This Sporting Life

Thursday, 2 February 2023

THE PRESIDENT OF CHESS CLUB # 1

The president of Chess Club

Was rushed into moving his pawn

When he heard his mum planned

To search his bedroom at dawn

Tuesday, 31 January 2023

MANCHESTER UNITED’S UNDERGROUND HEATING

Manchester United’s underground

Heating hasn’t been restored

So they’re planning to rename

The stadium Cold Trafford

JOHN JAMES "JOHNNY" BERRY (1 JUNE 1926 – 16 SEPTEMBER 1994)

The Forgotten Babe

John James "Johnny" Berry

Survived the wreckage

Amidst the snows of Munich

Though the crash didn’t end his life

He never played again

JOHN "JACKIE" BLANCHFLOWER (7 MARCH 1933 – 2 SEPTEMBER 1998)

Nicknamed "Twiggy"

John "Jackie" Blanchflower

Survived the wreckage

Amidst the snows of Munich

Though the crash didn’t end his life

It did bring his footballing career

To an untimely end

GO NOW BILL

WILLIAM ANTHONY "BILL" FOULKES - (5 JANUARY 1932 – 25 NOVEMBER 2013)

Go now Bill

Lay down the captain’s armband

You’ve earned your rest

Our tower of strength

Straight backed

Rugged and dependable

Take your place

Among your equals

And be at peace

Your strong facade

Oft betrayed

By sadness in your eyes

The sadness of survival

So go now Bill

And join the babes

You’ve missed so much

And take your place

Among immortals

IN TRAGEDIES WAKE – MUNICH 1958

At Old Trafford

In tragedies wake

In the eerie quiet

The terraces echoed

The mournful silence

And even the empty

Seats shed tears

For The busby babes

A MARK OF RESPECT – ARE YOU LISTENING LEEDS UTD

In the aftermath of Munich

All of football felt the loss

In an altogether more

Caring and respectful time

When fans of all teams

Out of respect, wore black

And stadia were universally quiet

CALLOUS UNITED - GREGG AND FOULKES

Manchester United’s

Callous attitude

So cold and harsh

Towards the survivors

Beggared belief

And was never more

Keenly felt than when,

Only days after

The Munich Disaster

Gregg and Foulkes,

Though traumatised

And grieving and feeling

The guilt of the survivor

Were forced to play

Afterwards Harry Gregg

And Bill Foulkes

Forced to play too soon

With the guilt of the survivor

Sat in the dressing room

Staring with empty eyes

THE HERO OF MUNICH

In the wake of tragedy

Harry Gregg arose

And with no thought

Of himself

Pulled survivors

From the burning plane

Assisted latterly

By Bill Foulkes

Though he thought

His action unremarkable

George Best, said of him

“Bravery is one thing

But what Harry did

Was about more than bravery.

It was about goodness”

THE BUSBY BABES - THE HOLLYWOOD OF BRITISH FOOTBALL

Bright lights

Shining like stars

In the twinkling

Football firmament

Sparkling lights

From gritty towns

In the shadow of the

Dark satanic mills

Shining out from

Industrial heartlands

Like beacons

Bright lights of youth

Illuminating the lives

Of the terraced fans

Young men from the dark

Industrial landscapes

Youth’s bright flames

Snuffed out

In the snows of Munich

CALLOUS UNITED – BLANCHFLOWER AND BERRY