ianthe exall
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Black cushions of recycled Continental
are semi-volatile compounds
like the Sandhurst centre-back
channelling his week into a tackle.In Tiempos, feel the rubber crumb
of zinc-enriched non-organic […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 4 months, 1 week ago
After all that transpired: injuries, bereavements, heartaches,
relegation to No.3 before a transfer back to Cardiff Met:
crucial stops at critical times.After everything you didn’t plan –
the sun behind a […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Through rain drifting across floodlight beams
and smoke off the hotdog hut
from a corner by the Thamesyou can see through black metal railings
through the smog and instant snap of fag ash
a distant heap […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 months, 3 weeks ago
The day the leaflets came, election sludge
we slip into like a soft play ball park,
they promised us all a new start.The current incumbent wouldn’t smile,
just said ‘It’s strange how all these missi […] -
Alex Saynor‘s profile was updated 8 months ago
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 8 months ago
The first is the Hollywood, lofted
or hooked thirty yards from its target’s foot
over an advertising board for East Neuk Salt.The second is the slide rule
from a vision barely peripheral –
a pitch for […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 8 months, 2 weeks ago
‘Be quiet; the weather’s on the night news.’
Stephen Malkmus, Watery, DomesticCirrus never whispers, or was that Texas?
What you really meant was cumulonimbus
with deep grey future rain around its […] -
Christian Wach posted a new page, on the site Football Poets 9 months ago
Here is the Top 40 rundown of the most-liked Poems on the Football Poets website.
The number of likes is in brackets after the title.
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 11 months, 3 weeks ago
On this island, is it Saints or Pompey,
what do you say? Don’t ask me, my friend;
I’m a Bournemouth fan from Alum Bay.When you look north, from Cowes,
or east, from Ryde, I’m around the headland
at Chilt […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 year ago
She was talking to me under the radio,
under the Saturday food programme
guests cautioned against innuendowho went for humour in unlikely combos
while eyes sank lower above the wheel.
If anything can […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 year, 3 months ago
We’ll play it safe and get there for sunrise.
Driving to Croydon, any day,
is like being at Exeter Services on a Saturday
in August, single file by West Cornwall Pasty.So when should we leave? When will w […]
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 year, 5 months ago
It was like that angst in the chest you mentioned, but then it exploded.
My ‘self’ was in a hundred fragments.All I had was a bed and a skylight,
a window on the incomprehensible.Drifting off, I m […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 year, 7 months ago
A slow moving weather system,
burdened by a week of brooding, low-lying
internet traffic will break or settle
in the pre-match huddle.Straining my eyes; who is that team?
They were so far gone from the […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 1 year, 10 months ago
With gravity at a low centre,
you danced around temporary pairs
with teams matched up player for player.
Without seeing, but in your field of consciousness
you could sense it coming:
the reducer.Their […]
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 2 years ago
Wembley you’ve been livin’ hell to me
with your Hanger Lane gyratory
traffic for no reason, regardless of the season,
and the IKEA cafe’s run out of lingonberry.Wembley, I hate every inch of you.
Your […] -
Christian Wach commented on a poem on Football Poets 2 years, 1 month ago
[Football on soiled turf]
This is a wonderful phrase which I shall be using from now on!
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Christian Wach commented on a poem on Football Poets 2 years, 1 month ago
Well said Crispin. One of the reasons for The Ball 2022/23 is exactly this – that FIFA need to know. The Ball is essentially a petition to FIFA to honour their commitments to the UN Sports for Climate Action […]
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Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 2 years, 1 month ago
You hear it at every 5-a-side:
the myth of the man with time.
He’s rarely there, but you hear his name.
‘Paul – he must be 60 now – dictates the game.’He’s reached the point where he rarely runs,
but […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 2 years, 1 month ago
I knew it would happen; we missed the window.
Our boat didn’t come in and nor did we swim to it.Our chairman had a month at Cowes Week.
