Football Poets

253 World Cup haiku Brazil ’14+Hillsbro+Munich

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Index:
1 World Cup haiku~Brazil 14
2 Hillsborough 25 Years On~Poems to Remember The 96
3 Munich Air Crash Poems.
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1 World Cup haiku~Brazil 14

Current Individual halku Tables: 30 Jun ’14 ~Total 253

C. Thomas 85; K.Halls 41; K.Raymond 47; T. Morris 38;
P.Garrett 14; A.Saynor 7; J Dolbear 8; A. McKean 4;
K.Hussain 3; E. Rahman 2 ; E. Power 2; P.Goulding 1;S.Butler 1;
(Please correct us if wrong..just a tally -it’s not about quantity!)

2014
02 Jul Sunk Cost (Haiku x 5) Trent Morris
02 Jul America The Brave.( Haiku.) jim dolbear
01 Jul Day 19 Deja Vu (Haiku) Trent Morris
30 Jun The Dutch Con Man-haiku kevin halls
30 Jun In Touch With Costa Rica (just) 12 haiku Crispin Thomas
29 Jun Holland v Mexico Haiku x 9 kevin raymond
29 Jun A Nation Held It jim dolbear
29 Jun Colombia v Uruguay~8 Haiku kevin raymond
29 Jun Colombia Two Good.( Haiku ) jim dolbear
29 Jun Brazil overview haiku x 9
Crispin Thomas
29 Jun Brazil v Chile Haiku x 8
kevin raymond
28 Jun Glastonbury in Brazil x 6Crispin Thomas
27 Jun Suarez at Glastonbury x 5 kevin halls
27 Jun
Russia v Algeria kevin raymond
26 Jun France v Ecuador. Haiku. x 6
kevin raymond
25 Jun Neymar – Haiku Khadim Hussain
25 Jun Shaquiri and Nati reach the knockouts
Emdad Rahman
25 Jun Bosnia win first World Cup game
Emdad Rahman
25 Jun Faryd Camilo Mondragón Alí Emdad Rahman
25 Jun Suarez Must Shoulder The |Blame haiku x 5 kevin halls
25 Jun Bitaly v Bittenuay haiku x 9 Crispin Thomas
25 Jun Colombia v Japan Haiku x 4
kevin raymond
25 Jun Italy v Uruguay Haiku x 8 kevin raymond
24 Jun WC2014 Day 13 Greece 2 Ivory Coast 1 Peter Goulding
24 Jun BitePaul Garratt
24 Jun Nothing Paul Garratt
24 Jun Neymar Paul Garratt
24 Jun Bra-zil Bra-zil 14 Haiku Crispin Thomas
24 Jun Mexico Haiku kevin raymond
24 Jun Croatia Haiku. kevin raymond
24 Jun Villa Haiku kevin raymond .
24 Jun Scottish Haiku. kevin raymond
23 Jun Holland Haikus x 3 kevin raymond
23 Jun ’66 to ’14 World Cup haiku
Crispin Thomas
23 Jun The Good Things In The World Cup – 6 haiku kevin halls
23 Jun Argentina v Iran – Haiku Khadim Hussain
22 Jun Comeback? Paul Garratt
22 Jun The Tedious Side Of The World Cup-5 Haiku kevin halls
22 Jun Bosnia Haiku kevin raymond
22 Jun Swapping Shirts with Shakespeare World Cup Haiku Stuart Butler
22 Jun Leo Haiku kevin raymond
21 Jun Partial Eclipse Alex Saynor
21 Jun Heartbreak Paul Garratt
21 Jun Out Paul Garratt
21 Jun Goodbye Paul Garratt
21 Jun Les Bleus (Haiku) Trent Morris
21 Jun Going Home Haiku. kevin raymond
20 Jun Pirlo Haiku kevin raymond
20 Jun Sun Trap Alex Saynor
20 Jun Last Chance Saloon jim dolbear
19 Jun Rumble in the Jungle – Haiku Khadim Hussain
18 Jun Snapshots Alex Saynor
18 Jun Holders Let It Slip. jim dolbear
18 Jun Chile Pepper Alex Saynor
18 Jun Custodian Paul Garratt
18 Jun Cahill Volley Trent Morris
18 Jun Mexico Go Nuts. jim dolbear
18 Jun Pele Haiku kevin raymond
18 Jun Best fans in the World? Crispin Thomas
17 Jun I Am Mexican Trent Morris
17 Jun Deserving Paul Garratt
17 Jun Pundit Paul Garratt
17 Jun Felliani Haiku kevin raymond
17 Jun Losing Is Pointless (Haiku)
Trent Morris
16 Jun Gerry Hatrick Farce..(Haiku) jim dolbear
16 Jun
Half-time Paul Garratt
16 Jun Kick it out E Power
15 Jun Young Guns Haikukevin raymond
15 Jun Goal-line Paul Garratt
15 Jun England v Italy Haiku Khadim Hussain
14 Jun Balance Paul Garratt
14 Jun Upright Paul Garratt
13 Jun Rules Alan McKean
12 Jun Suspicion Haiku kevin raymond
10 Jun Untitled Alan McKean
08 Jun Prospects Haiku kevin raymond
06 Jun F8 (Haiku) Trent Morris
05 Jun And so it begins Alan McKean
03 Jun Hopeful Haiku E Power
01 Jun up for t’cup Alan Mckean (England)
29 May World Cup Poetry (Haiku) Trent Morris (England)
29 May Dancing Haiku kevin raymond (England)
28 May Memories of 1966-Haiku kevin halls (England)
21 May Anthem of the Shin Alex Saynor (Japan)
19 Qatar’s World Cup haiku 33 Crispin Thomas (Qatar/England)
19 World Cup Teams Brazil 2014 1-32 haiku Crispin Thomas
19 Let’s Go Nuts in Brazil haiku kevin halls
19 Good Migrations haiku Alex Saynor
19 Les Éléphants haiku Alex Saynor
16 Portugal World Cup 2014 (Haiku) Trent Morris
13 Toronto FC World Cup Haiku Trent Morris (Toronto FC)

