Graham Salter
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Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets a year ago
Thanks!
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Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets a year ago
Mr Wordsworth walks to Bolton
He wandered lonely as a cloud
At evening in the encroaching dark
When all at once he saw a crowd
A floodlit game at Burnden Park!
“Dine at the Packhorse” along the roof
The dri […] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets a year ago
SPION KOP
“In 1903 we stood on Spion Kop
Clattering our hob-nail boots against the wall”
My grand-dad recollected this for me
When he was eighty, in Nineteen Sixty Three
Remembering a centre-half called Joe […] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 4 years ago
Do you remember old tales about football in the Fifties
How your skill might spare you from going down the mines?
How Jackie and Bobby would be out near the colliery
Surrounded by Milburns and the rest of […] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 years ago
A bird flew north over Italy
Over Naples’ volcanic home
Which worshipped Maradona in his prime
Flew over Lazio and the Olimpico
Climbed up its high ellipse
Heading for the evening sun
On her distant seven h […] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 years ago
Arriving at a certain age
I chanced upon a Facebook Page
A football follower’s delight
Outclassing every other site:
No views of Best or Ken Dalgleish
Or Cruyff, for this was far more niche
It specialised i […] -
Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 5 years ago
Please insert after line 15 “Where life was hard and occasionally brutal”
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Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 years ago
Too close to call still
Some people think it’s over
You know otherwise -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 years ago
This is the ballad of Derek Acorah,
A footballing lad, and what is more, a
Psychic who detected poltergeists
(Yes, genuine spirits, not scurrying mice)
He used to appear on Living TV
Where his psychic shows […] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 5 years ago
If you see something that doesn’t look right,
City in peachy orange, an improbable sight,
West Bromwich Albion in shorts of canary,
Teams wearing candy-stripes (colours may vary)
Turquoise or Biscuit or A […] -
Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 6 years ago
Great poem Clik – witty and memorable, worthy of a quite remarkable occasion.
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Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 6 years ago
Great poem Sharon, worthy of a quite remarkable occasion.
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Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 6 years ago
I really like this poem. So many great phrases: “striped and manicured”, “a crowd of heads go drooping”, “and maintain home advantage”, “when Mum blew for dinner”. Much appreciated! Thank you.
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Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 6 years ago
As a child I drew crowds; row upon row,
fifteen thousand little circles for the fans,
some high in the stands, some arrayed on the Shelf
cradled by that tight encircling wall
(I’m capturing White Hart L […] -
Graham Salter posted an update 6 years ago
BACK IN TIME DOWN WHITE HART LANE
As a child I drew crowds; row upon row,
fifteen thousand little circles for the fans,
some high in the stands, some arrayed on the Shelf
cradled by that tight encircling wall
(I’m capturing White Hart Lane
at the start of the Hunter Davies years)
the groundlings penned behind a white perimeter fence,
watching B…[Read more] -
Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 7 years ago
Here on a field of mother Russia
The eleven men of England sing
As the prying camera moves from man to man
Slowly
Like a military inspection.
The crowd heaves, the band plays, and the camera probes
Each […] -
Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 7 years ago
“beyond the gated community of stones”. Beautiful.
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Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 7 years ago
Brilliant imagery. A great poem.
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Graham Salter commented on a poem on Football Poets 7 years ago
A fine poem, much appreciated.
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Graham Salter published a poem on the site Football Poets 7 years ago
CHILDHOOD MEMORY
The Euston to Blackpool line is swathed in fog,
Early 1958, and the evening train is held at the signal.
The halo of an approaching bicycle lamp looms through the mist.
“A plane crash” say […] - 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
joe morris
8th January 2025
Denys E. W. Jones
7th January 2025
Mike Bartram
7th January 2025
Alex Saynor
4th January 2025
joe morris
2nd January 2025
Phil Brennan
2nd January 2025
John Gilbert Ellis
28th November 2024
joe morris
26th November 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
26th November 2024
Gacina Bozidar
26th November 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
11th January 2025 at 8:13 am
TO ADD THIS TO THIS POEM’S COMMENT:WELCOME BACK DAVID MOYES!!!
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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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