Football Poets

First time in the finals but many folk believed
the Bosnians might reach the last sixteen.
Decisions went against them and they might well feel aggrieved –
the hallowed halls felt more like Hallowe’en.
At lea […]

Twenty one keen footballers, but one was even keener,
dancing past defenders like a male ballerina,
a Lamborghini up against a battered Ford Cortina,
filling up the senses like a bottle of retsina,
a leopard […]

From every football aficionado,
we’re really quite distraught to see you go.
Farewell, Japan, we relished your bravado.

The penalty, converted by Cuadrado,
was quite a sad and undeservéd blow
for every fo […]

The Ivory Coast,
not lacking in skill, and not
lacking in passion

are pipped at the post,
squeezed out in the most
unfortunate fashion.

Up until now,
it seemed that the Greeks had
upset the gods.

I’ve no idea h […]

This is the way the World Cup ends,
trying your best to make amends;
seeing on whom the team depends;
hoping to halt familiar trends;
suddenly finding you have no friends;
wond’ring what message your team sheet s […]

A hunger for the game? Chew on a scallion,
or maybe order up some fine linguine.
The veal looks nice (though maybe it is stallion)
together with some home-made tortellini.
Maybe you might crave a beef […]

In their first match of World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the Croats counted themselves desperately unlucky, despite a performance that was disciplined and plucky.
One, they said, counting themselves unlucky.
In fact, […]

Brazil without Neymar is fire without flames.
It’s like Transvision Vamp without Wendy James.
Brazil without Neymar is coffee without cream
And could spell the end of their dream.

Brazil without Neymar is cash w […]

There’s a beauty in his running,
lightning speed and perfect balance,
allied to a feral cunning,
oft detracting from his talents.

Straining every muscle, striving
for a pass he’s intercepted.
Shame his fon […]

So farewell then, David Villa,
killer instinct in the box,
faultless in your great endeavor,
clever as a Spanish fox.

Was this your final international?
Rational thinking says it was.
Could you hear the large […]

Seconds away from the final sixteen,
what a wonderful fairy tale it would have been.
We thought that the golden boy had split the scene
but it seems that he was only waiting.
We stared dumbfounded at the […]

I’m enjoying this frivolity,
this international jollity,
this staying up till late to watch Iran.
The chance to see Algeria
may oft produce hysteria
in ways that only World Cup football can.

I’ve scoffed at all […]

After Belgium – Russia, eyes were bleary.
The prospect of Algeria dismayed.
This syndrome tends to make one football weary
after thirty World Cup games are played.

This didn’t look to be a nerve-end scr […]

I thought perhaps I might compose a sonnet
about this Group H World Cup match today,
but when I came to write a poem on it
I couldn’t think of very much to say.
If I were being kind, I would wax lyrically
on how b […]

The Bosnians tried desperately to get that one goal back.
The Bosnians threw everybody into the attack.
The Bosnians knew if they didn’t score, then they’d be toast.
But where were the Herzegovinans when they wer […]

Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles.
See the old man join the game.
Hobbling like my Great Aunt Alice,
Klose on his zimmer frame.

Cardi buttoned, clad in layers
to protect him from the cold,
this most senior of […]

Higuain, Aguero and Messi –
they thought they would go to town.
Higuain, Aguero and Messi –
they thought they would break them down.
At the end we were willing Iran to hold firm
and make their illustrious cou […]

Dear subjects, one would like to express
one’s feelings of great thankfulness
to Brian Ruiz and the Costa Ricans
for giving it some welly.
For though one’s beloved football team
has exited the World Cup dre […]

Throughout the years, the World Cup has been blessed with strange-named blokes.
Argentina’s Killer (see! his poor opponent croaks!)
and Seaman from the English team, the source of many jokes
and now we have the b […]

For a country that does not possess a shoreline,
the Swiss defenders found themselves at sea.
Two late goals put gloss upon the scoreline
but France deserved to win by more then three.
In fact, the French lads […]