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2 2014 Hillsborough 25 Years On ~Your Poems
Remember The 96 15.04.89

With the truth finally out and justice it seems at last to happen, these are a selection of the poems we have received in the last 14 years since our inception which remember the lives of those 96 souls we lost. The tragic Hillsborough disaster and human crush occurred during the semi-final FA Cup tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989 at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. The crush resulted in the deaths of 96 people, with a total of 766 other persons being injured. All of them were fans of Liverpool Football Club. New poems always welcome.

2014
12 Jun Posties and The Sun Mike Bartram
20 May The Decaying Picture of Justice Mike Bartram
11 May Tarnished Crown Mike Bartram
16 Apr “Forgive Me” Dulwich Poet
13 Apr 96 reasons for incredible Reds title push Emdad Rahman
12 Apr Forget-me-not Alan McKean
11 Apr Animals ~ for the people of Liverpool
Ralph Dartford
06 Feb Anne Williams Haiku Emdad Rahman
05 Jan This Limbo State Mike Bartram
2013
31 Dec Try To Let Go Mike Bartram
23 Oct Never Came To Me Mike Bartram
20 May Heaven And Heaven Mike Bartram
29 Apr Goodbye Anne Mike Bartram
28 Apr Injustice Garyn Jones
20 Apr Anne Williams.-Heaven Sent.
jim dolbear
19 Apr A Place (For Anne Williams) Mike Bartram
17 Apr Let the Truth Come, When the Lies Fall Emily Williams
15 Apr Hillsborough – Gone but never forgotten Emdad Rahman
15 Apr Imagine Mike Bartram
15 Apr Today Mike Bartram
18 Mar Think On Mike Bartram
12 Mar The Hillsborough Disaster Tracey Clifton-Jow
09 Mar Mothers Day Love Mike Bartram
2012
03 Dec Balloon stuart ashworth
30 Nov Unusual red moon stuart ashworth
07 Nov ’10/99′ Mike Bartram
30 Oct Solidarity Has No Colours Mike Bartram
23 Oct Resigned Mike Bartram
18 Sep All Apologies Darren O’Keeffe
18 Sep A New Chapter (12/9/12)
Mike Bartram
16 Sep Ban them for life kevin halls
13 Sep The Truth is Out Emily Williams
13 Sep JFT96 P Maguire
13 Sep The Hand Of Justice Points The Finger jim dolbear
13 Sep When The Truth Turns Blame To Shame Crispin Thomas
12 Sep The Truth Will Out.( Haiku ) jim dolbear
07 Sep Hillsborough Haiku Hy Koo
07 Sep Sept 12th 2012 Mike Bartram
23 Jul What Goes On Mike Bartram
17 Jun Six Minutes Past Three in the Afternoon
Emily Williams
16 Jun Hillsborough Dads Mike Bartram
27 Apr A City United ( JFT96 ) Tony Stapo
27 Apr J F T 9 6 – Y N W A Tony Stapo
21 Apr Mirror Mirror Mike Bartram
15 Apr Don’t Go Mike Bartram
15 Apr Abandoned Clik the mouse
13 Apr The Sad Times Mike Bartram
09 Apr Hillsborough Emily Williams
03 Apr The Stench of Lies Mike Bartram
01 Apr Aprils’ Angels Mike Bartram
16 Mar Closing Ranks Mike Bartram
21 Feb Wembley (26/2/2012) l Mike Bartram
