North Sea Island Pitches

Bering strait, Labrador,
an arctic wind towards
North Sea island pitches.

Brora Rangers, aurora chances.
The time of day is unfixed
as the crescent moon and sun
together in the darkness
over Sutherland and Wick.

Further north, on Shetland,
light would seem unlikely
as ice turning to vapour
and you brave the floodlit pitches.

Later, a hint of lighter indigo,
some grey and yellow mist,
something for that wind to work with

at Aurora, Brora Rangers
(such half-time entertainment)!

10321722_795226350520287_2369668294455533746_o.jpg

https://footballpoets.org/poems/north-sea-island-pitches/

This is about football played at a higher latitude. I recently read about Brora Rangers, one of Scotland’s most northerly clubs, and thought about the possibility of playing even further north. Shetland hosted the Island Games in 2005 which included Greenland, The Western Islands, The Falkland Islands, The Isle of Man and others. Shetland beat Guernsey 2-0 in the final.

On the Orkney Islands, they seem to have sensibly constructed a purpose built indoor stadium which holds 1600 fans.

Author: Alex Saynor

I like to write poems set around The River Thames, Central Berkshire, South West London, Bournemouth and South Wales - I’ve recently had poems published by Two Rivers Press, Football Poets, Places of Poetry and Wokingham Today. Further background to my interest in Reading and surrounding areas: https://tworiverspress.com/2023/09/05/margins-of-reading-a-poem-by-alex-saynor-for-peter-robinson/amp/

Leave a comment