
I’d wait for our result to appear on the page.
That was in the days of a 10 minute half time.
Injury time only added if the weather was fine!

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 So, by 4.45 most games were over and done.
As for me…I’d be praying Liverpool had won!
Letter by letter Liverpool’s name would appear.
A Teleprinter glitch was then my biggest fear!

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 But most times, the Teleprinter worked a treat.
And the correct final scores it would complete!
Then technology moved on, I’m saddened to say.
And so the loveable Teleprinter soon had its day.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-grandstand-teleprinter/