16 Feb Justice For The Ninety Six Emily williams
30 Jan Every Hillsborough Story Mike Bartram
19 Jan Establishment Curse Mike Bartram
16 Jan Time goes by Emily Williams
2011
13 Dec Justice Tonight Mike Bartram
15 Nov Liverpool v Notts Forest (Abandoned) Mike Bartram
04 Nov How about a song? Emily Williams
04 Nov Bonfire? Mike Bartram
11 Sep A Flame Emily Williams
05 Sep An Ordinary Day Emily Williams
24 Aug The 22 Year Wait Emily Williams
09 Aug Sunderland AFC (Thanks!) Mike Bartram
24 Jul How can no one hear Emily Williams
22 Jul Hillsborough Jim Bell
06 Jul The Glorious Fields of Anfield Road Mike Bartram
23 Jun Every Hillsborough Story Mike Bartram
21 Jun I Dread to Think Emily Williams
20 Jun 6 Minutes Past 3 Mike Bartram
16 Jun Count to 96 Emily Wlliams
16 Jun I was not there but I know Emily Williams
15 Jun The Legacy of Hillsborough > Mike Bartram
10 Jun Justice Cal Mike Bartram
04 May Peter Beardsley’s Shot Mike Bartram
30 Apr The scouse end Mike Bartram
19 Apr Goodnight Mike Bartram
19 Apr Victims Without A Number Mike Bartram
19 Apr The Nightmare of Hillsbrough Mike Bartram
19 Apr Hillsborough Memorial Emdad Rahman
15 Apr 96 haiku Clik the mouse
15 Apr Ninety Six William Curtis
11 Apr Gone But Never Forgotten Emdad Rahman
2010
15 Ap Why Oh Why Oh Why? Crispin Thomas
15 Apr The 96 The Bard of Burnley
15 Apr Twenty One Today. jim dolbear
15 Apr Souls Of Our Departed. Ken Bushell
2000- 2010 Selection
20 Years to Yesterday S B Ingle
Just A Minute S B Ingle
Heroes mark merriman
Empty seats – the 96 legacy Clik the mouse
96 Haiku Hy Koo
Milan – Real Madrid 19/04/89 Minuto di silenzio P Maguire
The Day Truth Died P Maguire
3.06pm P Maguire
19Darren O’Keeffe
Hillsborough> Daniel McDonagh
Hillsborough P Maguire
how do you sleep? poet1978
96 poet1978
Hillsborough Justice For The 96 SB Ingle
96 Reds We’ll Never Forget P.Maguire
Hillsborough Memorial Mark Thomas
Anyone Mark Ballard
Souls Of Our Departed Ken Bushell
Do You Remember P.Maguire
Justice Part 1 Tina Bass
April 15th Hillsborough DJ Bullen
A Terrace called Leppings Lane Emsy
Hillsborough Roses Alan McKean
Remembering Hillsborough P.Maguire
The Funny Thing About Justice Mike Nicholson
Hillsborough 15 Years On Redlady
Justice For The 96 P.Maguire
At Hillsborough Stephen A Owen
Hillsborough Robert Romans
96 tears Clik the mouse
May We Never Forget Nikki Young
For the 96 Shaun Maddy
Cry me a tear mottman
96 Reasons Mark Ballard
Are You Sorry? P Maguire
96 Angels P Maguire
Justice P Maguire
Sorry Mike Nicholson
His darkest disgrace> Mike Nicholson
Why did you do it? Mike Nicholson
Wishing for their old Mum Mike Nicholson
What colour justice? Mike Nicholson
Liverpool Justice Louise Ann Lacey
Why Do I Care?Tom England
Justice for what? Chris Murphy

