Ireland to host Brazil
To celebrate Ireland playing hosts to Brazil in a friendly fixture on wednesday February 18th, here are 2 related poems for the price of one.
Now, if only I could get even one ticket!
Samba soccer by the Liffey
The tall young lad, in eye catching top
Stepped onto the busy train, on a dull grey day
Bright yellow tracksuit, emblazoned ‘Brasil’
But his height and looks, made him stand out anyway
Having just hit the net
The web alas, not the old onion bag
My mind went a-wandering
As the homeward journey began to drag
Could he be the clubless Rivaldo?
Ready to turn out for Rovers, Bohs or Pats?
Or even Dublin City or UCD; an unwilling pawn
In one of the Eircom League’s endless spats?
Well, whoever he was
He stepped out at Clonsilla
So by process of elimination
That ruled out Ashtownvilla
Looking ahead, to the night’s exertions
And the contest with my fellow cohorts
I’ll soon be chasing samba shadows
When facing one of Sao Paulo’s finest exports
Note:
The poem that was meant to be!
I wrote the poem, near the start of the journey, and using poetic licence, picked the station that gave me the best rhyme.
Yet lo and behold! The Rivaldo look-a-like got off at that very stop!
(To those not familiar with Dublin’s west side, that’s about 6 or 7 stations from where we started).
The last stanza is in honour of my friend and neighbour, Gustavo, who’s wonderful presence has upped the standard of our weekly 5-a-side.
Unfortunately he returns to Brazil in the summer of 2004.
I wanna be
I’m thirsty for more
I still have the hunger
I wanna be a World Cup winner
Lift it like Dunga
I wanna be like Socrates
Intuiative and tall
I wanna be the one
My country will call
Not interested in politics
Couldn’t be a Biko
What I really wanna be
Is someone like Zico
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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joe morris
8th October 2024
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6th October 2024
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30th September 2024
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Latest Comments
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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25th April 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hi Denys,
Thanks mate. I’ll do it now.
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25th April 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Joe,
you might like to write a poem yourself on the same subject…
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23rd April 2024 at 4:03 pm
Hi Denys
With you all the way on the abolition of FA Cup replays. What are they doing to the game?
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