The grace of genius In the blood Subtle as a glance The intuitive knowledge Announced with The undisputed joy The twinkle in the eyes The generous heart Pouring its power Into the eager legs The willing limbs The 11th commandment Made flesh Never growing old Beneath the mortal sun The Beautiful Game Fused with impeccable […]

Late summer 1990 Germany had won the World Cup in that July And as the days turned towards Autumn I spent a sunny Sunday afternoon in Hebden Bridge Just a stone throw from my Pennine home And a million miles from world cups There in a cafe off the main high street Was the blonde […]

There’s no Heathcliff pulling on his boots And Rochester does not aim to shoot Three sisters may well be cheering from the stand But not the Brontes, Charlotte, Emily or Anne But the wind it whittles as it wraps around Ice picked bones within the ground Pies and pints no sandwiched prawns It’s grassroots heaven […]

You didn’t play football On the grass of Strawberry Fields You didn’t wear a red or blue scarf Well, maybe a red one once, You didn’t strain your neck trying to watch The game from the Kop at Anfield or The street end at Goodison You were too busy listening to Elvis Chuck Berry, Buddy […]

Endangered species Not now in the Etihad Erling’s on the prowl.