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3 .Munich Remembered 6.2.58 – 6.2.14 Your Poems

Link: munich58.co.uk Munich 58 Tribute Site Features

On February 6th 1958, 23 people (of the 44 passengers & crew) lost their lives when a plane crashed at Munich Airport, while attempting to take off in snowbound conditions. Among the dead, were members of Manchester United Football Club, who were returning from a European Cup match, having just played against Red Star Belgrade. Munich was a re-fuelling stopover. Listed below as many poems as we can find on the subject, that have recently, or previously been, uploaded onto this website by many of our contributors, paying their respects. Further thoughts of course welcome.

2013
06 Feb BA Flight 606 1958 Emdad Rahman
06 Feb Busby’s Babes Emdad Rahman
05 Feb The Day We Lost A Football Team (Revisited) Crispin Thomas
06 Feb Munich 1958 Emdad Rahman
04 Feb 2 Tragedies Mike Bartram
2012-2000 Selection
2012
04 Mar Roger Byrne Dachlan Cartwright
50 years on … – Clik the mouse
The Day We Lost A Football Team – Crispin Thomas
Like the Shirts! – Denys E. W. Jones
Standing Together – Mark Thomas
Sir Matt’s Babes – Emdad Rahman
(Just) a moment of silence – Emdad Rahman
sixty seconds of silence – Mike Garry
Munich anniversary – Clik the mouse
Munich, Feb 6th 1958 – Clik the mouse
Imagine if – Pogue Mahone
Diamonds in the Snow – Me
Belgrade: 6th February 1958 – Ted Smith-Orr
Matt Busby’s Babes Play On – Dennis Gould
Fifty Years Sixty Seconds – S B Ingle
6.2.58 – Alan McKean
8.8.3 – Alan McKean
2007
Glasnevin Cemetary – Peter Goulding
More Than A Football Club – Andy Lockett
Munich 58 – John Fisher
Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes – Gerry Lawrence
Lost For Words – S B Ingle
Forever & Ever – John Fisher
The Flowers of Manchester – Eric Winter
2006
Our Busby Babe – Caddy
The Day A Team Died – A.M.
2005
The Last of The Busby Babes – Poet Shot
2004
Sir Matt Busby – Parry Maguire
We Will Remember – Alan Laine
The Busby Babes – Paul Collins
Flowers of Manchester – Ben Andrew

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INDEX 2

4 RIP Sandy Jardine Tom Finney, Bert Williams, Eusébio,
Nat Lofthouse Ron Tindall, Gary Ablett ,Socrates, Gary Speed
5 Football at Christmas Poems
6 Olympics/Paralympics Poems
7 What They’re Saying About Football Poets
8 Short History of Football Poets /: Involvements/ Initiatives
9/10 Educational Involvements/Global./Annual Events covered.

