Leather boot to leather ball

(Or more accurately 

Leather/synthetic polymer boot to polyester/cotton blend with rubber inner ball)

Put said ball in the opposition goal

But ... that's not all...

It's a safe place for grown men to emotionally connect,

Without fear of losing another mans respect,

Or dealing with issues that we're trying to deflect.

It's how I connect-ed with my Dad,

When I was a shy and nervous lad,

And Blackburn Rovers weren't just really, really bad.

So... Me and my oldest discussed the best team England had

And the younger 2 waved the flag 

That Hazel made at school;

Full of pride;

An England flag that looked like a Union Jack.

 

                          "We're back!"

Listening to the popular pre match pontification of pointless ex professionals,

And on Twitter and Facebook and in the papers and in the chants...

                   ... One thing is clear...

 

"50 years of hurt never stopped US dreaming!"

"This isn't about life and death, it's much more than that ...

"This is about national pride...

"Brexit!

"11 lads to show Europe that Britain is still Great"

By Britain... We mean England...

By England ...we mean our England...

"Born and bred me!"

By our England ...we mean ...

"Close the borders!

Turn back the bloody immigrants!

And Fuck Jonny Foreigner!"

 

Coz England... Is about to 'kick off'

 

A black man falls to the ground crushed by some foreigner 

A pug ugly thug steps up

 

Rooooonnnnneyyyyyy!!!

 

England is great!

England is mighty!

We don't need Europe!

The sun never sets on OUR empire!

Coz we are the Greates...

 

Fuck!

 

How can Iceland score?

How can little Iceland score?

How can shitty little Iceland score against mighty England?!?!?

 

It's a fluke.

We'll come back into it

We'll come back...

Into..

 

Shit!

 

How are we losing to Iceland?!?

And on

And on 

And on

 

Until the end - 2:1

 

Sleepy heads lay down in bed

As grown ups pick their world to shreds

Self respect hangs by a thread

On buses making racist threats

As plastic pundits and armchair politicians

Vent their hate on Facebook

 

"When we won the World Cup in '66 it was because they had the passion and desire to succeed, not the money. They'll all go home to their posh houses and cars whilst we all give 100% just to put food on the table. There are too many foreign players in the premier league getting paid crazy amounts so the English talent is overseen. Until the FA step in and limit foreigners to 2or3 per team then we will always under achieve, cos we don't have the players to choose from."

 

Foreigners are to blame 

Their foreign money

And their foreign players

Bloody foreigners

 

It's not the pressure of a green and once pleasant land?

Placed with green and jealous hands

On the shoulders of the greenest lads

Who were only on the green of that field

To kick a not leather ball with a not leather boot

For their country (and maybe for their Dad)?

 

I don't have the answers, but I ask myself, in another 50 years, what will we dream of? 

 

 Marcus Rashford played well though didn't he?!