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Graham Salter posted an update 1 year, 10 months 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” says the rider, and “It’s bad”.
It appears in black and white photographs that night
In the Lancashire Evening Post;
Roger Byrne, the unassuming pipe-smoking captain
(like my Dad) is gone.
Tommy Taylor, bustling leader of the line from Barnsley,
Is gone.
David Pegg, Eddie Colman, Liam Whelan,
Are all gone.
On Wednesday week the programme will reveal
A ghost team
Playing from memory
But for now the talk is of infirmaries, and rosaries, and iron lungs
Young Duncan, didn’t he have iron lungs?
At Hampden Park, at Wembley,
Bursting through midfield, princely and majestic,
With youth on his side
Matt Busby may not make it,
The old guard may not make it
But Duncan, and Bobby, they’ll survive.
So let’s go back and spot the later trains,
It’s all right, they’ll survive.
Then the signal nods,
And the tail-light of the train
Fades
Disappearing into the February fog.
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!
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Latest Poems
Emdad Rahman
14th December 2019
Crispin Thomas
14th December 2019
Crispin Thomas
8th December 2019
Emdad Rahman
7th December 2019
Denys E. W. Jones
5th December 2019
Emdad Rahman
4th December 2019
Gacina Bozidar
3rd December 2019
Emdad Rahman
30th November 2019
kevin raymond
25th November 2019
Emdad Rahman
23rd November 2019
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
10th December 2019 at 11:47 pm
Hi Denys, it’s great to have another Toffee posting on Footy Poets. I haven’t contributed for some time, but if you click my name you’ll find some Everton poems going back several years.
Yes, now we’re all made up about the Chelsea result. And the return of the team spirit. And the two strikers formation.
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21st November 2019 at 10:11 am
Thank you Al and Welcome to Football Poets..
Too often in the shadow and wake of Hillsborough, Bradford and Heysel, your powerful and emotive lines remind us of a tragic day when 66 died and many more were injured at Ibrox .
RIP
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4th November 2019 at 9:51 am
great three lines Alex…table football..says it all
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16th October 2019 at 10:50 pm
Kev….. the Rev, of that place that rhymes with Les Fridge!
🙂
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23rd September 2019 at 6:39 pm
Lewis Carroll or Andy Carroll?
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19th September 2019 at 4:41 pm
Brilliant Eddie!
with our new website format, we can now all offer suggestions on top of this.
My tuppenceworth:
AE Housman or Peter Houseman?
Spike Milligan or Mike Milligan?
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30th August 2019 at 2:19 pm
I really, really wish I’d thought of that closing line!
Absolute classic!
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2nd August 2019 at 12:01 pm
Wow. That is a fantastic tale John.Thank you. Funny and sad but hysterical. You totally captured the vibe back then.I was too small to see in those huge crowds at the Bridge when i first went to Chelsea on Dec 25 ’57 (Chelsea 7-4 Portsmouth (when Greaves scored 4) but remember …ev’ry week so well …the old Peanut sellers chucking their peanuts to the crowd .And then us chucking our sixpences back .(Tanner a bag) And then stamping on them or chucking back the shells at our mates and the cops too. God Bless Mrs Michella the Crystal Palace peanut seller….and all long gone peasnut sellers.
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28th June 2019 at 3:23 pm
We have one of these shirts Clik and it is beautiful.
Great poem for a boss shirt.
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20th June 2019 at 2:37 pm
Lovely poem Rhys, and That Lone Ship looks a boss book.
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