A Substitute Spectator 

替补观众

Our first date was set at the field

最初约会在球场

After which he turned to the kickoff

见完面直接开踢

Neither events were hung up

两不耽误

He got to know lots of friends this way

好多友情这样开始

The friendship last for years

持续多年

At times a dozen of them gathered in our sitting room

有时十几人聚在客厅

Sleep on the terrace out of gate after watching the game

看完球睡到门外平台上

On the wall hangs a team photo of Manchester United   

墙上贴着曼联全家福

In our album his heroic photos were kept

相册里珍藏着他的赛场英姿

While I cleaned the trainers for years

我则刷了多年球鞋

Plus listing the names of teams and footballers

还能说出很多球队和运动员的名字

The fields became another home for us

球场也变成我们的第二个家

He chatted with foreign teachers about teams and members

和外教聊足球，球星

Declaring that football was part of his life and his motto: 

说football first, wife second

Football first, wife second

说将来有了儿子

Saying that when our son were born

会走路就要开始训练

He would start training him as soon as he could walk

——我无话可说

----I was left speechless

毕竟他在努力讲外语

After all he was trying to practise English

后来女儿成了球迷

Later our daughter turned a football fan

我会准备宵夜和酒

I was there to prepare night snack and drinks

……

…

Now forty years passed by

四十年过去

I was still not sure about certain rules or rather laws

有些规则我还没弄明白

But he had hung up his spikes/boots

他已经挂靴

Only scrolling on his mobile for chess study

只在手机上一边研究象棋

While reviewing those amazing goal highlights

一边回顾精彩射门镜头

I would sneak out of bed in his snoring 

我在鼾声中悄悄起来

To follow the live broadcast from final 16 of knockout stage to semi final

从十六强跟到半决赛

Hoping , when he wakes up,

只想成为   他醒来

To be the first to tell him the score

第一个告诉他结果的人

July 14, 2026

2026.7.14