Needham Market Secure Come From Behind Victory
Woof! Ball, air, catch! Ball, throw, air, bounce, catch! Ball, air, bounce, bounce, catch! Ball… where’s the ball?! There it is! Catch! Dig my teeth in. Wet. Hmm. Jon says “well done, Freddie!” Another ball, air, bounce, got it! Yes! Woof!
“Come on Freddie, the game’s starting.”
Collar, neck, tugged, dragged. Woof! What game? This is the game. Catch is the game. Are there other games? Games with balls? Games with ball, air, catch? Tugged, dragged, pulled. People. Too many people. Some people. But not that many people. Concrete. Red seats. “Can I bring in a dog?” says Jon. Is he talking to me? What’s a dog? “If he pays a tenner!” says someone else.
Inside, tugged, dragged. “Freddie! We’re going behind the goal!” What’s a goal? There’s a ball! I see ball! Ball, air, catch! Ball, air, catch! Tugged, dragged, stopped. Grass! Want the grass. “No, Freddie, no!” Yes, Freddie, yes! Men, lots of men, men like Jon but different. Red and white shouting men. The ball is big. Bigger than my ball. Ball, air, catch. Ball, air, kick. Ball, air, head. I like my game. Not this game.
Shouts, cheers, man steps on my coat. “1-0 to K’s!” says Jon. “Deflected strike from Sam Page. Half-hour gone” says man to no one. I want sleep. I want water. I want to play. I want catch. I want small ball not big ball. Big ball stupid. Strange man pats me. “Good boy”. What’s a boy?
Whistle! A whistle! “Come on Freddie, half-time, back to the grass!” Woof! Ball, air, catch! Ball, air, bounce, catch! Ball, air, bounce, bounce, catch! Grass. Grass. Water. Want water. Special bowl. Love Jon. Jon loves me. I love Jon.
“Second-half, Freddie. Only 45 minutes to go.” Tugged, dragged. Snarl, bark. Men. More men. Angry men. “Come on K’s! 1-1. Rubbish!” Men talk. “56 minutes. Needham equaliser, They deserve it. Jack Curtis”. Bark! Bark! “Quiet Freddie! Quiet!” Sleep time. Sleepy time. More shouts. “2-1 Needham! Come on K’s, 10 minutes to sort this out!”. Sort what out?
Whistle! Big whistle. Last whistle. Man in black takes big ball away. Men look sad. Men look like I look when Jon takes small ball. Jon says “let’s go, Freddie.” Shouts. “Freddie! Freddie! Freddie!”
“You bringing him to Enfield?” says man in red and white. “If they let him in” says Jon. What’s Enfield? Will there be a ball? Small ball better than big ball. Catch makes me happy. Catch makes Jon happy. Big ball makes men sad. Bad game. Bad play. If game makes men sad, is it still a game? Woof!
Match report by Taimour Lay.
