By Denise
December 18 2002

Some more of the poems you sent in about Mr Back. Remember it is not too late to enter send yours to leicestertiger@yahoo.co.uk by Friday. Winner to be announced Friday and prize given on Saturday if the winner is in attendance.

An ode to Backy - Stopsy

From Barkers Butts and Nottingham
He came with locks of gold
To play with Dean and Wellsy
To join the Tigers fold

Ambition raw and naked
Some caps he came to seek
His talent and his bravery
Displayed each single week

Week in, week out his game improved
The scars began to mount
Other people noticed
The tries began to count

Too short, too light, too good, too blond
Geoff Cook and Rowell say
This player of such excellence
For England couldn't play

Then fame at last, that fateful day
On Twickers hallowed grass
He pushed the ref, who tripped and fell
upon his pompous bottom

So six months rest, time to reflect
And focus on his game
He came back like a man possessed
This tiger wasn't tame

Tigers, Lions and England too
The world's best open side?
Will play until his legs fall off
With skill and power and pride.

When father time calls him in
The angels all will say
That's Neil Back, you know the one
That God taught how to play

Tiger_ress

There was once a player called Back,
Who's talent made others look cack
he played hard in the scrum
to show off his bum,
and pushed ref's over for fun!

JuneWhyman

He came one day from Nottingham
The town of Robin Hood,
The Leicester fans were quick to see
This merry man was good.
But sheriff Rowell said our man
Must cut a fuller figure,
Pump some iron, eat some pud
And make himself much bigger.
Our lad applied himself with zest
And soon his muscles sprouted,
But bad Jack Rowell was no more
The b..... had been outed.

The story now is history,
Neils known throughout the game,
In ruck and maul or push and shove
His skills are just the same.
So as his chapter starts to close
And muscles ache and pull ,
We wish him well and hope this year
Will see his coffers full.