Football once more that the pundits discuss;

Those that have once played the ‘beautiful game’,

Talk of ‘professional fouls’ without fuss,

Warily dodging a much darker name.

 

Knowingly fouling to preclude a score,

Just to avoid any chance of defeat,

Has a description that would fit it more;

Isn’t it rather the act of a cheat?

 

Consciously choosing to break the game’s laws

Surely is not in the spirit of sport;

This is just one of the game’s many flaws,

But should be easy for FIFA to thwart.

 

Those that transgress should be sent off at once,

Banned for a season to stamp it right out.

Don’t everybody look at me askance;

Why have a law that you let players flout?