10
Boot Room

Panting, staring hard at the wall,
Carra and Stevie were in from the wet,
the stench of ball sweat winging their nostrils.
Do you think the Gaffa’s for real?
I hope so…
Luis... even after Istanbul...
Carra hawked, felched it, spat.
Have ya seen Torres? he’s streaky. Fast, but loose...

...a confidence player Stevie, is what I’m sayin.
They say...
...he likes to play with his dog, drinks sherry...
There was a light then, in their eyes,
grinning light.
We can give him confidence lad!
And they could —
they knew the trick, and its abundance.