5 seconds is a long time in football
‘This is me hyem . These are me roots’. Bobby Robson waved at the assembled thoosands . This wez the key match: The Toon versus Bolton. If The Toon won they waad gan top an win the championship. If they lost then Bolton waad stay up an avoid relegation. A draw…a draa an no-one could really be sure. It depended on the results of other teams. Liverpool, Manchester United, Derby, Leicester – aal involved in key games.
Play wez slick an fast. Passions rose. Shearer had the baal , a through pass te Bellamy whee nutmegged Ricketts. Bellamy shot – dunsh the post.
60,000 hearts fluttered, flasks containing The Toon Broon paused, mid air frem hand te gob . Then hasty gulps as the goalkeeper took the kick.
89 minutes passed. Still 0-0.
Jussi Jaaskelainen took another one of his hefty goalkicks. ‘Thump’ the baal went up field. Te Hendry, te Bobic, back te Nolan an then, an then te Djorkaeff. Youri Djorkaeff! Of aal fowk . The 34 year aad recently transferred frem Kaiserslautern (Germany) weor he had scored 14 goals in 55 appearances. Transferred te Bolton te boost his World Cup chances – an te save Bolton frem relegation.
Waad this be his mow ?
Shay Given tensed. He knew a shot wez coming. Youri dunsh the baal wi aal his might, aal his skill an aal his herp . It rocketed towards the goal – only the outstretched knee of Gary Speed stopped it. The baal ricocheted off the Speed knee. Aaron Hughes went te heed it – as did horf the Bolton team. Agyen the baal rose in the air though this time it wez due te land on the goal-line.
Slowly it fell, a mass of bodies rose te meet it. The Given outstretched fist, the Shearer elbow.
60,000 Geordies sat – waiting. The Referee David Elleray is checked his watch 5 seconds te gan an ne added time.
Those 5 seconds could decide the destiny o the Premiership – Manchester United were losing te a revitalised Leicester, Arsenal had had nine lads sent off.
5 seconds – not a long wait……