**With ALS now becoming a hotspot for Sunderland fan poetry, Stephen W Atkinson has submitted his latest piece of work regarding the much-maligned "armchair supporter". Atkinson's poetry book,** [**Pitmatic Lingo & The Halftime Bingo**](https://www.a-love-supreme.com/product-page/pitmatic-lingo-the-half-time-bingo)**, is available at the ALS Shop...**
To all the lads n lasses who travel home & away
To watch our beloved red ‘n’ white play
I doth my cap, & raise a glass
Your effort & support is truly first class.
To some it is life, their religion, an obsession
To others it's the day itself; time for a session!
The smiling, silent chanters
There's the rowdy, the singers
The round of drink bringers
The, bring their own sandwiches
The Mam, the Dad, the daughter, the son
The Grandparents knowing there job has been done
All this adds to the ambience of the day
In honour of watching the red n white play
But, what of the maligned ‘placca’ brigade!
The armchair supporters, their dues never paid!
Of which, I confess, I am certainly one.
I rarely get to mingle with the matchday throng
It's the usual stuff really, just life itself
Family & work, the copper jar on the shelf
But I still love the club, & always will
Since a bairn I've swallowed its sweet, bitter pill
But, I still get that tingle when matchday is here
Butterflies in belly, a fridge full o’ beer
Some watch it with family, in scarf-laden rooms
All singing along to red ‘n’ white tunes
Wise men say, only fools rush in,
But fools are we all, imitating ‘the king’
In man caves & pubs, we gather in tribes
Teasing, cajoling, exuberant with jibes
On TV, on radio, we listen, we watch
In hope the performance is near top-notch
But, this armchair is epic, continents it spans
From Mexico to Italy and still it expands!
And momentum is gathering, we're back on the stage
Black Cats released from their under-sized cage!
Look, all I am saying is that we're all here too
A chant from afar, & yet right beside you
We kick every ball, bow heads in despair
…Though, admittedly, from a more comfortable chair!