Where Minnows Dream & Fuse Box 3
FUSE BOX ISSUE 3 http://www.rattapallax.com/fusebox.htm
First up a big thank you and well done to Big Mouth organiser, perfomance football poet and Bristol icon Rosemary Dun for her wonderful Fuse Box 3 collection of performance poetry from poets around the globe..It features 5 football poets/about a dozen football poems and a great miix of loads of other good performance stuff …yours truly and Stuart plus more are there (how modest to give myself a mention ) ..check it out now at…. http://www.rattapallax.com/fusebox.htm
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Where Minnows Dream
what is it about the third round of the cup?
more magic than the Secret Garden
when you find yourself in it
on that great day
and more than the respite
from lower region relegation struggles
or where you are
in relation to the big three
or whether you can stay in the league at all
no – it’s deeper
and though you can’t nail it
you feel it
inside
every time
feel it at Telford
feel it at Scarborough –
feel it at Watford
feel it at Arsenal
and just to ice it
a new year sprinkle of snow
like fairy dust
on days like this
where minnows dream
and nine or ninety – who will not feel
this is it
your year
your name on the trophy
your time to fantasize..
and scouring the games – those impossible pairings
the cup throws up .
it’s hearts in mouth time
of lambs to the slaughter or lions to the humbling
and striving from the heart
nothing to lose – nothing to fear
when you’re out of your league
with faces painted
it’s david and goliath meets school- band v Westlife
and who’s to say
this might just be your day
but tell me friend
whose neutral heart cannot but fail to leap
when Cheltenham take the lead at Fulham
with leagues between them –
or eyes strain at Kidderminster
when smoke from passing steam-trains
wafts over like fifties mists or war pea-soupers?
or Yeovil where twenty victims fell before
down Huish’s long gone and dreaded slope
or dodgy goals that did or didn’t cross that line?
and then all too soon it’s over..
no non- league team in the final
no Man United at home
no mega pay-day or trip to Anfield
not this year anyway
but hey
you know in your heart
you really need to concentrate on the league
(and staying in it)
anyway
but still – above it all..
isn’t it just the way
that always
always
no sadder sight to see
than one more
hand carved in love
and now discarded
cardboard
silver-paper
fa cup
lying trampled
in the rain
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
John Gilbert Ellis
28th November 2024
joe morris
26th November 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
26th November 2024
Gacina Bozidar
26th November 2024
Wynn Wheldon
26th November 2024
joe morris
17th November 2024
Crispin Thomas
17th November 2024
kevin halls
10th November 2024
joe morris
10th November 2024
Clik The Mouse
10th November 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
27th November 2024 at 5:55 am
‘You’re Supposed To Be At Home’ is an excellent and moving poem Denys.
You start off thinking it’s just about another oft-sung chant, one we personally heard a lot last season throughout our second relegation in a row here at Forest Green(FGR) ! I always love poems where you think they are saying one thing and then they suddenly pull you deeper to somewhere or something else else.
I’m currently helping in a local school for FGR in a voluntary capacity using football to help young students with reading. At an upcoming session we will tackle racism, just like we did in workshops at football schools and grounds when we first started this site 24 years ago. I’m gonna try and weave your poem into a session.
We’ve added it to the Anti- Racism/Kick It Out section under Crispin’s Corner.
Best C
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26th November 2024 at 1:59 pm
Great poem and great to see you back Wyn.
Don’t leave it so long next time my friend!
More please.
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13th September 2024 at 6:14 pm
Welcome to Football Poets Beth
Great evocative poem Beth….
More please !
Haiku always welcome.
Hope we (FGR) get to play you again soon
Best
Crispin
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26th July 2024 at 6:25 pm
Great poem Mike Bartram. Eddie was a legend, affectionately known in Liverpool as, “the first hooligan.” Even the hoolies were well dressed in those days. The amazing thing was he was only 26 when that picture was taken. He’d played for Everton youth team and was well known to the players. He never got arrested. They threw him out and he climbed back in, just in time for Derek Temples winner.
I used the picture of him being tackled to the ground on the front cover of my book, “Once Upon a rhyme in Football.” It’s worth looking on youtube and finding the re-enactment of the Wembley scene. Frank Skinner and Baddiel went around to Eddies home in the 1990’s and acted it out on the green outside. It’s hilarious, especially all the effort they put in to get Eddie sober enough to shoot the scene.
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10th July 2024 at 6:07 pm
Hi Crispin,
I don’t know if you’ve see the picture in social media today…
a picture of a teenage Lionel Messi cradling a baby in Africa as part of a photoshoot…. the family had won a lottery to have their baby pictured with him….
the photographer has just revealed that the baby is actually in fact Lamine Yamal!!!!
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26th May 2024 at 2:30 pm
Hi Denys…
Re Man City:
OK it was 20 years ago but Criag Wilson did write this and a few others on them back in 04/05.
BTW I’m more Forest Green Rover since 2014 (and Chelsea) these days . I drum and am a standing season ticket holder .
Best
Crispin
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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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