Pitch Invasion 028: “The footballer’s other salary”

The dirt on those thermals is hard-earned:

Every crease on these jerseys marks a hard, ignored sprint,

a gamble into a channel.

The footballer’s other reward is glory,

Paid not as a weekly wage

but in moments, the closer to the final whistle the better.

It is received together, and here the players

Cluster to collect their cheque.

Photo by Ryu Voelkel

Poetry by Musa Okwonga

Pitch Invasion 027: “Guardiola Departs”