Giantkillers

BY DAVEY BROWN

Northern League minnows, a team on the up,
Blazing a trail through each round of the cup.
Mud covered pitches, a handful of fans,
Hoping to take on the best in the land.

It started in August, the earlier rounds,
Blyth disposed of their rivals at various grounds.
They beat Burscough and Chesterfield, this wasn’t a joke,
Enfield were next, then a trip down to Stoke.

The fifth round approached, not a moment too soon,
If Stoke could be beaten, they’d be facing the Toon.
Newcastle played Wrexham, but by four forty – five,
Blyth’s dream of a derby was no longer alive.

So Wrexham were next, a trip to the Valleys,
Could Shoulder & Co add to their tallies?
The nation was gripped, watching Blyth play,
They even appeared on Match Of The Day.

Terry Johnson struck first, one in the bag,
Then a farce with the ref and a loose corner flag.
Three corners were aimed at the men made of steel,
Last minute heartache with a goal from McNeil.

Demand for the replay caused the coppers some hassle,
So they ordered the game to be switched to Newcastle.
Not quite the derby the Spartans had planned,
But the Geordies turned out, we lent them our fans.

Forty two thousand, shouting and screaming,
Willing the Blyth lads to carry on dreaming.
Turnstiles were locked by the time it got started,
It wasn’t a place for the faint – hearted.

Two early goals and Wrexham were flying,
But Blyth being Blyth, they didn’t stop trying.
Johnson banged in a volley on eighty – two minutes,
The crowd roared them on, they thought they could win it.

But it wasn’t to be and Wrexham clung on.
Tears all around as the Blyth dream was gone.
This cup run had been such a magical ride,
No triumph for Blyth, but they were covered in pride.

The nation’s new darlings in football folklore,
They took on the giants and came back for more.
Who could have guessed when this cup run was starting,
That we’d all share a dream with a team called Blyth Spartans.