"Playing In The Garden"

It wouldn't have been my first choice
Going to Chatham Town
But it's the price I pay
For seeing a mate when he's down.
Football's our anti-depressant
Where we go to chill
A greasy half-time burger
Acting as our happy pill.
'Enticed' by Erith and Belvedere
In their traditional quartered kit
I pretend I'd rather be elsewhere
But I'm still liking it.
A mix of old and new
Ancient stand hanging on
Harking back to better days
Lots of seas now gone.
Relegated last year
Back down to Step five
A handful of volunteers
Keeping them alive.
Spanking new floodlights
Officially opened in the week
Conceding twelve against Gillingham
The future must seem bleak.
There's this bubbly old boy
Don't think he knows how to frown
Turns out he's one of their officials
Losing today won't get him down.
Epitomising non league
Enthusiasm overflowing
A three one defeat today
He knows it'll be hard going.
didn't know him from Adam
But he stopped for a word
Even though we were strangers
Could've been a groundhopping nerd.
The football wasn't top notch
Plus it poured down with rain
But it was a down to earth friendly
No doubt we'll be back again.

Dulwich Poet 27th July 2017

(I wrote this after I'd been to Chatham Town v. Erith & Belvedere in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, with a mate of mine, who chose the game. Kent is commonly referred to as the 'Garden of England'.)