4 RIP TRIBUTE POEMS
Sandy Jardine , Tom Finney, Bert Williams, Eusébio, Ron Tindall, Gary Ablett ,Socrates, Gary Speed and Nat Lofthouse

SANDY JARDINE RIP (1948-2014)
2014
30 Apr Sandy Jardine Emdad Rahman
TOM FINNEY RIP (1922-2014)
2014
24 Feb Tom Peter Branson
17 Feb Football in Heaven kevin halls
16 Feb North End Morns.( Haiku ) jim dolbear
16 Feb Sir Thomas Finney kevin raymond
15 Feb Finney’s Final Year Graham Salter
15 Feb Tom Finney RIP haiku Crispin Thomas
15 Feb The Preston Plumber Emdad Rahman
15 Feb The Proud Preston Plumber John
J O’Connor
14 Feb Sir Tom Finney P Maguire

BERT WILLIAMS (Wolves /England) RIP (1920-2014)
2014
25 Jan The Cat Haiku Crispin Thomas
25 Jan Bert Williams, The Original ‘Cat’ Robbie Kennedy Bennett

EUSÉBIO Tributes-RIP (Benfica/Portugal) 1942-2014
2014
08 Jan Great Players kevin halls
07 Jan Portugal’s favourite son Maureen Yeo
06 Jan o Rei (The King) kevin raymond
06 Jan Memories of Eusébio Emdad Rahman
05 Jan Remembering Eusébio Crispin Thomas
05 Jan Eusébio P Maguire

RON TINDALL (Chelsea) 1935-2012 RIP
2012
11 Sep Ron Tindall 1935-2012 RIP Crispin Thomas

GARY ABLETT (1965-2012)
2012
02 Jan Gary Ablett – 1965-2012 Emdad Rahman

SOCRATES RIP (1954 – 2011)
2011
06 Dec Socrates the good Doctor Emdad Rahman
05 Dec Socrates R.I.P. Clik the mouse
06 Dec Socrates (Acrostes) Crispin Thomas
05 Dec The Playmaker kevin raymond
2004 From the archives:
Socrates Signs for Garforth Town Parry Maguire

GARY SPEED RIP (1969-2011)
2011
17 Dec Speedo Jason Stevens
01 Dec Gary Speed, a human super hero S B Ingle
30 Nov Gary Speed Emily Williams
30 Nov weeping For A Welsh Warrior Jim Dolbear
29 Nov A Simple Tribute John Oliver
29 Nov For Gary MBE Steffan Evans
28 Nov Gary Speed R.I.P kevin halls
28 Nov Spede Tomas De Faoite
28 Nov Gary Speed -The Welsh Dragon Emdad Rahman
28 Nov God Speed Crispin Thomas
27 Nov Speedy Alan McKean

NAT LOFTHOUSE(1925-2011)
2011
28 Jan Nat Lofthouse-The Legend . Ann Madden-Walsh
21 Jan A Lion Sleeps Tonight. jim dolbear
18 Jan The Lion of Vienna – Nat Lofthouse OBE Emdad Rahman
16 Jan The Lion of Vienna kevin halls
16 Jan Sleeping Lion Alan McKean
16 Jan No More A Wandering – Nat Lofthouse Crispin Thomas

5 FOOTBALL AT CHRISTMAS POEMS 2013
2013
30 Dec The other WW1 Christmas Football Matches Lou Butler
24 Dec The great Christmas truce of 1914 Emdad Rahman
24 Dec Last Game Before Christmas.. kevin raymond
24 Dec Young Bertie Hislop John J O’Connor
18 Dec Looking For Black Boots Crispin Thomas
16 Dec One Christmas Morning kevin halls
16 Dec Crocked kevin raymond
13 Dec Christmas 1914
Stuart Butler

FOOTBALL AT CHRISTMAS POEMS Selection 2000-2012
2012
One Christmas In The Trenches
Crispin Thomas
1914, the game of truce Clik the mouse
A Christmas Wish Come True Peter Goulding
Come Back Dad (Again) Stuart Butler
St Stephen’s Morning kevin raymond
So here it is Merry Christmas P Maguire

