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Alf Ramsey - My Part In His Success

Around the time Cup Finals

were first shown on television

and the towers were erected   

overlooking our back garden  

with the lawn striped and manicured

just like Wembley Stadium;  

the Chief Scout would be watching

from the 6th or 7th storey

as I tried to keep the ball within

the central midfield area

away from the flower beds

my father set such store by.

 

Any lapse of control

saw a crowd of heads go drooping

or the prize snatched away  

by dogs and small children

who wouldn’t leave the pitch

despite appeals to reason.

They were no more than animals

at the end of the day.

 

To evade father’s discipline

and keep the advantage

of playing on home turf

I maintained close possession

far enough from the edges

and managed without wingers

only looking up when Mom blew

for dinner at the Chief Scout

unsmiling and furiously

scribbling notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

◄ Path of Peace

Nativity ►

Comments

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Ray Miller

Tue 4th Dec 2012 09:41

Thanks. The 2nd verse refers to England's World Cup quarter final against Argentina in 1966 when Rattin, the Argentinian captain, was sent off and refused to leave the pitch for what seemed a very long time. After the match Alf Ramsey referred to the Argentinians as no better than animals. As you can tell, I've watched more football than is good for me.

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John Coopey

Mon 3rd Dec 2012 21:29

So that's where he got the concept of no wingers.

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Mike Hilton

Mon 3rd Dec 2012 20:20

Nice imagination Sid. Got the picture straight away bringing back my own memories of happy days growing up and playing football at every opportunity till it went dark.

Mike

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Isobel

Mon 3rd Dec 2012 18:05

Derrrr - just got it - it was the imaginary Alf Ramsey :) This is a charming piece. I can so picture it.

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Isobel

Mon 3rd Dec 2012 18:03

I enjoyed this bit of nostalgia but wasn't entirely sure who the chief scout was - an elder sibling or your inner self?

Our garden was half an acre of jungle. You could never have kicked a football in it but you could bend the weeds over and tie them to make tunnels big enough to walk through :) It was a great garden to grow up in - you could let your imagination grow wild - and we didn't go home till we were hungry or it was so dark you couldn't see...

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