Football Poets

still swapping shirts with Will the Shake
who taught us words can make hearts ache
who showed us life is just a stage
on which we run and strive and guage
this Peoples’ Game that carries on
until the day […]

eighteen years of verse
sixteen thousand five hundred
poems on football

I for one will miss

paper tickets for the match

when they scan my eyes

I recall that Saturday like yesterday
a steaming summer
our first home game in ‘58
excitement
and childlike expectation in the air
August in London and sweltering
“stand clear of the doors!” “wear […]

everything I ever did
couldn’t keep emotions hid
back when I was just a kid
ev’ry time we’d play
captured by a moving ball
from the time when I was small
have I really changed at all ?
waiting for the day […]

brand new season same old same old
blank green canvas big clean slate
new beginnings better endings
grab the handrail take the bait

brand new season same old same old
keep on longing live the dream
keep on […]

France 4-2 Croatia

spoiling things again
VAR the villain here
on this final night

never lying down
oh how brave Croatia fought
when injustice reigned

never at their best
once again Les Bleus […]

when we pause we know
like some epic video
we have far to go

games like this are hard
damage limitation time
with a stronger foe

meaningless to some
I know we’d have taken fourth
at the very […]

no time now for tears
we went further than we hoped
so much to applaud

from euphoria
to the first cold light of day
let us not be sad

time to stand up proud
chances come and chances go
we will learn […]

France 1-0 Belgium

on a Summer’s night
promising so much in class
two great sides lock horns

in among such stars
like some Winter Russian sky
Mbappe burns bright

Red Devils impress
Hazard b […]

can we start to dream
or are we fooling ourselves…..
why not all the way?

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Sweden 0-2 England

whatever you say
England swept the Swedes apart
with this new […]

he used to be compared sometimes
to Gobbo out of Noddy
he’d stand their all close shaven
his look was never shoddy
it came together suddenly
it altered points of view
a manager type masterstroke
brought […]

Europe holds the cards
France and Belgium semis bound
in this mad World Cup

Uruguay 0-2 France

such a strong display
France begin to look the part
wil they go the course?

always in control
one sweet […]

there’s a question that’s burning inside me
and it’s burning inside you I’m sure
we’ve been hoping and longing for years now
and we’ve felt it a few times before
now the pundits are rating our chances
and […]

Sweden England next
hopefully play-actingless
and a finer game

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Sweden 1-0 Switzerland

Zlatanless but through
One deflection is enough
To cut this Swiss roll

furnished with […]

Brazil 2-0 Mexico

like some yellow tide
strolling to that samba beat
will this be their time?

always second best
Mexico do eve’rything
ev’rything but score

Neymar rolls and cries
but relentless as […]

such contrasting games
endless passing – huff and puff
in the end it’s pens

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

Spain 1-1 Russia
Russia win 4-3 on penalties

mastering defence
Russian grit defies the odds […]

The World Cup in America, nineteen ninety four,
USA – Colombia, do you recall the score?
While over in the Rose Bowl, with fever running high,
back on the streets, of Medellin, it’s near to do or die. […]