STAND UP … TO BULLYING, RACISM, HOMOPHOBIA
Trying to encapsulate the lot into one poem, hope you like it ………
Unpleasant type
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
The pass, weighted to perfection
Just eludes, a willing trier
The watching crowd, groan
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
A crunching tackle, just about within the laws of the game
Takes man and ball
But the trailing studs, rake, like lions claws
The watching crowd, seeing only lost possession, groan
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
Another crunch, a flare up
Two arms raised in mock surprise – who me? – fools the referee
The retaliator is shown red
The watching crowd, who didn’t see the sly dig, or hear the racist slur
But only see their team down to 10 men, groan again
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
Perpetraitor (sic), the main man, walks tall, lauded, man of the match
Heart of a lion, proud of the three he sometimes wears on his chest
The majority of the watching crowd, see only their prize gladiator, and cheer
But perhaps the poets among them
See beyond the veil of blindness that winning brings
And sense instead, the veiled threats
The intent is invidious
But cleverly disguised –
It mattered not, to the wilful warrior
Whether they were team mate or foe
But his victims, were “coloured”, or “shirt-lifters”
Or worse still, in his insidious eyes, both
A Champion to some – but he doesn’t make my team ….
After giving racism the red card, the FA is set to target anti-gay taunts
from The Observer 30/10/05
“Football fans who hurl anti-gay taunts at players, referees and other supporters will be identified and prosecuted in a new clampdown on behaviour at matches.
Following the success of the drive against racism in the game, the Football Association is making the eradication of homophobia its next priority. Footballers are regularly derided from the stands as ‘poofs’ or ‘queers’, for example when they go down injured.
‘There is a problem with homophobic abuse in the game directed at not just players but also referees and also opposing fans,’ said Lucy Faulkner, the FA’s Ethics and Sports Equity Manager. ‘Such behaviour is offensive and runs totally counter to both the game’s family image and efforts to make football more acceptable to all sectors of society.’
In a bid to banish such behaviour, the FA has expanded the role of its freephone hotline for reporting racist incidents at matches to include homophobic comments. It is also overhauling the training it gives match officials so that referees and their assistants recognise and punish such incidents in both the professional and amateur game. Players who use such language may now be shown a red card.
‘Homophobic abuse is a breach of Law 12, which covers offensive, insulting and abusive language on the pitch, and is a red card offence,’ said Faulkner.
‘One referee in grassroots football recently told me that he regularly receives homophobic abuse himself,’ she added.
In the most infamous example of homophobia, Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler bent over and waved his bottom at Chelsea’s Graeme Le Saux. Fowler had already called his opponent a ‘poof’ earlier in the match in February 1999, to which le Saux replied: ‘But I’m married.’ The Liverpool player then said: ‘So was Elton John, mate.’
Ex-Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Hearts striker Justin Fashanu, Britain’s only openly gay player to date, received horrendous abuse during matches in his career in the Eighties and Nineties and later committed suicide.
The FA is holding its first ‘homophobia summit’ this week. Participants from across the game will be told about the recent conviction – the first of its kind – of a Hull City supporter for hurling anti-gay taunts at Brighton and Hove Albion fans. Hull magistrates court heard how Kevin Smith had chanted ‘indecent’ comments at the visiting spectators when Brighton played Hull in August. He was fined £50, ordered to pay £50 costs and banned from attending any Hull City game for three years.
Brighton fans are regularly subjected to homophobic abuse simply because the city has a large gay population. ‘The other team’s fans often chant “Does your boyfriend know you’re here?”,’ said Faulkner. ‘That, though, is very much at the milder end of the spectrum.’
Michael Collins, spokesman for the Gay Football Supporters’ Network, said: ‘Calling someone a “poof” or a “queer” seems to be the last acceptable thing you can shout at people at matches. Most people wouldn’t racially abuse a black player anymore, but some think that anti-gay taunts are OK.’
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!
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joe morris
29th March 2024
Clik The Mouse
28th March 2024
Crispin Thomas
28th March 2024
joe morris
25th March 2024
Rowan Waller
24th March 2024
Mike Bartram
23rd March 2024
joe morris
21st March 2024
kevin halls
18th March 2024
Richard Williams
18th March 2024
joe morris
18th March 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
19th March 2024 at 8:00 am
Hi Crispin. Chris Sutton on the radio has gone for a Chelsea v Coventry final. As we know anything can happen in the Cup, and I reckon we can go to the final.
We’re still in with a chance of the play offs too, so lots to go for.
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19th March 2024 at 7:41 am
Hey Kev
Let the masses drool over their odds on City v Unted Final, but who knows how pressure can hit.
Cov and Chels will be rightly labelled as having no chance..but hey …stranger things have happened..
so Chelsea v Coventry…that’s the Final for us!
Best
C
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29th January 2024 at 10:03 pm
Hi Crispin,
How are you doing mate? Yes, you’re probably right but hey football is all about emotion and passion and I just love writing about the game. I try to keep my poetry to a reasonable length but there’s so much to write about the game and its literature just lends itself naturally to poetry. Sometimes I just get completely carried and I do apologise for the length of my poetry but it’s a great thrill to be associated with Football Poets.
Cheers mate
Joe
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10th January 2024 at 7:52 pm
You’re right of course Joe but…..it’s actually more of a big welcome break for everyone who is not into Premier League ..I’m talking fans of EFL National League and below…..
Btw …is this actually your longest poem ever !?
Best
Crispin
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8th January 2024 at 4:45 pm
Thanks!
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8th January 2024 at 10:42 am
There’s something so evocative and nostalgic for football fans the world over, in ‘revisiting’ old lost grounds.
Occasionally some remnants remain, with perhaps part of a wall or part or a stand or thre shape of a terrace, but often they are only still there in faded images and in our heads..
Great stuff Graham
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4th January 2024 at 10:13 am
A great idea and well executed. Thanks Graham.
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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…
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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.
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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
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