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Thrills and Spills

mark merriman

Monday, April 29th, 2013

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 On a bog of a pitch in May ’87,
and Town nowhere near footballing heaven
when a thunderous volley from Gillingham’s Elsey
left us reeling at just after quarter past three.
Try as they might Swindon couldn’t strike back,
though they mounted a spirited counter attack:
chances went begging from Coyne and Steve White,
many kept out by custodian Kite.
When Coyne struck a shot that went into the net
it seemed Town could still get back into it yet.
Then Charlie hammered one into the roof
and the Bank leapt to a man, the oldies and youf.
Head down, Charlie sprinted deliriously –
it was his first goal of the season, you see.
With the aggregate score now two goals apiece
and temperatures dropping – you needed a fleece;
both teams seemed to settle for a play off replay,
content to fight on for another pay day.
Selhurst Park was the neutral venue agreed on:
“Mark, you can’t make it, you’ve got your degree son.”

© mark merriman september 2004

Notes

Along with one of my great footballing sons, Joe, 15, we have been looking at Swindon’s appearances in the play offs in the past three decades. Some memories because you see the play offs whatever you might think of them are one of the very best things that have ever happened to football, saving our beloved game from dying on its feet in the mid eighties. Will be more play off nostalgia from me later, but wondered if this might inspire other supporters with their own memories…..good and bad.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/thrills-and-spills/