Foul abuse was hurled at him
And so the Kung Fu kick
Nationality and his mother both abused
Eric Cantona in full flight
Answers back with all his might
Officialdom proclaims, ‘We’re not amused’
I must confess I find delight
In seeing Eric in full flight
Things beyond endurance we respond
Officials take the solemn view
They must be seen to do so too
Suspension and a fine was their demand
But now in hindsight plain to see
The bigger picture – society
The way we scream and shout and crucify
Abuse is normal don’t you see
Racism as common as cups of tea
And Eric was a ‘Froggy’ after all
Eric is an artist true
Strong-willed independent too
Self-expression vital to his game
The ‘hooligan’ and his foul-mouthed rant
Got what was coming for his cant
Once more into the breach – he’d do the same
We know it’s not the way to go
There has to be a better show
The Kung Fu kick will not put matters right
But in the context of that game
With other kickers in the frame
Watching Eric still gives me delight
Brian Fahy
17 September 2021
Erris Poetry 