Two Halves - Richard Dawson

Bellowing instructions from the touchline, that’s my dad

Purple in the face‚ getting really mad

Man on!

Man on!

An empty stadium yells «man on»

Come on!

Come on!

The cross goes sailing wildly over the heads of everyone

«Stop fannying around!

Keep it nice and simple!»

«You're not Lionel Messi‚ just pass the bloody ball!»

Man on!

Man on!

An empty stadium yells «man on»

Come on!

Come on!

The cross goes sailing wildly over the heads of everyone

Perhaps we were expecting this to be a walk in the park

But these bastards from King’s Priory

Are kicking lumps out of us

Man on!

Man on!

An empty stadium yells «man on»

Come on!

Come on!

The cross goes sailing wildly over the heads

Their left back slips taking a free kick

It trickles over the mud straight to me

In desperation he scrambles and slides

I leap his flailing leg and dink it

Over the sprawled body of the goalie

The net is gaping

The ball takes a bobble and I slice wide of the mark

Everything goes quiet

Staring into the red dark of my palms

They launch a long ball into our box

Suddenly we find ourselves with a corner to defend

I am on the near-post

Somehow it gets bundled underneath my feet

At the final whistle I am inconsolable

Man on!

Man on!

I reckon dad is really disappointed with me

Come on!

Come on!

He tries his best to not show how he really feels

In the car home‚ he says «dust yourself down

Move on to next week’s game

Shall we pick up a Chinese or would you rather fish and chips?»