Hemingway Writes Football Match Report


“Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899 – 1961) was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.”

If he had penned a football match report, the ‘result’ may or may not have looked something like this.


The teams met on a pitch. Manchester United. Dressed in red and white and their manager an old and bitter man. Manchester City. Clothed in light blue and white. The stars were out.

“Good luck old man.”

“Good luck,” said the old man.

In the light the old man could feel the tension coming. After ten minutes Manchester City scored. Why did they make goalkeepers so delicate and strikers so cruel?

He always thought of Manchester City as lucky which is what people call them when they are bad losers.

His team was playing steadily and with no effort. They were letting the others who were paid less do the work.

“No. I am not lucky. I am not lucky anymore,” the old man said.

In the dugout the old man was sulking again. He was still sulking and his substitutes were sitting by him and watching him. The old man was dreaming about trying.

A substitute looked on. He would like to play. To feel the warmth of the sun. To hear the crowd roar. The manager looked out on the pitch. He didn’t look back. His team lost 4-0.

For sale: substitute’s boots, never used.


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