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DERBY VERSUS LIVERPOOL
It was,
I suppose,
A trip back to the future;
We travelled on an ancient Virgin train,
Rocking and rolling up the Lickey Incline,
Coffee spilling through the redbrick cowls and scowls
And warehouse development
Of the service-sector-
Prefab-English Midlands,
Until we met Alistair
At the prefabricated Derby Railway Station.
He placed a couple of bets
And then we walked out into Station Road,
Past the chip shops and pub,
(“Open all day, special ales and international lagers”),
And past the Victorian railway cottages,
Until we reached the triangular Brunswick Inn;
Here,
Opposing fans drank in beery communion,
And here,
In the fag filled family parlour,
Pictures of Derby Railway Works
And steaming seeming innocent goods trains,
(Running through may blossom cuttings,
In 1920’s livery,
But no General Strike blacklegs here)
Reflected back the Railway Terrace street sign,
Which stood opposite the window,
On the other side of an autumn sunny street.
We all chose our lucky scores,
50p in the family sweepstake,
And then we made our way to the football ground,
Through what were once the marshalling yards
Of Derby Railway Station;
No more fights,
No more running battles,
Just some ritualistic Scally bashing,
(“Sign on, sign on, with hope in your heart,
And you’ll never work again”);
We walked past the players’ expensive cars,
With their personalised number plates
To enter Derby County Football Club;
Derby County Football Club,
Where men drink in the bar below the stand,
The bar laconically marked “BEER”,
(Not “specialist ales and international lagers”),
The bar where men smoked fags and sank pints
And watched the game on telly,
Having paid 20 quid for the privilege
Of not having to watch it on telly;
Back to the future at Pride Park;
Who says modern life is rubbish?
© Stuart Butler - Oct 2000
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Poems
A Poem For Europe United
Cows On A Football Pitch
Crop Circles and Football
Derby Versus Liverpool
Eve Of A New Season
Euro 2000
Family Sweepstake
Football Time
Football Without Frontiers
Haiku For The Sky
Isacc Newton
Land of Hope Not Glory
National Stereotypes
Nature Takes It's Course
Patriotism and Being 7
Reign Of Terror
Rue Mania
Team Of Red And Green
Salut Manolo Garnica
Swindon v Barnsley, 1911
The Ancient Manager
The Human Race
The M4 Derby
The Meaning Of Football
The New Football Pink
The New TV Deal
The Origin Of Life
Watching Swindon
We Always Lose To Germany
Ya Basta
You Can Go Back
Background
Biography
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Stuart Butler