Football Poets

the flags have all appeared again
on buildings and on cars
except the Farmer’s Market
or posh and trendy bars
my wall chart hangs resplendent
a multi-caloured sheet
a hand-filled record of it all
of […]

We stand at the water’s edge….
shall we succumb
to Salacia’s salty stare
and drown in our sorrow?
Or will tomorrow’s
final
be the time to draw upon
our modern armada – a flotilla of faithful fans
egging […]

nights like this are special
times like these are rare
savour ev’ry moment
when you know you’re there
you can call it fortune
who cares what they say
when that moment happens
failure falls awa […]

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie
Oi, Oi, Oi!
Ollie
Oi!
Ollie
Oi!
Ollie, Ollie, Ollie…
Ploy, ploy, ploy!

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie
Oi, Oi, Oi!
Ollie
Oi!
Ollie
Oi!
Ollie, Ollie, Ollie…
JOY! JOY! JOY!

I could not sleep
I could not work
all this pent-up nervousness
just drove me berserk!

And so I tried listening to Bob Dylan….
“the nerves, they are a-changing”
yes indeed they are…. escalating […]

Messi’s baptised boy*
sees La Roja through in style
with a mighty strike

watching England’s tricky
wherever you stand
given we’re consistently
ever-moaning fans

drowned in mediocrity
drained until we cry
put through ev’ry wringer
then hung out to dry

worn out with emo […]

Pre-match…
our hopes were muted
any overt optimism disputed….
and just like the election
there’s too much circumspection

mid-match…
well, our overall play has improved
if only slightly
but dare we say […]

when England take on Switzerland
who cares if we still have no plan
there are no dreaded warning signs
we’ve played them twenty seven times
how could we ever be undone
we haven’t lost since ‘81
a well- […]

exhausted watching you again
all through the years in sun and rain
from giant screens to my front room
with no-one else to share the gloom
the hope that never disappears
the sheer frustration and the tears […]

ev’ry two or four years
we miraculously find ourselves here
in that oh so ‘English’ recurring semi-hopeful way
subjected to watching England at tournaments
usually on a screen

sometimes it feels like […]

Scots dream over now

Tartan fire is not enough

finishing is all

a poet can’t find words sometimes
the words refuse to flow
like writer’s block where chances
no longer come or go
what is it with our country
are we surprised to see
so many fans to help us on
it sure ain […]

“There is little difference
between obstacle and opportunity.
The wise are able to turn both
to their advantage”. Machiavelli

We just need Foden
to turn both defenders
slide an inch perfect pas […]

in the late late show
Poland shine but just fall short
Oranje wall stands firm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eriksen strikes first
Danes hed by Slovenia
stalemate helps us […]

Magyars toil in vain

Swiss roll over Hungary

in a sea of red

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

with Yamal’s sweet pace

though outnumbered in the stands

Spain lay down their mark […]

Germans set the bar

deadly class and swagger sees

Scotland left in shread

the George Cross flags are absent
no wild hysteria here
the local pubs are closing down
It’s hard to watch somewhere
but I’ve got all I need at home
before they kick a ball
my Euro 24 Wall Chart
is here […]

We’ve had the Premier League Campaign,
Plus two domestic Cups.
Three European Tournaments,
Now isn’t that enough?

No, we have not yet had our fill,
Our thirst is still not slaked.
There’s more to […]