Welcome to …. Nessa O’Mahoney
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.
My thanks this week to Nessa O’Mahoney, who at my behest, contributed a poem she wrote for her brother’s 40th Birthday. Nessa is a very talented writer, who is a guiding light at the Dublin Writers Workshop, which produces the Electric Acorn, an online magazine of poetry and short stories.
A Game of Two Halves (for Tom O’Mahony on his 40th birthday)
Among the first things that I learned
besides the words of bedtime prayers
and remembering to hold my mother’s hand
in shops, was to recite as litany
the names of 12 great sporting men
who formed a soccer pantheon
for my oldest brother.
Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Clarke and Giles,
mere mention brought a wreath of smiles
to his otherwise serious face,
while Charlton, Hunger, Jones and Gray
ensured his grin would certainly stay a while,
or long enough to help me tackle
the poly-syllabic Madeley and Lorimer.
The name that struck the deepest chord
and earned me the treasured reward
of a brother’s approval, was Billy Bremner,
captain of the team, in whose safe hands
a trophy gleamed in the summer of 1970.
Now, so many seasons later,
when my brother has reached
the comparative shelter of half-time,
and, stretching metaphor even further,
has scored three goals with more to play for,
I hope his children will rehearse
the names that I set out in verse,
or others like them.
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© Nessa O’Mahony 2004
Nessa adds :
I grew up with two soccer-obsessed brothers – the eldest, Tom, was a keen Leeds fan, while the other, Donal, supported Everton. One of their favourite hobbies was to encourage (that’s the polite word for it) their little sister to learn off the names of each of the teams .. somehow, the 1970 Leeds team stuck in my mind (I would have been six at the time!) and I managed to remember it, with a little help, 25 years later (this was written for my brother’s 40th birthday in 1995).
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
Alex Saynor
6th November 2024
joe morris
29th October 2024
joe morris
17th October 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
16th October 2024
joe morris
11th October 2024
Mike Bartram
11th October 2024
joe morris
8th October 2024
Crispin Thomas
6th October 2024
joe morris
6th October 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
2nd October 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
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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