Football Poets

Carry On In Peace+25 Years Of Attila+Black History Workshops

1 CARRY ON IN PEACE
2 25 YEARS OF ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER! (Football Punk Poet)
3 BLACK HISTORY MONTH POETRY WORKSHOPS OCT 2005

“today we will find out how everyone is different

red black or blue – yet everyone is the same

don’t be a fool – cant you see all of us hate Racism

don’t give in ”

By Khwezi Newanyana and Anne Murphy – St Hughs’,Liverpool

THERE ARE MORE KIDS POEMS FROM THE WORKSHOPS AT
LIVERPOOL EARLIER THIS YEAR …GO TO 3..BOTTOM OF PAGE!

Take care out there and keep writing – Crispin

1. CARRY ON IN PEACE

what keeps us strong is simple

the need to feel the same

but sadness overwhelms our souls

we search for those to blame

the sniffer dogs at stations

security on rooves

our awkward habits magnified

while cameras watch our moves

our rucksacks and our carriers

our crazy rushing lives

this cancer spreads in spite of all

with fear that cuts like knives

so used to searches at the grounds

no rattles flags or beer

the price of freedom grows and grows

this danger’s everywhere

last night I looked across these hills

the garden bathed in sun

we thought of those destroyed and gone

each precious to someone

a hundred miles from all I loved

my football and my team

my childhood spent on tubes and streets

my fifties London dream

all gone with innocence and time

all gone like smog and smoke

but still the sound from that great town

is one that beats with hope

I heard a country siren

perhaps some cow had strayed

and felt the gratitude of life

and watched the evening fade

there’s nothing we can do or say

to make this nightmare end

we know not when they’ll act or strike

at any time again

but like this heart that pounds within

we all must carry on

and while they tell us keep the faith

not so for those who’ve gone

what future now we wonder

this city town and home

we keep our spirits positive

the only way we’ve known

it seems so distant from in my youth

we’ve come so far today

those bombs our fathers dodged between

are still not far away

but we will carry on my friends

all strangers now entwined

united in our longing

for peace for all mankind

© CT JULY 05

Who doesn’t know someone in London.Everything changes.
When anger and fear grab..as they have these last days..
Love..and all we think it means and feels like is the only reality worth clinging to sometimes.
Be strong.
——————————————————————————

25 YEARS OF ATTILA ON THE MIKE!

25 Years of Attila on the mike*

head-space in your face what is he like!

rock gigs cafes the unis and the squats

anti-fascist youth centres festivals the lot

he’s a social ‘ institution’ but not for the Queen

sure is the loudest fan Brighton’s ever seen

free-thinking beer-drinking gigging all the time

like fuel to the fire or a fag in your wine?

he’s The Clash meets Belloc in an alley in the dark

or Max Wall ranting with John Cooper Clark

if you ask him for another he always says yes

he’s given more benefits than DHSS

never sold out when the going got fluffy

hates straight poets getting arty and stuffy

he booked me once but he laid down the facts

” I bloody hate drum machines and hippy type sax”

political and critical committed to the cause

throws out lines like nets along the shores

he’s a peace-gladiator leaping into the crowd

he never pussy-foots an’ he scats out loud

if you meet him at a gig he’s all thoughtful and placid

but when he’s out-front he’s Darth Vader on acid

he’s a neo-weird surrealist he’s done stuff live

from Hove to Albania and every down-dive

Australia New Zealand down in Rumania

Ireland The Netherlands and up in Scandinavia

in Germany and Austria he blew them all away

I wish I’d seen him gigging in the US of A!

he’s comin’ from the heart but he’s darker than The Joker

thank god there’s only one Attila The Stockbroker

now he rants like a rapper from the stage or the stand

got words like steam an’ a pint in his hand

he’s a post-punk poet with a cynical name

but he stamps his presence like a striker in a game

he’s a rebel-man survivor got total control

when the crap hits the fan he’s got rhymes full o’ soul

he’s a mean violinist and he plays that guitar

like a household appliance but he’s never been a star

got the passion of a lion in a pantomime

but he stuck to his views like a blues man cryin’

twenty five years been honing his craft

some say he’s arrogant some say he’s daft

some say he’s angry thank god he is

thank god he’s never been Mister Showbiz

surprise surprise I ain’t talking bout Cilla

talking ’bout the man and I’m talkin’ bout Attila

now back in the eighties he was out on his own

reaching them places other poets don’t show in

racism – fascism – hate all around

nothing phased Attilla he was strutting over-ground

soaked up the anger from the bigots in the land

built up a fan-base right across the land

got balls of steels got a heart of stone

from Southwick to Glaston’bry out on his own

yelling out verses like a trader on a stall

he’s an MC DJ an’ he lives football

and when they start to heckle shoutin’ ” what are you on?”

