"Not Quite The Extra Mile"

So much for the 'Magic of the Cup'
This was really dire
To describe it as anything else
You'd have to call me a liar.
ballooning over the bar
Or wide of the post
I never thought they'd score
Practically given up the ghost.
Second half only 'enlivened'
By a bout of 'handbags' not skill
A bit of a brawl and shoving
Was the only thrill.
Until deep in stoppage
Tower Hamlets got the only goal
With extra-time and penalties looming
It got us out of a midnight finish hole!
Not a contest I will savour
But it still beat staying at home
Judging by the big attendance
I certainly wasn't alone.
A bit of 'dodgy accounting'
I heard it was officially 68
Maybe if you doubled that
You might be close to the gate.
There were some of those groundhopping types
Who did a count of their own
Someone said 147
Official figure well blown.
The home side were delighted
Celebrating at the end
Totally shameless after that 'performance'
clearly round the bend.
Maybe they're just 'unwell'
With that 'Cup Fever' disease
Bottom line is they're in the next round
Cavorting as they please.
The football might not have been the greatest
Should've given Mile End a wide berth
But I didn't have the benefit of hindsight
And this is still the greatest competition on earth.


Dulwich Poet 7th August 2017 


(I went to an FA Cup extra-preliminary round replay tonight, at Mile End Stadium: Towers Hamlets versus Broxbourne Borough...not the greatest of games I've seen!)