Football Poets

The Strand was a cut-through street,
unadopted by the rate-payers,
pot holed, pitted, pock-marked,
forgotten by Tarmac layers.
Houses were big, gardens once grand,
with flint and dry stone walling,
but no lights […]

Money CAN buy you the title,
In fact, money is absolutely vital,
Money could convince Ellton John to do a piano recital,
But money can’t buy you Stones,

Money CAN buy you referee’s
Money CAN buy you Belgians, at […]

With just a stone, he stood all alone,
Then played out
the weekends big matches,
In his minds eye, from forty yards let fly,
from shoes full of scuffs and scratches.
A couple of sweet volleys hit discarded […]

Our Spain, isn’t the Spain,
of how THEY would know it,
Lee, Spender, Spencer,
the 1930’s poets.
Our Spain, is the Spain,
of bankrupt Fiesta,
Torres, Xavi, Fabragas,
Arbaloa, Iniesta.
No rusty carbines,
fired from […]

I remember, like it was yesterday,
Me, Mulraney, O’Brien, McStay,
Said “No” to triple time Bank Holiday pay,
to watch the would-be Champions, play.

“You must be mad”, said the McAlpines Clerk,
“It’s three […]

Ernie Hunt was born in a Wiltshire town,
grafted hard in his British Rail jacket,
though soon his football skills earned more renown
and for the Robins, swapped his BR pay packet.
After six fruitful seasons at the […]

It was 48 years ago , today ,
that the Blues taught the Reds how to play . . . .

In under three hours, all the match tickets were sold
and at the Goodison Box Office, supporters young and old
shared trays of […]

Not as famous as Brunel, though his name should ring a bell,
like that little hunchback did in Notre Dame,
They called him Eddy Cav, and in many an alehouse lav,
Odes were written about his contribution to the […]

WE too,love football
WE, the poorer brothers and sisters .
WE listen to the radio in the kitchen,
local or national.
WE cannot afford tickets.
WE cannot afford Satellite channels .
So WE listen.
WE listen […]

With a Guinness caked smile
you could smell from a mile,
like a circus clown
holding a tin-foil covered
cardboard replica of the FA Cup,
you woke me up,
on a Sunday morning at dawn .

Just back, off the coach
from […]

Bob Paisley said “It was no game for the connoisseur,
I dont think there were 20 passes in the match ”
But he couldn’t hide the sadness in his north eastern burr,
As the chants rang out, about Big Bobby Latch […]

They are holding their breath
in the Dutch Eerste Divisie,
Likewise in Italy, in Serie B .
In Portugals Segunda Liga , agents get busy,
Knees s’tart to knock , in French la Ligue Three
Norways Tippeligaen is full […]

I had some Findus Crispy Pancakes today ,
a decision immediately rued ,
got them from Iceland , not off e – bay ,
just fancied some Seventies food.
Last week I had Spam Fritters and Smash ,
then Treacle Pudding […]

I remember my 5th birthday party ,
co-incided with the start of the World Cup ,
I got a Jumbo tube of Smarties
crayons and a colouring book ,
which had players from all the teams
who had qualified for the last […]

This cup is your cup, this cup is my cup,
from the Brian Boys West View Stadium, out at Bacup,
from Forest Green Rovers, to Nottingham Forest,
this cup was made for me and you .
As I was walking, out on matchday […]

On the 22nd of January, in the town of Birkenhead,
A misty drizzle wept, from clouds as grey as lead.
William Ralph Dean was born, no wise men bearing gifts,
Just towels and hot water and Midwives changing […]

Against West Ham , you were our man of the match,
hit a swerving free kick from the edge of the box,
You were the catalyst, three defenders couldn’t catch,
Made the rest of the team pull up their socks.
But you […]

Some people get to meet their footballing hero
years after they’ve finished playing and are barely alive ,
Well , I met mine , not in a bar in Rio de Janiero
but in a Sheffield nightclub , circa 1985 .
I was in […]