Football Poets

Bob Paisley’s lads in ’77
Gave us dreams of football heaven
King Kev had Berti on the run
Our lads were Caesars, every one

Joey Jones his head held high
Whilst Smithy rose up through the sky
Big Clem was sound […]

There are no neon signs
The superstars just can’t be found
Well, there’s David May
Whose better days just might return
A goal or two, perhaps…
Upon these moors across the way
A Yorkshire lass in dying […]

I don’t mind the cold
Wrapped up in a red scarf
2 Liverpool shirts
Beneath a jumper
And a battered leather jacket
Pulled around
A red flag and
A loving arm.

Christmas
With its myriad promises of wishes wished
Promises promised and dreams alive and kicking
The date the time the place the same
The wrapping paper’s all that changed
The same old Christmas
Year in year […]

I can’t quite figure out
If he looks like an old Bart Simpson
Or a young Steve McQueen
But he’s shaping up like Shankly
The way he motivates his team.

“Rotation Rotation Rotation”
Claudio smiled,
And the audience approved
Jose, through darkend brows
Will not smile
But ponders conquests
He has already approved.

Bill Shankly’s bread
Bob Paisley’s wine
4 Euro Cups
Stand in a line

Bill Shankly’s words
Bob Paisley’s deeds
6 FA Cups
And 18 Leagues

Bill Shankly’s soul
Bob Paisley’s heart
Brought glory to
Our Anfield park.

John Lennon
Didn’t go the match on Saturdays
He didn’t join the crowd at Anfield
He was too busy writing the songs
The Kop would sing.

Pongolle, Mellor, Gerrard
The Holy Ghost of Shankly smiles
As the spirit of Anfield’s past resides
Upon each chest the Liverbird she sighs
Inter Milan in ’65
St Etienne ’77 Bob’s great side
Now with Rafa as our […]

No need to be measured
By the deeds a man speaks of
When his actions declare his intentions
And his abilities
It’s not the gold and silver
Of trophies
Still less the titles
But the road taken
Along the journey […]

Baudrillard
Some French winger
Clever tricky
Hard to pin down
Said that everything is
A copy of a copy of a copy
No such thing as reality
But when I watch Pele
I know I am watching
The original that no one could
Copy

Loved his football did Judas
Showed some promise too
But he wasn’t really a team player
Not a lad for Shankly, Busby or Stein
Still, he had his moments
And when the agents
Offered him 30 pieces of silver
(Lot of […]

The spirit of Shankly
Smiles with satisfaction
All three points
Fought and won with passion
Upon the “professional Anfield grass”
All three points
And a boy with his dreams.

My head is not bound up in the
Conflicts and conventions of
Perceived cleverness and assumed status
And the paper chase of
Titles Letters Attainments
In my head there is but one rule
Football

My heart is not […]

I don’t dream
About money buying me
Unimagined luxury
Fast cars and
Fast mortality
I dream about
A Dalglish goal
This and this alone
Replenishes my soul

I don’t desire
The labels making slaves
Of us our […]

Tom Awongo
Is 18 years old
He is not a footballer
He does not play on a pitch
Of green grass
With jumpers for goal posts
Tom Awongo
Was a soldier in Sudan
In the Lord’s Resistance Army
He knows how it feels
To […]

The Footballer is the poet
He plays with the ball like a word
Tumbling from the pen
To write beautiful metaphors
Precious little moments that
Are created by no other
Than this poet
Pele knew how to write
Kopa […]

It’s cold sitting on the bench
I wish I could play
But patience is the name of the game
“You’ll get your chance son”
The gaffer says
Week in and week out
And yes I want our team to win
And yes I don’t want anyone […]

On my back
There is a number
Moses wore this shirt
When he stood before Pharaoh
Defiant in the truth
Pele wore this shirt
When he stepped out into the sun
To defy gravity and create
The impossible
Michael Owen […]

I have no neon letters
Or golden boots my shirt
Just a little too tight
Has no sponsor’s name
Stitched in wide patterns
My face is unknown
And wears its age
Whilst the memories
Laugh quietly amongst […]