Football Poets

Theo Walcott, our forgotten man of the World Cup
— Sven’s secret weapon, never used except
to warm the bench — explodes like an Exocet
in the Under-21s with two clinical goals
to beat the German U-21s 2-0 in […]

I’m getting ready to watch Germany and Italy
go at it in the World Cup Semi-Final in Dortmund
but this is the US of A and ESPN is airing
Nathan’s hotdog eating contest
to celebrate this nation’s birthday
(well the […]

In the end, we will say,
they played to deceive,
with same result as before:
again, they underachieved.

Christopher T. George

Going home
— or going home
to parade the Cup?

Christopher T. George

All the way
— or by
the wayside?

Christopher T. George

Lampard keeps shooting,
none’s going in! Roo’s red face!
Portugal goal-fest?

Christopher T. George

England are fumbling,
Crouch is warming up. Becks scores!
Sit the Beanpole down.

Christopher T. George

My friend Shane says, “Crouch will be
one of Liverpool’s greatest players.”
But what about Peter the England player
on the biggest stage of all: the Mundial?

What odds to see the Beanpole raise
the World Cup […]

Plumes it right over the bar!
And sure the tall and skinny one
with the neat Mr. Roboto celebration
grabs three in the six-nil demolition of
the Reggae boys: knocks ’em for six! But
those were the Jamaicans, a […]

The gentlemanly courtesies at the beginning of the Match:
captains shake hands, exchange pennants, a coin’s tossed.
The lucky captain chooses the ends to attack and defend.

Heads I win, tails you lose. If only […]

It was a screamer of a shot, everyone agreed,
headed for the top left hand corner: guaranteed.
However, the paintwork denied him, once again.

Denied not by the ref, for offside, or for handball,
denied not by the […]

To leave Van Nistelrooy
on the bench?

Rumors flying
of a spat

but Alex says
he was only being true
to Saha for getting them there –
So United run out four goals to the good,
Ruud warms the bench, leaves the […]

So smug. Once more he’s crowing,
bragging of his battling team,
streaking ahead of the pack.
So smug, so arrogant
–but wouldn’t we
just love to be
where
he is?

Christopher T. George

Just like forty years ago, perhaps, when England and Uruguay played
to a dour draw in the opening match of the 1966 World Cup,
in this 2006 pre-Cup friendly, the lads one-nothing down,
scrambling for an equalizer […]

Who is next for the bull’s eye shirt
made of the flag with the red cross?
Please! Not another foreigner, FA!

Who really thinks a Swede or a Dutchman
will have the best interests of England
in his deepest heart? […]

Who’ll replace the incautious Swede
— incautious in private,
too cautious on the pitch!

Some say Sven should go now,
and let Sam Allardyce
have a throw at the dice.

Sam? Sam? Will you be our man?
The time is […]

Owen didn’t come back, went to Souness at Toon instead.
All those millions! Owen scored a few, then broke his foot,

now Sven and England sweat to see him fit for the World Cup.
But then, suddenly, out of the blue […]

Last year at this time I wrote here for all to read:
“The proud history of the F.A. Cup’s besmirched
when Premier League clubs put out their reserve side,
–with results to match. . . now who’s […]

Oh, dear, in trouble again, Sven?
Caught talking out of turn, ah yes:
You’ll quit England and manage Villa
if England win the World Cup.

And what if we don’t win the Cup?
Will you continue as England’s no. […]

We’d do better this year, maestro Rafa said, I’ll put out the first team.
We take the field at Luton with our glamour names, and sure enough,
seize the lead on a Stevie G rocket, . . . only began to look rocky […]