never bats an eye he just blasts on strong

the guys’ no Laureate he gives it his best

but he sure looks macho in his trusty Brighton vest

never thought they’d ever ‘twig’ what he stood for

down in the preciousness of Radio Four

but he’s the man – the main man

and he sure ain’t on no forty-five grand

’cause he’s loud he’s in charge

been giving it and living it large

and he’s here he’s like beer

or a brew that gets stronger every year

an’ he’s stuck to his art like a tube of Polyfilla

but I’m still really grateful there’s only one Attila!***

© CT05

Do visit Attila The Stockbroker’s web-site for more info gig news and stuff at http://www.attilathestockbroker.com/

* 25 years gigging! Just wanted to try to give it up for ‘The Bloke’. God knows what he’ll make of this! Nevertheless ,to me and many , he is The ‘Godfather of Performance Punk Poetry & Music’ . The relentess and endless stuff, gigs,benefits and promotions of others he’s done over the last quarter of a century is literally amazing..I also can’t really see Micheal Aspel doing a This Is Your Life for him either…

.Among everthing he’s done and stood for along the way, he is and was, the first ‘known’ and recognised poet to actually recognize and contribute to our little site back in 2000. Not exactly ‘big’ on Chelski at the moment though! His scathing attack on money and the game in ‘Donkey Sanctuary’ is brilliantly brutal. His writing and fighting for a ground for his beloved ‘Seagulls’ is legendary (especially in Worthing!) and even got him into the charts recently! Stu and I supported him in Cheltenham once on the eve of Town v Albion and he invited us to appear at Glastonwick Festival which was a blast!

** Brighton & Hove Albion FC Poet in Resident MC and DJ since 2000/2001…expect tannoy poems and punk music pre-match and at half-time!

*** imagine two!

—————————————————————————–

3. BLACK HISTORY MONTH – FOOTBALL POETRY WORKSHOPS
OCTROBER 2005 -RACISM – FOOTBALL & BEYOND..
CONTACT Crispin on
crispin@ctmuk.freeserve.co.uk or editors@footbalLpoets.org

some examples from Liverpool (Everton!) in January 05…

SHOWING RACISM THE RED CARD IN POETRY…..
.
POEMS from St HUGH’S CATHOLIC Primary School, Liverpool.

MY WORLD IS DIFFERENT

My world is different yes it’s true

You are a colour and I’m one too

Why do people shout and fight?

Only because it’s not right

Racism must be stopped

If its not we’ll all be lost

Don’t be mean or act all hard

Because we’re trying to show racism the red card.

Aaliyah McGuinness – St Hughs’

——————————————

RACISM IS NOT SO COOL

Racism is so not cool

At the ground or at your school

Colour doesn’t mean a thing

If you’re poor or covered in bling

Stop racism today –

Make it happen today.

Aimen Maksoud and Jamie McLoughlin – St Hughs’,Liverpool

——————————————————-

WE’RE ALL THE SAME

My world is like a football game,

You may be different but we’re all the same,

Why do people die and cry?

Over colour tell me why?

Racism is quite sad,

I feel that it is really bad

Don’t call people black or white.

Amina Abdullah – St Hughs’,Liverpool

—————————————————————-

FOOTBALL IS A GAME

Football is a game we play

Scoring goals everyday

Some people say things that are bad

It makes me really sad

On the pitch they kick and run

When most of us want to have fun.

Jessica Kunz – St Hughs’,Liverpool

——————————————————————

RACISM’S NOT WELCOME HERE

Racism’s not welcome here

At your school or anywhere

‘Cause we are so very cool

In this place in Liverpool

Some people come from different lands

Make this WHOLE WORLD understand!

Linda Kunz & Julie Kavanagh – St Hughs’,Liverpool

——————————————————-

RACISM IS NOT THE SOLUTION

scared and frightened

How would you feel if other people bullied you

whether you are black or white

Racism is not the solution

as you see they will never win

can we show racism the door?

It’s time for us to say no more

Some people need to learn more

about what racism can do –

today we will find out how everyone is different

red black or blue

yet everyone is the same

don’t be a fool – cant you see

all of us hate Racism

don’t give in

By Khwezi Newanyana and Anne Murphy – St Hughs’,Liverpool

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