Football Poets

it’s still a long road up ahead
we’ve only just begun
we’re right back where we started
among the fallen ones
the mountains that we’re facing
draw strength to just keep on
as our belief grows strong […]

like them all before

I’m one more who makes their way

through this old turnstile ~

“football is
beautiful and cruel”
rave on Sven

far from the finished article but back for the start
still reeling from two relegation seasons
we board the coach with renewed hope

Ewan who I’ve never met before
shows me images from away games
and w […]

whose woods these are I do not know
but to a hilltop ground they go
and as we climb in Summer heat
this well trod path beneath our feet
will lead us high above the town
and carry us both up and down […]

even though we swear we won’t
something sucks us in
armchair managers emerge
when the games begin
once again we do it all
ev’ry time it seems
caught up in the flow and vibe
caught up in the […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]