"Opening Day Nerves"

Pre-season looked good
But does it really count?
On the bus to the ground
Worries starting to mount.
First match of the season
You can't judge on one game
If the result doesn't go our way
I know who I'm going to blame.
Will you turn on the Gaffer
Pick players we need to ditch
Have a moan at the referee
Without who there's no game on the pitch.
Perhaps you're superstitious
And never wore your lucky socks
Because we always blame ourselves
When there's football shocks.
Never mind that fumble
Or missing that open goal
Us supporters always blame ourselves
If the game's not been a stroll.
I'll settle for a one nil
Backs against the wall
Too 'old skool' to be greedy
And make a fancy three nil my call.
Truth is I think we will win
But I've seen it all before
All that hpye and hope built up
Then it's really poor.
A nice early goal to settle my nerves
So for ninety minutes I can cope
The disappoint I can live with
I just can't stand the hope.

Dulwich Poet 8th August 2015

(I wrote this on the bus, on the way to our opening match at home to Canvey Island.  I genuinely believe we have a chance of the Isthmian League title, which will be the fist in my lifetime, & Dulwich Hamlet's first since 1949. Spookily we DID win 3-0..with an early goal!)