The Football Match

It’s of a football match, most delightful to be seen
Of twenty-two young rippling lads who played on Salisbury Plain
Oh, the ribbons and the favours they was fluttering on’er the plain;
Here’s a health unto those rippling lads, and so the game went on
You rippling lads, hooray!
You’re sure to win the day
And the prize, you will carry it
All away, all away
The ball it has been thrown up and the game it did begin;
My God, how they did kick it, more like devils than like men
They’re having such a motion in rushing the ball along
Here’s a health unto those rippling lads, and so the game went on
You rippling lads, hooray!
You’r sure to win the day
And the priz, you will carry it
All away, all away
The ball it being booted up, the goal it did draw nigh
Young Williams stuck a penknife into young Jackson’s thigh
He lashed out at the lively ball, to score was his intent
Young Williams missed his aim, he did, and through the goal he went
You rippling lads, hooray!
You now have won the day
And the prize, you may carry it
All away, all away