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Thanks for Gordon Banks and Yashin was smashin’,
(And feline, too; a hint of the animal, as well as madness,
Is appealing in a goalie, don’t you think?)
But the name that I beg is that of Harry Gregg,
Who went back into the aeroplane at Munich in 1958,
And pulled out the injured;
No-one has ever made saves like him.
At right back, no name, alack, springs to mind,
Apart from that of 4-4-0, City of Truro,
1st steam locomotive to hit 100 miles an hour,
Swindon built and the pride of the West Country,
I can see it speeding down the bye-line like an express train.
Centre half would have to be a proper stopper,
And though the name of Chopper Harris harries my mind,
I have to go for my old mate Jimbo Johnstone from the Sunday League,
40 Capstan a day and 12 pints on a Saturday Night
And on a Sunday Morning, he could stop Tom, let alone Albert Finney.
Left half has to be Duncan Edwards, Duncan, Duncan Edwards,
Immortal stained glass hero from Dudley,
Gentle Giant, Rocket Shot, Wizard of the Dribble, Turner on a Tanner,
Terrier in the Tackle, he made every football cliché come true,
And posthumously taught me how to learn the boyhood skills of the game,
“Play Soccer the Duncan Edwards Way”, best Christmas present ever.
Left back has to be Euclid or Pythagoras,
Whether on mud, plastic or grass,
They could always play a slide rule of a pass,
To our right half , Julius Caesar,
(Oh Tempora! Oh Mores! Oh! Arsenal!
Remember the Ides of March 1969)
Who could pass a ball better than he could the Rubicon.
Outside right will be my Dad,
Lifting the suits off the Burtons’ male mannequins,
To impress the girls in the Saturday night dance halls,
Then speeding down the wing for Swindon ‘Buses,
Before smuggling the suits back in on a 1930’s Monday;
Just the ticket for a tricky number seven.
At number 8 we will find Martin Luther King,
No deep lying schemer, but instead a truthful dreamer
Of visions of freedom, liberty and equality;
But Civil Rights will not just be at inside right in our team,
For Martyr Luther King will inspire the World.
Upfront will be Roy of the Rovers,
The alliterative striker with the onomatopoeic shot,
Whose gentle mythopoeic sportsmanship will be complemented
By the uncompromising aggression of Boadicea,
Whose Chariot of Ire will cut a swathe through any Roma defence.
And who shall our left winger be? So many to choose from!
I plump for 1649 Gerard Winstanley,
For such a Digger could easily double up as a groundsman,
And when we run out onto the pitch,
We shall read his homily above our head,
“Let all quietly enjoy land to work upon,
That every one may enjoy the benefit of their creation,
And eat their bread by the sweat of their brow.”
Can there be better team work than that?
And there’s no substitute for that either.
About This Site
Welcome to Football Poets -- a club for all football poets, lovers of football and lovers of (alternative) poetry. Discover poets in every league from respected internationals at the top of their game to young hopefuls in the school playground.
Publish your football poems here and then discuss them with your team mates and fans. We're archived by The British Library, so your masterpieces are in the safe hands of a world-class keeper. What a result!
My Account
Latest Poems
joe morris
4th May 2024
Crispin Thomas
2nd May 2024
joe morris
2nd May 2024
joe morris
28th April 2024
Richard Williams
26th April 2024
joe morris
25th April 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
25th April 2024
kevin halls
23rd April 2024
Alex Saynor
23rd April 2024
Crispin Thomas
22nd April 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
29th April 2024 at 2:47 pm
Hi Denys,
Yes Richard Williams you’re a brilliant wordsmith, my friend. When I first saw your football poetry I thought it was the superb Guardian sports and music writer. I once had the honour of sitting next to Richard Williams while at the Independent on the sports desk. He writes about music and sport with immense knowledge and authority. I’ve read a couple of Richard’s books recently. Great writer rather like you Richard Williams the Pompey fan. Congratulations on promotion.
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28th April 2024 at 5:59 pm
Thanks Denys. Yes your replay poem was superb.
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26th April 2024 at 4:46 pm
Nice work, Joe. You were quick off the mark with that! Good one from Richard Williams too I see.
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25th April 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hi Denys,
Thanks mate. I’ll do it now.
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25th April 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Joe,
you might like to write a poem yourself on the same subject…
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23rd April 2024 at 4:03 pm
Hi Denys
With you all the way on the abolition of FA Cup replays. What are they doing to the game?
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23rd April 2024 at 3:59 pm
Hi Crispin,
Yes sorry mate. Villa are still in Europe. Mistake rectified.
Cheers
Joe
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20th April 2024 at 12:04 pm
Hi Joe
Shouldn’t your title read your poem Farewell Europe England to everyone exccept Aston Villa ?
I know you mention them in your poem , but I do feel sorry for Villa re the national press .
Largely ignored. the hype was was all about Man City & Arsenal with a bit of a nod to the Hammers..but hardly a mention of Villa..
So well done to them
C
.
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19th March 2024 at 8:00 am
Hi Crispin. Chris Sutton on the radio has gone for a Chelsea v Coventry final. As we know anything can happen in the Cup, and I reckon we can go to the final.
We’re still in with a chance of the play offs too, so lots to go for.
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19th March 2024 at 7:41 am
Hey Kev
Let the masses drool over their odds on City v Unted Final, but who knows how pressure can hit.
Cov and Chels will be rightly labelled as having no chance..but hey …stranger things have happened..
so Chelsea v Coventry…that’s the Final for us!
Best
C
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