The vice-president got trapped in industrial brioche,
was stuck in […] -
Alex Saynor published a poem on the site Football Poets 2 years, 6 months ago
The day I found out I was leaving,
no-one told me. It was on Ceefax, page 302:
I’m off to Bristol City!Maybe it’s time to ride the Severn Bore
to Gloucester from Sharpness
in tomorrow’s dusk and […] - Load More
About This Site
Welcome to Football Poets -- a club for all football poets, lovers of football and lovers of (alternative) poetry. Discover poets in every league from respected internationals at the top of their game to young hopefuls in the school playground.
Publish your football poems here and then discuss them with your team mates and fans. We're archived by The British Library, so your masterpieces are in the safe hands of a world-class keeper. What a result!
My Account
Latest Poems
John Gilbert Ellis
28th November 2024
joe morris
26th November 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
26th November 2024
Gacina Bozidar
26th November 2024
Wynn Wheldon
26th November 2024
joe morris
17th November 2024
Crispin Thomas
17th November 2024
kevin halls
10th November 2024
joe morris
10th November 2024
Clik The Mouse
10th November 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
27th November 2024 at 5:55 am
‘You’re Supposed To Be At Home’ is an excellent and moving poem Denys.
You start off thinking it’s just about another oft-sung chant, one we personally heard a lot last season throughout our second relegation in a row here at Forest Green(FGR) ! I always love poems where you think they are saying one thing and then they suddenly pull you deeper to somewhere or something else else.
I’m currently helping in a local school for FGR in a voluntary capacity using football to help young students with reading. At an upcoming session we will tackle racism, just like we did in workshops at football schools and grounds when we first started this site 24 years ago. I’m gonna try and weave your poem into a session.
We’ve added it to the Anti- Racism/Kick It Out section under Crispin’s Corner.
Best C
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26th November 2024 at 1:59 pm
Great poem and great to see you back Wyn.
Don’t leave it so long next time my friend!
More please.
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13th September 2024 at 6:14 pm
Welcome to Football Poets Beth
Great evocative poem Beth….
More please !
Haiku always welcome.
Hope we (FGR) get to play you again soon
Best
Crispin
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26th July 2024 at 6:25 pm
Great poem Mike Bartram. Eddie was a legend, affectionately known in Liverpool as, “the first hooligan.” Even the hoolies were well dressed in those days. The amazing thing was he was only 26 when that picture was taken. He’d played for Everton youth team and was well known to the players. He never got arrested. They threw him out and he climbed back in, just in time for Derek Temples winner.
I used the picture of him being tackled to the ground on the front cover of my book, “Once Upon a rhyme in Football.” It’s worth looking on youtube and finding the re-enactment of the Wembley scene. Frank Skinner and Baddiel went around to Eddies home in the 1990’s and acted it out on the green outside. It’s hilarious, especially all the effort they put in to get Eddie sober enough to shoot the scene.
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10th July 2024 at 6:07 pm
Hi Crispin,
I don’t know if you’ve see the picture in social media today…
a picture of a teenage Lionel Messi cradling a baby in Africa as part of a photoshoot…. the family had won a lottery to have their baby pictured with him….
the photographer has just revealed that the baby is actually in fact Lamine Yamal!!!!
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26th May 2024 at 2:30 pm
Hi Denys…
Re Man City:
OK it was 20 years ago but Criag Wilson did write this and a few others on them back in 04/05.
BTW I’m more Forest Green Rover since 2014 (and Chelsea) these days . I drum and am a standing season ticket holder .
Best
Crispin
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29th April 2024 at 2:47 pm
Hi Denys,
Yes Richard Williams you’re a brilliant wordsmith, my friend. When I first saw your football poetry I thought it was the superb Guardian sports and music writer. I once had the honour of sitting next to Richard Williams while at the Independent on the sports desk. He writes about music and sport with immense knowledge and authority. I’ve read a couple of Richard’s books recently. Great writer rather like you Richard Williams the Pompey fan. Congratulations on promotion.
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28th April 2024 at 5:59 pm
Thanks Denys. Yes your replay poem was superb.
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26th April 2024 at 4:46 pm
Nice work, Joe. You were quick off the mark with that! Good one from Richard Williams too I see.
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25th April 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hi Denys,
Thanks mate. I’ll do it now.
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