There were no linesmen,
nobody to raise a flag
and call for off side.

There were no referees
to blow the whistle when
fouls were being committed.

There were no penalties, yet
frees were the prerogative
of those who made the rules.

There were no period breaks
or aggregate because it was
never home and away, just away.

There were no ticket collectors
because the spectators were
issued with lifetime entry passes.

There were never draws, replays
or cancellations and the visiting
side, always, without fail, won.

There were never commentaries
for the defending sides, because
they were playing against superiors.

But all that changed when one
local team changed tactics back
in 1962, and they beat The Empire.


Ps

Last verse references, Algeria
versus France liberation war.