XXVII
“IS my team ploughing,
That I was used to drive
And hear the harness jingle
When I was man alive?”
Ay, the horses trample,
The harness jingles now;
No change though you lie under
The land you used to plough.
“Is football playing
Along the river shore,
With lads to chase the leather,
Now I stand up no more?”
Ay, the ball is flying,
The lads play heart and soul;

 Many footballs (soccer balls) are still covered in waterproofed leather; others, in waterproofed plastic. See Wikipedia’s entry on  Football (ball)  if you’re someone who’s secretly more interested in sports than poetry.
Is My Team Ploughing