" My Glory's Better"

All the talk's of Europe
A great night for the Paddies
But my magic moment tonight
Was watching our young laddies.
The glory of the FA Youth Cup
A competition where you can dream
Of seeing our boys at the Emirates or Anfield
Pitting themselves against the Premiership cream.
Tonight we went down to Margate
Moneybags flash club on the coast
Pipped us in the Ryman play-offs last year
But in the Youth Cup they are toast.
An early 'oggie' calmed the nerves
Two up at the break
So much for them being decent
This is a piece of cake.
In the second half they hit us
Suddenly it's level
It really couldn't get much worse
If it was scripted by the devil.
A roar as we get a penalty
Groans as it balloons over the bar
I'd hate to have taken it
Such will be the mental scar.
Fortunately we continue to press forward
Attacking wave after wave
Defeat is never considered
The lads being ever brave.
There goes the final whistle
Margate two, Dulwich Hamlet four;
Only one more qualifier to go
We're knocking at the door.
You might think I'm a little crazy
To watch the Youth Team on the Isle of Thanet
But when it comes to my Dulwich Hamlet
I'm a total Pink and Blue gannet. 
How I love nights like this
Under lights in the autumn chill
Enough to warm the cockles of my heart
I genuinely get a thrill.
I might sometimes question my sanity
In a field on a Sunday & all that lark
But I get my reward on nights like tonight
With glorious victories at Hartsdown Park.

Dulwich Poet 8th October 2015

(I wrote this on the coach back to London, after we had just won 4-2 at Margate, in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup. It was the same night at the Republic of Ireland qualified for Euro 16, in France, next year.)