Emlyn Hughes OBE RIP – Football Poets Tributes
A tributes page in memory of EMLYN HUGHES, who sadly passed away today.
Our deepest sympathies go out to wife Barbara, children Emma and Emlyn junior, and the rest of the family at this sad time.
Emlyn Hughes, born 28th August 1947. Died 9th November 2004.
Emlyn started his career at Blackpool, but his most successful spell was at Liverpool.
He joined them in 1967 and made 665 appearances, scoring 48 goals. He won :
2 European Cups
2 Uefa Cups
4 League Championships
1 FA Cup
1 European Super Cup
He replaced Tommy Smith as captain in 1973.
Capped 62 times for England over 10 years. 23 caps as captain.
Joined Wolves in 1979. Captained them when they won the League Cup in 1980, the only domestic trophy Emlyn failed to win at Liverpool.
Emlyn also played for Hull, Mansfield and Swansea.
He had a spell as player manager of Rotherham United.
Awarded an OBE in 1980 for his services to football.
He is also fondly remembered for his time on television as a captain on the BBC’s A Question of Sport quiz show.
Where he famously breached royal protocol, hugging and teasing a delighted Princess Anne.
He also just as famously mistook her for a man when trying to identify a quiz picture.
A bubbly character both on and off the pitch, who will be sadly missed by the world of sport in general.
Tributes from the Football Poets :
Giggles in Heaven
There’ll be giggles in Heaven now,
With Emlyn there.
He’ll soon get them chuckling.
He leaves us with a mixture
Of tears and laughter.
Fond memories of a grand lad.
© Alan McKean, 9th November 2004
Cheers Emlyn,
and thanks for the smiles.
Red shirt, Number Six
Listening to the radio in a cold kitchen, alone
Hundreds of miles away you were playing in Rome
You had your European cup with champagne
I had my Babycham and lemon bon bons
We were both happy
I watched the cup presentation on the news
Flashlights pinging like shooting stars
Magic moment for the hero you are
After football you still entertained
A captain – what else – on Question of Sport
You made us laugh till we cried
Then we heard you’d died
And we cried till we laughed
Can’t think of you for long without smiling – Happy Times
© S B Ingle
Emlyn Hughes – my favourite player in my favourite team of teenage years. They don’t make them like you any more.
Rest in peace Em.
Just the man
Shanks was in the bootroom
Somewhere up in heaven
Mulling over his tactics
And picking his best eleven
Elisha Scott between the sticks
Eph and Alex at the back …
Liddell to raid down the wing
And Albert Stubbins in attack
Emlyn enters the pearly gates
Shanks opens his arms wide
“Thank Christ you’re here, son
Just the man to lead my side”
© Mark Thomas
Thanks for the memories, Emlyn. Rest in Peace.
One of Shankly’s best
When we are young, fifty-seven sounds a lot
Fifty-seven pounds, fifty-seven hours, fifty-seven years
But yesterday when I heard a man had died at fifty-seven
I was pretty close to tears
Emlyn Hughes, one of the greats,
Never failed when put to the test
If there be a Heaven he’s now with his mates
He was one of Shankly’s best
© Joe Reid
“Yosser”
So long Yosser
Walk on with Shanks, and Bob and Joe
96 Reds will show you round Heaven son
Make yourself at home
Whilst we remember your passion for the ‘Pool
The Cups you lifted up to the Liver Birds
The Pride when you did the Blues
And the smile from ear to ear
That shone bright as diamonds
Shankly’s diamond.
© P Maguire
Emlyn Hughes YNWA RIP
a part of my childhood died today….
‘Pool of Tears
Men gathering at the Shankly Gates
To pay respects to Emlyn Hughes
Carrying flowers for the first time in their lives
They don’t do that for their wives
But then, they loved Emlyn first
© S B Ingle 15.11.2004
Emlyn Hughes
Crazy Horse
Grand Captain son
Think ’77
When those old red devils
Snatched the winning goal
Tommy smiled but Bob had the last laugh
I watched your tears fall to the silence of
The Wembley turf, there was no comfort to be found
As our scarves wiped our eyes dry
Still, we sang our songs
All the way home to Liverpool
And then like the Christ who rose
After 3 days
We rose after 4
And your smile returned
As wide and bright as the European Cup
You held up in the Roman night
Where immortality came to rest once more
Upon the red of Liverpool.
© P Maguire, 9th November 2004
Farewell “Crazy Horse”, back home with Shanks now,
YNWA God Bless.
Emlyn Hughes RIP
Emlyn Hughes, Crazy Horse
Crazy Hoss –
The boybland of the time
Sang of you in the plural
But it speaks nothing of, our sadness at your loss
Yet it suited you so well
For you ran unfettered and free
Across the tracts of land, we know as pitches
But to you, they were fields of fulfilled dreams
Where no opponent could tame you
No referee could calm you down
And none of your grateful managers
Would ever dare reign you back
Your many fans
Will miss your zest for the game
But we look forward to your cheery charges
Lighting up the night time sky
© Clik the mouse, 9th November 2004
God claims another one of our stars as his own.
Emlyn Hughes, affectionately known as ‘Crazy Horse’
1947 – 2004
May he Rest In Peace
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
4th December 2023
John Gilbert Ellis
3rd December 2023
Rowan Waller
2nd December 2023
Clik The Mouse
1st December 2023
joe morris
1st December 2023
joe morris
30th November 2023
joe morris
26th November 2023
Crispin Thomas
26th November 2023
Richard Williams
26th November 2023
kevin raymond
24th November 2023
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
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…
See in context
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.
See in context
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
See in context
31st October 2023 at 4:26 pm
‘Three Teams Worse Than Us’ from our Toffee friend Denys in Italy, also sums up how FGR fans currently feel. Yes, in our case, with two going down to the Conference, it could be entitled ‘Two Teams Worse Than Us’, but three would make us feel even safer.
See in context
6th October 2023 at 11:49 pm
Enjoy it while you can, although I’m sure Mbappe could well be bound for St James
See in context
2nd October 2023 at 1:52 pm
There still remains a magic about the early rounds of the FA Cup that the premier league / internationals can never match.
Coventry Sphinx v Leicester Nirvana sounds so much more than a tale of two cities etc. etc.
See in context
24th September 2023 at 5:14 pm
Very accurate indeed!
Palace home for me is always a tough journey as well. From the wilds of west London to Selhurst is a random journey into the unknown.
See in context
20th September 2023 at 1:37 pm
Lovely stuff for one of the best.
We love him to death down at the Palace.
I’ll post my Roy poem a bit later. You’ve inspired me to finish it.
See in context
19th September 2023 at 5:06 pm
I’d like to think some of my scarves might get passed down the generations, but can’t see some of the “quality merchandise” I have making much past my son’s generation. They’ll fall apart before he even has kids, I reckon!
See in context
7th September 2023 at 2:43 pm
Very true Crispin. Thanks!
See in context