Welcome to …. Anne & Josh
Conscious of the fact that poems don’t get to stay too long on the home page, because of the increasing popularity of the site, I’m going to use this editorial slot to occasionally showcase some of our new talent.
No favouritism is intended. Just a chance for newcomers to shine a little longer.
This week, a warm welcome to Anne Armstrong and also to Josh Hodkinson.
Barcelona v Celtic
A Spanish sea against a Scottish wall
Which team will win? You’d have to say, the waves
And yet the wall’s composure doesn’t crack
The teenage keeper makes stupendous saves.
Like torrents crashing down a waterfall
The Catalan attackers pound away;
Like rocks the Celts’ defence block each attack
A salmon leaps and twists amid the spray –
The keeper gathers, palms, tips every ball
Defenders check and smother each attempt
(Then give the ball away); we watch the clock
Still the waves come; the Spanish don’t relent.
We’re watching through our fingers; hopes were small
Without a goal, but neither side can score
The final whistle blows, and we’re in shock
Our throats are aching but our hearts can soar.
© Anne Armstrong
The Claret Way of Life
Football is a funny game, especially with the Clarets
Sometimes they play some cracking stuff, sometimes they play like carrots
They leave their fans like nervous wrecks, just like the Orient Game
But time and time and time again, they manage to sustain
The familiar sight of Stan the Man, that comic genius
He marshals our claret warriors, even when they’re tedious
But several painful years ago, when ITV shamed us all
We spat at their dirty dealing, we said, “They won’t destroy football”
We battled on, though hard it was, to get a solid squad
We tried some of our youngsters and Chaplow got the nod
He quickly grew and rightly so, was part of England’s plan
And he grew and grew in stature as he stunned us, as he can
So on and on the story goes, of struggle at Turf Moor
Some fans have gone, leaving just the best, of Ternent’s great support
We know it’s tough, and downright hard, but what’s all that to us?
We battle through, like we always do, and show that we’ve got guts
So the fight goes on, and day by day, we battle to the end
So come what may, on judgement day, for us Clarets always mend
© Josh Hodkinson 24/03/04
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!
My Account
Latest Poems
joe morris
17th April 2024
Clik The Mouse
15th April 2024
Mike Bartram
15th April 2024
joe morris
14th April 2024
Mike Bartram
11th April 2024
joe morris
11th April 2024
Alex Saynor
9th April 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
8th April 2024
joe morris
8th April 2024
Mike Bartram
3rd April 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
19th March 2024 at 8:00 am
Hi Crispin. Chris Sutton on the radio has gone for a Chelsea v Coventry final. As we know anything can happen in the Cup, and I reckon we can go to the final.
We’re still in with a chance of the play offs too, so lots to go for.
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19th March 2024 at 7:41 am
Hey Kev
Let the masses drool over their odds on City v Unted Final, but who knows how pressure can hit.
Cov and Chels will be rightly labelled as having no chance..but hey …stranger things have happened..
so Chelsea v Coventry…that’s the Final for us!
Best
C
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29th January 2024 at 10:03 pm
Hi Crispin,
How are you doing mate? Yes, you’re probably right but hey football is all about emotion and passion and I just love writing about the game. I try to keep my poetry to a reasonable length but there’s so much to write about the game and its literature just lends itself naturally to poetry. Sometimes I just get completely carried and I do apologise for the length of my poetry but it’s a great thrill to be associated with Football Poets.
Cheers mate
Joe
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10th January 2024 at 7:52 pm
You’re right of course Joe but…..it’s actually more of a big welcome break for everyone who is not into Premier League ..I’m talking fans of EFL National League and below…..
Btw …is this actually your longest poem ever !?
Best
Crispin
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8th January 2024 at 4:45 pm
Thanks!
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8th January 2024 at 10:42 am
There’s something so evocative and nostalgic for football fans the world over, in ‘revisiting’ old lost grounds.
Occasionally some remnants remain, with perhaps part of a wall or part or a stand or thre shape of a terrace, but often they are only still there in faded images and in our heads..
Great stuff Graham
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4th January 2024 at 10:13 am
A great idea and well executed. Thanks Graham.
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19th November 2023 at 1:45 pm
Thanks Gacina, glad you liked it, and I have just posted a new one about our points deduction…
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7th November 2023 at 6:34 pm
Today B.B.C post on F.B was titled:Premier League reduced to 18 clubs? I really think it may be interesting to see if this would be Everton’s nightmare and this poem is well suited for this concern.If there would be more difficult battle to stay if there were 18 teams.Great poem and somehow true.
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6th November 2023 at 4:43 pm
Ashington FC have launched a £50,000 Crowdfunder appeal to meet the increased costs of winning promotion last season, to pay for urgent stadium improvements, travel costs and equipment
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