A Welcome in August
In August 2007, we welcomed the following new contributors to this site (surprisingly few, given the advent of a new season 🙁
Brychan Humphries 8 yr old brother of Non Humphries – what a talented family!
Debra Humphries – and Mum joins in the act too!
Neil Rockley
From Manchester Grammar Public School, we welcome :
A blast from the past – a welcome return to
Chris Boothby , whose tactics to date appear to be to post up a season opener only!
Click on the names above to see that person’s poem(s), or browse some selected first efforts below :
Non’s keeper patch
In my garden I have found
a big brown circle on the ground.
Don’t tell my mum or she will scream,
she thinks the garden’s only green.
If she knew, she’d stand and stare,
and wonder how the patch got there.
My sister, Non, is to blame,
That’s where she practises the beautiful game.
Penalties and corners for hours on end,
if Mum sees the patch, she’ll go round the bend.
© brychan humphries
I am 8. Mum knows about the patch in the garden. My sister, Non, once dived into the wall – but she did save!
Arsenal Everything
They wake up in their arsenal beds,
and walk accross the arsenal floor.
They open the arsenal curtains,
and exit by the arsenal door.
The two Arsenal kids at the table,
eating breakfast off their arsenal plates.
Run off to put their arsenal kits on.
Before playing with their arsenal mates.
Back home to watch arsenal on the telly,
they have a great arsenal time.
while I am in the garden,
hanging arsenal on the line.
They sit at the table now.
I ask “kids, what are you doing”
They look up at me and smile
“we’re writng an arsenal poem”
© debra humphries
i’m not a poet and i know it! my kids made me do this.
If
If you can reach a header when all about you are missing theirs and blaming you
If you can shoot yourself instead of passing but make allowances for the rebound too
If you can run when you are tired of running
Or being talked about but don’t talk about others
Or being taunted but don’t give way to taunting
and yet don’t look too smart or talk too much
If you can dream of glory and not make glory your master
If you can think and not let thoughts affect your aim
If you can see triumph and not disaster
and treat home games and away games just the same
If you can bear to hear results you have dreaded
Twisted by strikers that beat an off side trap for fools
Or watch your goalie beaten and stoop and build him up with worn out boots
If you can make one cross connection and all free kicks count
If you are losing and can come back and win it
and never doubt that you would win it
If you can play from your heart keep your nerve you’ll win now
To swerve and turn your man sees you are gone
And hold up play when no ones with you
except the will to just hang on
If you can please the crowds and keep your shirt on
or win each game with just a touch
if neither foe’s or friends can hurt you
if all the team can count on you, not one but all
If you can play for 90 minutes with both halves filled with skill
yours is the premiership and all that’s with it
and which is more you’ll be a man of the match my son
Inspired by a poem by Rudyard Kipling
© neil rockley
I wrote this poem when Bradford city entered the premiership
Football Passion
Recalling the brightest sunny days
Of April, after the close of haze
Of Winter leading gorgeous months of Spring,
Leaving melodies of jingle ring,
When I was at High School!!
Day passed away in reading books,
Imagining her in clear brooks,
Of ideas, of love and fear,
How would her departure this soul bear?
When I was at High School!
Oh could not forget Football hours,
When I played in ground, she poured,
Drops of support from her deeps eyes,
I always won in hue and cry!
When I was at High School!
She loved football, she love the game,
Her passion gave me highest fame,
Winning her hand was but my aim,
Winning football was winning the Dame!
May she live long and watch the world,
The rising contests and flags unfurled.
The World Cup, Peelo, Zedan,
All new old and new thrilling men,
When I was at High School!!!
© mujtaba haider zaidi
Haiku : It’s tough being a Spurs fan
Frustration again
Two games in and hope departs
Reality bites !
© Chris Boothby
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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