STAND UP … TO BULLYING, RACISM, HOMOPHOBIA
Trying to encapsulate the lot into one poem, hope you like it ………
Unpleasant type
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
The pass, weighted to perfection
Just eludes, a willing trier
The watching crowd, groan
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
A crunching tackle, just about within the laws of the game
Takes man and ball
But the trailing studs, rake, like lions claws
The watching crowd, seeing only lost possession, groan
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
Another crunch, a flare up
Two arms raised in mock surprise – who me? – fools the referee
The retaliator is shown red
The watching crowd, who didn’t see the sly dig, or hear the racist slur
But only see their team down to 10 men, groan again
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
Perpetraitor (sic), the main man, walks tall, lauded, man of the match
Heart of a lion, proud of the three he sometimes wears on his chest
The majority of the watching crowd, see only their prize gladiator, and cheer
But perhaps the poets among them
See beyond the veil of blindness that winning brings
And sense instead, the veiled threats
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
It mattered not, to the wilful warrior
Whether they were team mate or foe
But his victims, were “coloured”, or “shirt-lifters”
Or worse still, in his insidious eyes, both
A Champion to some – but he doesn’t make my team ….
After giving racism the red card, the FA is set to target anti-gay taunts
from The Observer 30/10/05
“Football fans who hurl anti-gay taunts at players, referees and other supporters will be identified and prosecuted in a new clampdown on behaviour at matches.
Following the success of the drive against racism in the game, the Football Association is making the eradication of homophobia its next priority. Footballers are regularly derided from the stands as ‘poofs’ or ‘queers’, for example when they go down injured.
‘There is a problem with homophobic abuse in the game directed at not just players but also referees and also opposing fans,’ said Lucy Faulkner, the FA’s Ethics and Sports Equity Manager. ‘Such behaviour is offensive and runs totally counter to both the game’s family image and efforts to make football more acceptable to all sectors of society.’
In a bid to banish such behaviour, the FA has expanded the role of its freephone hotline for reporting racist incidents at matches to include homophobic comments. It is also overhauling the training it gives match officials so that referees and their assistants recognise and punish such incidents in both the professional and amateur game. Players who use such language may now be shown a red card.
‘Homophobic abuse is a breach of Law 12, which covers offensive, insulting and abusive language on the pitch, and is a red card offence,’ said Faulkner.
‘One referee in grassroots football recently told me that he regularly receives homophobic abuse himself,’ she added.
In the most infamous example of homophobia, Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler bent over and waved his bottom at Chelsea’s Graeme Le Saux. Fowler had already called his opponent a ‘poof’ earlier in the match in February 1999, to which le Saux replied: ‘But I’m married.’ The Liverpool player then said: ‘So was Elton John, mate.’
Ex-Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Hearts striker Justin Fashanu, Britain’s only openly gay player to date, received horrendous abuse during matches in his career in the Eighties and Nineties and later committed suicide.
The FA is holding its first ‘homophobia summit’ this week. Participants from across the game will be told about the recent conviction – the first of its kind – of a Hull City supporter for hurling anti-gay taunts at Brighton and Hove Albion fans. Hull magistrates court heard how Kevin Smith had chanted ‘indecent’ comments at the visiting spectators when Brighton played Hull in August. He was fined £50, ordered to pay £50 costs and banned from attending any Hull City game for three years.
Brighton fans are regularly subjected to homophobic abuse simply because the city has a large gay population. ‘The other team’s fans often chant “Does your boyfriend know you’re here?”,’ said Faulkner. ‘That, though, is very much at the milder end of the spectrum.’
Michael Collins, spokesman for the Gay Football Supporters’ Network, said: ‘Calling someone a “poof” or a “queer” seems to be the last acceptable thing you can shout at people at matches. Most people wouldn’t racially abuse a black player anymore, but some think that anti-gay taunts are OK.’
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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!
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joe morris
3rd September 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
3rd September 2024
joe morris
26th August 2024
Crispin Thomas
26th August 2024
joe morris
22nd August 2024
Mike Bartram
20th August 2024
Phil Brennan
20th August 2024
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17th August 2024
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17th August 2024
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12th August 2024
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Latest Comments
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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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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