Football Poets

I know it’s still a month away, but i’ve updated/reworked this poem anyway, as the sentimate remains the same here. It was first published in June 2021 when the Euros followed Lockdown and Covid.

We’re looking forward to all your Euro 2024 poems, which will of course appear (as previous) under ‘Your Euros Poems’ in ‘Crispin’s Corner’.

ABOUT FOOTBALL POETS …..2000-2024
“The only known collective of football poets in the world” Today BBC Radio 4.

Football Poets today would not still be here today without the massive suport and help of Christian Wach* of The Spirit of Football/The Ball** to whom we offer our deepest thanks and gratitude . Christian single-handedly rebuilt this site , somehow saving all of your/our 16000+ published football poems and relaunched it here in its new and current format in 2017.

“Wacky funny and downright mad..but also serious. ” Kick It Out

A SHORT HISTORY ~ Football Poets was launched in June 2000 to coincide with Euro 2000 . A totally un-funded, not-for profit vision and website , it was founded by myself, Crispin Thomas, Stuart Butler in its’ initial (now ancient) digital format by our ex-webmaster Dave Cockcroft in June 2000 .

EDITORS
Currently edited by Crispin in Stroud from its inception and with the invaluable help of Simon Williams in Dublin since 2001, it is maintained technically by Christian and also archived regularly by the British Library for posterity since 2008. In these past 24 years, I have actually edited on this page every day!
Together Simon, Christian and I are proud to keep the site a living, breathing adjunct to the wonderful world of Football, where all who contribute or visit get to experience and daub their own little mascara’d touches to the face of the Beautiful Game.

During these past 21 years the site has seen 5 editors; Crispin, Stuart, Parry Maguire, Peter Goulding and Simon Williams (aka Clik The Mouse) . For over 10 years, we were without a webmaster and struggling to maintain an ailing antiquated site built on an out of date plaform which ran like a Heath Robinson old but much-loved football ground.

There are on the site, poems about every aspect of Football, and also how Football reaches into people’s lives, in so many different ways. We take pride in the fact that we try to encourage fans of every age, gender, race, creed, colour, physiology and social standing to embrace the world of Football in poetry.

INVOLVEMENTS /INITIATIVES MEDIA & BEYOND
Along the way , we have worked alongside, been associated/ aligned/appeared with and been recognised and acknowledged by many worthy social initiatives to further encourage those aspirations including :
‘Kick It Out’, ‘The British Council’ ,’National Literacy Trust, ‘Playing For Success’ ‘Kick Into Reading’,’ Reading The Game’, ‘Reading is Fundamental’, ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, ‘Word Up’, ‘Football Unites, Racism Divides’, ‘Give Us Back Our Game’ , ‘Philosophy Football’, ‘Dads Against Drugs ‘ , ‘Read A Million Words’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Independent’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘They Think It’s All Over’ ‘When Saturday Comes’,’Match of The Day 2′ ‘Inside Out’ BBC 1 TV, ‘BBC Radio 5 Live’, ‘Sky Sports’, ‘BBC Radio Gloucestershire’ ‘Cheltenham Festival of Literature, ‘Cheltenham Poetry Festival’, ‘Glastonbury Festival’, ‘Stroud Fringe Festival’, ‘Larmer Tree Festival’, ‘Marlborough Jazz Festival ‘ ,and of course ‘The British Library’ who archived us for posterity as one of only 1000 recommended sites and for which we are very proud.

EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENTS LOCAL & GLOBAL
We know we have a global reach, there are poems on the website from every continent on the planet. Our biggest restriction is that we can only currently accept poems in English.

We are also a conduit for countless schools, colleges and educational establishments across the globe – many of whom have sent in the fruits of their wonderful efforts. What a great vibrant contribution they make & also the community initiatives with poetic contributions from clubs we have directly inspired including Chelsea FC, Reading, Portsmouth, Cambridge United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham Utd (ELG) to name but a few..

ABOUT CRISPIN
“One of the pioneers of football poetry. Who ate all the pioneers? ”
Attila The Stockbroker

“The beautiful game in all its guises . In the street, in the ground, in the memory, in the heart . Poetry with balls! ” Michael Foreman

In addition to extensive work in the UK at football clubs and communities ,Crispin has along the way been invited by the British Council to perform and run workshops in Germany during the World Cup. Through his poetry work at Chelsea FC with students, as their Poet Loreate in the mid 2000s, he was also invited by the British council to Portoto to work with students at their offices and in ‘Secondaria’ schools .

We are indebted to the many people who have championed the site including Jim Sells of The National Literacy Trust, Suzi Raymond and Wendy of Chelsea FC ,Peter Daniel of Westmister Archives, Jude at Fulham FC, Jennie at Reading SSC ,Piara Power and Lord Ousley at Kick it Out, Show Racism The Red Card, Football Unites Racism Divides and Liam Murtagh of King Edward V1 Morperth..we thank you .

Alongside its online presence and undoubted contribution to raising literacy standards Crispin has performed, run workshops and inspired hundreds of enthralled students at the following
Football Club Study Support Centres : AFC Telford, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea FC, Charlton Athletic, Colchester United, Everton, Forest Green Rovers, Fulham FC, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Nothampton Town, Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Sheffield United, Stoke City, West Ham United & West Bromwich Albion.

There are too many football-loving individual poets, writers and contributors to mention – whose work we have published here , mostly for the first time well over 2000!!

There are certainly many more people who read and enjoy the poems on the website, including sections of the media, who have referened us on many occasions and also make enquiries from time to time.

ANNUAL EVENTS COVERED & COMMEMORATED
We have commemorated and continue to cover annual events and anniversaries of various football moments nd tragedies, e.g. Hillsborough, Heysel, Bradford, Munich Air Crash and the Christmas Truce of 1914. The various footballing events/ major competitions. From our inception at Euro 2000 to the FA Cup, African Cup of Nations, World Cups 02, 06 & ’07 (Women’s) and more recently with the World Cup 2010 ,2014 and 2018. We hope there’ll be plenty more inspiration for all our past, present and future contributors! Regards

Simon Williams (aka Clik the Mouse . Ireland (Editor 2001-Present)

“Big thanks to Clik for being there through thick and thin, most especially when my wife was very ill and of course to Christian.. Much respect also to you all for contributing to support the site with your wonderfully diverse poems Keep on.
Crispin Thomas Butterow. Stroud (Editor June 2000-Present )

“Of all the things I’ve achieved in my life, I do take pride in the recognition and success the site has achieved – and all from a simple idea originating in the back room of a puband a café in Stroud in 2000”.
Stuart Butler Rodborough Stroud 1.6.10 (Editor 2000-2005 )