when you watch a game you’re watching every game you’ve ever seen
I got my first red shift moment in 1960,
It was near Traitor’s Gate at the Tower of London,
When sister Fliss with husband Rod helped me peek behind the veil,
And I peopled my footsteps with the dead great and glorious,
And I saw and heard them all, as they courteously passed me by;
This was a signal moment for me, the time when History
Became something beyond and outside just books,
And became fey and oddly real and spectral:
I sort of entered a parallel universe, I suppose.
I’ve never forgotten that childhood moment,
It’s helped me find the ordinary fascinating,
Like today, out walking with Rod and Felicity again.
We were ambling through Woodchester Park,
Discussing the Robins’ two game mini-revival,
Looking for a celandine and primrose path to the play-offs,
Until a woody 7 miles and a couple of pints at the Ram,
Brought us to the site of the famous Orpheus mosaic,
The finest Roman mosaic north of the Alps,
A mosaic that was once revealed every ten years,
But that now lies permanently buried,
A bit like memory.
The three of us were last here forty four years ago,
And Rod took photographs of us in the same spots as before,
And Fliss pointed out where Dad once bent down
To examine some tesserae and subtle fine print,
While we worked out where the subterranean floor must be,
And where the marquees and stalls and notices once were,
And where mum once stood smiling and watching;
And for a moment we heard all our yesterdays’ voices once more,
And there we were, buying our commemorative pamphlet again –
And who’s to say our smudged black and white ghosts
Won’t reappear on today’s quick time developed colour snaps,
And who’s to say that this time I won’t be allowed to stay up late
For another game of three and in penalties with Rod?
Who says the past is another country?
Red Shift, I say.
Three and in.
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
Denys E. W. Jones
2nd October 2024
joe morris
2nd October 2024
Mike Bartram
30th September 2024
joe morris
26th September 2024
joe morris
19th September 2024
Clik The Mouse
18th September 2024
Clik The Mouse
18th September 2024
joe morris
16th September 2024
John Gilbert Ellis
12th September 2024
Beth Rogers
12th September 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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