The InkwellSalford, 28th April 2020
#Napowrimo #Sport
Sports teams require more than the eleven put out on the pitch
qualified physiotherapists, doctors and coaching staff
up at the training venues ensure
a match fit, well prepared team to
do their thing when the ref blows his whistle
#fowc #suspense
There’s an atmosphere growing
around the opposition’s end at a Northern Football Team
their captain scythed down the home team’s star striker
and there were handbags approaching half time
From uproar and arguments, its down to two men
the man in red against the man in green
man in green stands on the line
man in red puts the ball on the spot
Time seems to have stopped
for a moment, silence has fallen
you could almost hear a noisy blade
of windswept grass
The striker starts to run at the ball
the goalie stands his ground
left or right – that decision
that will change the supporters sound
#Fowc #Football #Soccer #Rugby
Two crowds sit on their
Respective rumps, cheering on the warriors
In their tribes colours Red or Blue
By the end of the first act
A tribe at one end of the ground is jubilant
Leaping in the air – whilst the other isn’t so happy
Salford, 25th September 2019
#Salford #Children #Parking #Gardens #Street #Sports
In order to save themselves some pocket money
the sports fans find convenient side streets
parking off the main road on the way to the stadium
One by one, they move on to empty paving
ignoring the call of the parking charge
plastered on the nearby wall
Playing fields and abandoned land
Perfect Places for those with a nose (and Permit)
to Place a spot for incoming visitors
Kids sit forlorn – as their playspace
finds itself taken over for 48 hours
by hawkers with money on their mind
Traffic jams – a certainty
as kids take over the abandoned tarmac
for an impromptu game of rounders
#fowc #referee #sport #football #rules #ball
It’s a funny old game is Football
You walk for miles down roads and up stairs
to get to those golden ticketed chairs –
then as players take to the field
you wait for the referee to yield –
the man in the middle – you await his call
and for stars on the pitch to start kicking the ball.
Then as it does,
and ball travels back
a flag or a whistle stops the attack
and you lament the official – in yellow blue or black
But in his defence – he follows the rules
and his fellows know their stuff – they’re no fools
So when whistle is signalled and games underway
They’re there to ensure there’s a bit of fair play.
And when defender tackles striker,
and he goes in far too hard.
The Man in the middle gives warning
with a bright yellow coloured card.
And player knows better, to look out instead
as the last thing he wants to see is red!
And when the match is over,
He whistles out to all…
“The match time is now finished –
That’s the last kick of the ball!”
#fowc #delirious #inkdropk
The home crowd didn’t expect this
Their team in the bargain basement of soccer
Right on the bottom shelf
But still they cheered them on
Even after the scoreboard rang 3-0
Towards the stroke of half time
Was it the magic touch of the physio
Or those half time oranges thrown in the mix ?
Or perhaps in the change in coach’s speech
That the players ears would finally reach
Zipping round the pitch, playing like a dream
Nobody expected this…it seemed
At referees whistle … all was fixed
Away team 3 , home team 6
10th February 2019
#Football
To readers the other side of the big pond – a poem about football or what you call soccer – Inky
While the greats are revered in Bronze
New idols are to be cheered on by the fans
At both ends of the East Lancashire Road
Fans follow every kick , head every ball
Cajoling the ball past the opposition
and bending the ball to safety
Who was it who said
“You never win anything with Kids” ?
The veteran of the Liverpool Side
should have seen it coming
for there’s young lads from Liverpool and Manchester
now tearing down the green grass
Taken Midday
Half way through Saturday
Fish wi summat spicy is cooking downstairs
the birds are flying round the close
having returned from foreign climbs
and football fans are converging
on a corner chippy of their favourite ground
they’re in good company
but i’ll wait till the cod lands on the noodles indoors.
Old Trafford, Manchester
3rd December 2017
They’ve been doing this for years
Sat in the arena watching the gladiators
Facing off against one another
Spectators nails chewed to the quick
as the clock ticks down to the 90th minute
cheering every tackle
calling every decision
applauding every header
and jumping for joy if their team wins
Sat in the classroom of Melwood
an old team captain is watching the lads
kicking a ball around the field
he’d once said “you never win anything with kids”
but that was before he’d watched them
lift up a number of trophies
and saw one of his number become a millionaire
