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The Old Spotted Dog

Tommy Barker

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 ‘The Old Spotted Dog’
Has a picturesque name,
It is in Forest Gate,
Just down Upton Lane;
Tis the home ground
Of Clapton FC,
A historic place
With a long pedigree…

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 It dates back to times
Of Henry the Eighth,
When he went hunting
On his country estate;
Then football took over
In Queen Victoria’s reign,
And thousands turned out
To watch every game…

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Beckham played there
Once in his youth,
But now the dog
Is long in the tooth;
It looks a bit weary,
Still I’m willing to bet,
That there could be fight
In the spotted dog yet…

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 So if you’re in London,
Go to the ground,
That is named after
An old mottled hound;
Shout for the home team,
Be glad that you came,
Make the dog’s tail
Wag once again!

© Llew Beaton 28 January 2014

Notes

The Old Spotted Dog is the oldest senior football ground in London. It was once part of the Old Spotted Dog Hunting Lodge property owned by King Henry VIII. In 1602 the lodge building was converted into a pub, while the land later became a sports field. Clapton FC moved there in 1888. Since 2012 London Bari FC have also used it. A cup tie between Clapton and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1898–99 season drew 12,000 spectators. The ground now has a capacity of 2,000, but recent attendance figures fall far short of that.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-old-spotted-dog/