Our distant friend (Remembering Nobby Stiles)
Someone that we knew, tuning to short wave
In a then far-flung outpost of the world,
Struggled, through static, to make out the words.
They conjured up London, a July day,
Perhaps a touch of rain, then bursts of sun.
The voice uttered: ‘They think it’s all over,’
Then marvelled at the little dancing man,
Capering around Wembley with his teeth
In one hand, the World Cup in the other.
His heart as big as a barrage balloon,
Laughing as his nation laughed out with him.
A long time ago now. For years afterwards,
Our distant friend called him ‘The man with teeth’,
Despite the fact he didn’t have many.
Stephen Gospage
Mon 2nd Nov 2020 17:34
Thank you very much, Greg and M.C. and thanks to everyone for the likes.
There is obviously a tendency to look back at 1966 through rose-tinted glasses and of course some of the players have had difficulties in their later lives.But just for one day the world seemed a better place and the likes of Nobby left us with so many wonderful memories.