A February welcome ……
During the month of February, 2005, we welcomed the following poets :
Darragh McNamara
Paul England
Paul Conatzer
elljay (Elliott Joseph)
Michael Hett
Jason Hewitt
E. Kirkland Hamilton
John Edward McBride
John Cox
Anna Metcalfe & Robert Mechie
Thomas Henry
Nicky Gregal
Shaunie Ayres
Mashuda Wahid
Fahima Khanum
Mohsen Hamedpour Darabi
Geoff Holland
Steven Brennan
From St George Catholic School for Boys :
Ryan Goodwin
Charlie Walcroft
Thomas Townsend-Rose
Romar Garcia
Roman Hillier
Andrew Holtby
From ELG Interface :
Roshni Tasnim
Ayodele Akinje Adebiyi
Shaunie Ayres
Mashuda Wahid
Fahima Khanum
Juliet Ayoo
Ese Akpobi
From Poetrykit.org :
Arthur Seeley
Robert Lane
Irene Hossack
also :
Congratulations to Steve Linstead, whose poem “Not so gorgeous, Georgi?”
was heavily featured in an article about Georgi Hristov’s signing for Dunfermline,
in the Scotsman on Sunday, printed 6/2/2005, article by Dan Brennan.
Read the article at the following link :
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=140812005
A particular welcome to Elliott Joseph, aka elljay, who has performed recently with Crispin Thomas at some of the Football Poetry Workshops in London.
You can follow elljay at www.pitchprose.com
Black and blue
Some called him king, some only wanted a win
Some racially abused him
Because of the colour of his skin,
Playing left on the wing
Some threw bananas at him
Every time he touch the ball there was monkey chanting
His name was Paul Canoville
He was the first black in blue
A villain to many a hero to few
The first black player to wear Chelsea’s blue
Even when he scored his own fans would boo
No cut no scratches not even a bruise
But Paul Canoville will always be black and blue
© pitchprose
Welcome to the ELG Interface : www.elginterface.org.uk
The ELG Interface is one of the many study centres, in Britain, established through the Playing For Success initiative. It is match funded by the DFES and Newham’s LEA and housed by the East London Gymnastics Club, who supports the project by donating a large classroom, an office, heating, lighting and water. The Learning Zone is given administrative support and direction from the LEA and is one of many projects within ‘Learning Community’ NewCEYS including the other Playing for Success centre in Newham at the West Ham United Football Club. The Centre has been successful, as an innovation project, for two and half years and has recently been given full status and funding for another three years.
Welcome to everyone who has contributed from Poetry Kit.org
(including Christopher T George, Jim Bennett and Philip Johnson who joined us in January).
It’s from one of their number, that I reproduce the following :
A poem not about poetry
We sat in the pub drinking and talking about football
We didn’t think about, or try to bring “it” into the conversation
We all felt pretty good about the absence of “it”.
I doubt that any of us even had a pen to write on the soggy coasters
But we passed the afternoon away happily, some might say naively,
in that golden warm fuzz called drunkenness.
Suddenly, Macka yelled,
“How about your shout?”
Then Johnno said,
“Ya a poet and ya wouldn’t know it.”
The drinks were plonked on the bar and we continued to drink.
Nobody mentioned “it” again.
© Robert Lane
In the same vein – I also liked the following :
Goal!
I send their keeper the wrong way
and a few of his mates lose it
before the referee blows up
and gives us all pens and cards
and all the players start writing
and the scorer after the match
narrated the action in the present.
© John Cox 15 Feb 2005
PS –
I hope Middlesborough go all the way to the UEFA Cup Final –
not just because I’d hate to see Jimmi missing out on a medal now that he’s no longer part of the Blues,
but more because I’m looking forward to yet more wonderful poems from
George Kirby – The Boro Bard.
PPS –
Well done to Steven Brennan for posting up a well balanced view of the dangers of bigotry – something that still blights football.
The Bigotry Bug
Bigotry’s an awful thing
It hurts and not just outside
Murder is not unusual
For the sake of some untold pride
Catholics, Protestants…. Christians
United never seen
For most are named not by their Character
But Orange or Fenian
Many men have fought
And some not stopped until
The bigotry wins the match
And the loser, he is killed
So when you travel to a game
Don’t join in with the verse
For these are not in the song sheet
But for bigots they’re rehearsed
Forget Davie Cooper and the Pope
Rule Brittania, IRA
The sad thing is that these chants
Will never go away
Many things have happened
And much more will continue
But just make sure the ‘bigotry bug’
Does not get into you
The bug of bigotry – Dont let it spread!
© Steven Brennan 2005
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
John Gilbert Ellis
28th November 2024
joe morris
26th November 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
26th November 2024
Gacina Bozidar
26th November 2024
Wynn Wheldon
26th November 2024
joe morris
17th November 2024
Crispin Thomas
17th November 2024
kevin halls
10th November 2024
joe morris
10th November 2024
Clik The Mouse
10th November 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
27th November 2024 at 5:55 am
‘You’re Supposed To Be At Home’ is an excellent and moving poem Denys.
You start off thinking it’s just about another oft-sung chant, one we personally heard a lot last season throughout our second relegation in a row here at Forest Green(FGR) ! I always love poems where you think they are saying one thing and then they suddenly pull you deeper to somewhere or something else else.
I’m currently helping in a local school for FGR in a voluntary capacity using football to help young students with reading. At an upcoming session we will tackle racism, just like we did in workshops at football schools and grounds when we first started this site 24 years ago. I’m gonna try and weave your poem into a session.
We’ve added it to the Anti- Racism/Kick It Out section under Crispin’s Corner.
Best C
See in context
26th November 2024 at 1:59 pm
Great poem and great to see you back Wyn.
Don’t leave it so long next time my friend!
More please.
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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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