Football Poets

Scotland the brave.

For so long it looked as if
It was never meant to be
But suddenly and joyously
It came all right
You could hear the Hampden roar
Echoing through the heather and glens
Of the Highlands and Grampians
The thunderous blast of
A million trumpets of triumph
Last night the Tartan skies
Were smiling, laughing, cheering
Raucously, uproariously to
The rafters
At long last Scotland
Have qualified for another
World Cup
Breathe in and take it all in
From the whisky distilleries
To Rabbie Burns peaceful home
Sir Alex’s granite city of
Aberdeen,
Those toiling dockers
And welders and shipping
Men who defined
Billy Connolly’s spiritual home
4-2 to Scotland
Now where have we heard that one before?
Those Sassenachs were
Preening themselves,
Taunting their neighbours
When the World Cup was won
Oh yes of course, 1966
We mustn’t forget that
But last night those
Doughty and determined Danes
Were beaten fair and square
Scotland plant their flag
On top of the world
If not quite world champions
Now that would be a sight to behold
Scotland have done it
Carving and weaving their
Own folk stories of where
They were when Scotland the Brave
Joined the rest of the globe
For the four yearly pageant
The Jules Rimet Cup
Oh shout it from the
Bristling, bubbling tenements
No longer grey but the
Brightest shade of Tartan
If that can ever be imagined
And yet it could have
Been so horribly different
Denmark were devouring
The Scots with the hunger
Of men
Who simply adore streaky bacon
And the sweetest pastries
Oh let’s feast on cliches
Whyever not?
It was nip and tuck
Helter skelter
A rare old ding dong
Goals weeping from
Inclement Glasgow heavens
Then up stepped Scott McTominay
Who must have remembered
Something Sir Alex must have
Told him, ages ago
Kieran Tierney and
Of course Kenny Mclean
With a name like that
He could hardly be anything
But a swaggering Scotsman
Congratulations Scotland
It’s been 27 years since you
Last graced a World Cup
With immaculately tailored
Tartan skirts
And sporrans of the finest cloth
Forget Ally’s Army
And those grim grimaces
Of anguish in Argentina
Today is your day to
Celebrate again

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