Victories – Skirtingroundmylife

As any football fan knows goalkeepers are an essential and some would say much maligned breed of players. There are few positions more important to a team’s success than a good last line of defence yet few if any others come in for harsher criticism when things go wrong. Fortunately at Glasgow City we have one of the best goalkeepers not just in women’s football but the game more generally and I’m sure all City fans will agree that we are a very lucky club to have the brilliant Lee Alexander as our custodian between the posts and that’s why I’ve written this poem in tribute to her which I’ve titled Last Line Of Defence I hope you enjoy the read.

Last Line Of Defence (For Lee Alexander)

In big games she makes big saves
the keeper who turns defeats into draws and draws into victories
her bravery and agility
and an ability to see things before they happen
Illustrates why she’s the best in the land
Lee commands her penalty box
like It’s her own personal property
and opponents are trespassers she will fend off
with all her considerable skills
her will to win is incredible
and more than makes up for her
not being the tallest goalie I’ve ever seen
the fact she’s kept more clean sheets
than a hundred thousand hotels will ever see
shows why Glasgow City fans
love our Lee
we know the leagues and cups
it’s been easier to win
with her between the sticks
than would otherwise have been the case
when it comes to big games she makes big saves
and she does it time after time
season after season
and you had better believe that
when it comes to saving penalty kicks
she’s the best you’ll get
in any team I’ve watched through the years
as the last line of defence she is fearless
and just gets on with the job
without fuss
she is the reason
that when Erin is finally wearing
the first team gloves
the club will still have the best keeper in the land
well when you’ve learned from Lee Alexander
you’ve learned from the best
when it comes to dealing with pressure
and how to cope with the demands of making big saves in big games
time after time season after season

When it comes to football I’m a superstitious girl and I do believe in the power of having your coffee last thing before you leave for the game or following the same pre match routine every week I even believe in the power of wearing lucky pants if that’s what you think will help the team, but buying a new pair to try and change your team’s luck, surely that’s taking things too far, or is it? If you read this poem you may be surprised at my findings. I’ve given it the title Morale Boosting Moments and it relates the story of how nervous I get when following a game on social media and especially one when we’re playing away against our biggest rivals but trust me it was my only option that day and I only had that option because I missed my bus to take me to St Andrews where I had hoped to be appearing at the Stanza poetry festival. I hope you enjoy the read.

Morale Boosting Moments

It’s murder following Celtic games on twitter

at a half time in the Rangers game

I was so nervous I bought myself

a pair of green knickers

to celebrate our equalising goal

which had arrived right on the whistle

now don’t ask me why

but I knew as soon as I did this

we were going to win

it was just one of those morale boosting moments

when I knew I had made the right decision

it was both tactical and practical

to deal with the tension I was feeling

my blood pressure always hits the ceiling

on days like this when playing with style

comes second to winning the war with our rivals

on making my selection

one girl teased that they weren’t the right shade of green

to show support for the team

but said she knew what I was doing and why

we didn’t start a chorus of the fields of Athenry

but quietly hoped for the same result at full time

I left the boutique as the second half started

heartened we could do it and I was right

eventually the winner came for the Glasgow green and white

and it is my considered opinion

the victory we achieved

had nothing to do with substitutions or tactical formations

not even a touch of inspiration

no this was down to lingerie

and the need for me to do something to calm my nerves

you see I knew to get the victory we deserved

I had to make a half time buy