Football Poets

FA Cup semi final weekend

So here we are on the verge
Of vibrancy and vivacity
Monumental triumph
Epic victory
It’s FA Cup semi final weekend
Could it be Forest
Foraging among the chaotic profusion
Of thousands of grand, imposing beech
Trees, tangled branches and twigs
The dancing shadows of delightful
Springtime?
Those nippy grey and brown squirrels
With a lightning turn of pace
On the left and right wing
No VAR required for them
Nuno Espirito Santo
On the threshold of being
Awarded the Freedom of Nottingham
Longing, yearning to create
Modern history for Nottingham Forest
Where Cloughie, the great Brian
Narrowly missed out in 1991
When Gazza imploded, exploded
Then self destructed
It could be the year
Of Nottingham Forest
Fallow Forest
No FA Cups in their
Trophy cabinet
Since 1959 when
The Hatters of Luton
Were denied their
Smartest boater of glory
Or will Manchester City
Salvage something from the
Charred ruins of their season?
No Premier League crowns
This time, sadly not
But then some would take
A warped delight if Forest
Punctured City’s balloon
Meanwhile at the Palace
Among the wealthy chaise longues,
Noble paintings and gilded mirrors
And lavish banqueting suites
Of Selhurst Park
Oliver Glasner will be told
About the legendary figures
From South London’s yesteryear
Terry Venners Venables
Cheeky wink to
All and sundry
Fedora fancy dan
Big Mal
Malcolm Allison
Bert Head with
With that shrewd mind
Crystal Palace
Always rubbing shoulders
With footballing royalty
But nothing to show
In history’s yellowing parchments
Can Palace finally lift
The jug eared trophy
Kings of the FA Cup
Take a bow on the lofty balcony?
Or will the charming Villa
Finally get their hands on
an FA Cup for the first time
Since 1957
The Villains becoming
Valiant heroes
We were still travelling on
Trolley buses and trams
When Aston Villa were decorating
The town claret and blue
But Villa were the Victorian landlords
At the first born
Of Football League’s youngest days
Serial winners of everything
Will Villa turn the clock
Back to the straight faced
Straight laced
Lugubrious Ron Saunders
Grabbed both the old First Division title?
And then when Tony Barton
Converted Villa into European Champions
Peter Withe’s swooping head in 1982
Claiming the big prize
Remembered for ever more
But Villa are a match away
From another Wembley
FA Cup Final
It’s 25 years since Chelsea
Did it over and over again
And Villa were left with
Nothing but whitewashed memories
Oh the FA Cup semi final,
One more match to go
Before we climb aboard
Our coaches, dust down
The banners, the funny,
Quirky flags and the
Hilarious witticisms
Of FA Cup Final day
World of Sport and Grandstand
It used to be a Saturday TV goldmine
Now just condemned to a dusty archive
Let the Cup semi finals
Sprinkle stardust over
That Final day in May
When Abide with Me
We celebrate with
Garlanded tea

Be the first to leave a comment »