One-Nil Poem by Frank Bana

I still regret the goals we missed
The lapses in defending
The slump after we won the League
Through years that feel unending

The fading centre-forward
Losing his explosive power
The youngsters with a single chance
Substituted on the hour

The times the goalie let us down
And forgot how to play
The moves of rhythmic beauty -
As we threw the game away

The fouls by which they pinned us down
When we could have been sublime
The tactics that we used to win
By running out the time

The one-nil to the Arsenal
The triumphs unforgettable -
That were so few, the losses still
More painful and regrettable

For all the long-term injuries
And the starlets we let go -
I feel quite sad and guilty
For the cost that outscores beauty -
But I love my soccer so.