2000-2011 Selection
28 Dec Day After Christmas Khadim Hussain
25 Dec Christmas Truce of 1914 Emdad Rahman
25 Dec Boxing Day Emily Williams
23 Dec 12 Points for Christmas Khadim Hussain
23 Dec Merry Christmas, 2011 Clik the mouse
19 Dec Twelve Points of Christmas S B Ingle
19 Dec Beware Geeks Bearing Gifts S B Ingle
2010
21 Dec A Christmas Wish Darren O’Keeffe
17 Dec Boxing Day and New Year Haikus kevin halls
16 Dec A Geordie Xmas wish John Oliver
16 Dec 12 Days of Christmas Clik the mouse
12 Dec Mark Hughes’ cancelled Fulham’s Xmas party ron dixon
12 Dec Christmas Wish List kevin halls
07 Dec Another Christmas In Afghanistan & Iraq Crispin Thomas
02 Dec Those Were The Days kevin halls
01 Dec Proud to Wear the Shirts mark merriman
28 Nov A Sad Christmas Tale Peter Goulding
25 Nov Swapping Garrincha Kevin Halls
22 Nov I’m A Collector Get Me Out of Here Crispin Thomas
18 Nov Any stickers to swap ? John Oliver
2009
28 Dec Dancing with Wolves Emdad Rahman
27 Dec The day after Christmas Khadim Hussain
24 Dec 3 Xmas Cheers For Sky kevin raymond
24 Dec Gifted S B Ingle
23 Dec Christmas 2009 Clik the mouse
22 Dec Letter to Santa Khadim Hussain
19 Dec Boxing Day Memories John Oliver
11 Dec Christmas Haikus Kevin Halls
11 Dec Dear Santa/Wish List Kevin Halls
06 Dec Vacant Seat In The Stand jim dolbear
06 Dec Hitching To A Game At Xmas Crispin Thomas
2008
Dec 28 Among These Hills At Christmas Crispin Thomas
24 Dec Merry Christmas, 2008 Clik the mouse
23 Dec What I Want For Christmas! kevin raymond
23 Dec An Ulterior Motive…Maybe kevin raymond
17 Dec The Rodborough Doggy Tree Basil the Westie
16 Dec Christmas With Basil Crispin
14 Dec Boxing Day Game Alan McKean
12 Dec sexism stadia & seasons Le Plume de Football
12 Dec Not Going To Auntie Flo’s kevin halls
10 Dec While the Shepherd’s watched John Oliver
02 Dec A Burnley Song for Christmas Vintage Claret
2007
14 Dec Christmas 1952. John Oliver
13 Dec Christmas Daze! Kevin Raymond
12 Dec A Boy’s Christmas Wish Jim Dolbear
12 Dec Old Firm Christmas Daniel McDonagh
12 Dec A Celtic Christmas Daniel McDonagh
10 Dec It’s the Pantomine Season! Me
07 Dec Tackled by Christmas Paul H Tubb
2006
28 Dec Christmas Past and Present Stuart Butler
28 Dec Nil-Nil The Bitter Pill SB Ingle
27 Dec Carrow Road, St Stephens Day kevin raymond
27 Dec Christmas Truce 2006 SB Ingle
27 Dec Long Time Ago at Christmas SB Ingle
25 Dec Letters to Santa Part 2 mark merriman
25 Dec Merry Christmas, Jose L D R
24 Dec Letters to Santa mark merriman
24 Dec A Mother’s Dilemma! kevin raymond
20 Dec Team Talk John Cox
15 Dec A Christmas Tale (2006) Mark Thomas
14 Dec On The Straw Behind The Goal John Oliver
13 Dec A Sad Christmas Tale Peter Goulding
13 Dec Whatever Next? Stuart Butler
10 Dec Christmas Anoraks Crispin
2000- 2005
Play Football Not War Tony Lewis Jones
Xmas Trenches Crispin Thomas
Football In The Trenches Stuart Butler
Christmas In Iraq Crispin
Young Bertie Hislop John J O’Connor
In The Trenches Crispin
War & Christmas Stuart Butler
Ceasefire Christmas 1914 Haiku Clik The Mouse
The Christmas Truce 1914 Mark Thomas
Coached By Donkeys Verdun
The World’s Greatest Tommy Atkins
One Christmas Crispin Thomas

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6 15 OLYMPIC/PARALYMPICS POEMS & 18 HAIKUS
2013
06 Sep 2. Blind football /London 2012 Paralympics Emdad Rahman
06 Sep 1. Blind football/London 2012 Paralympics Emdad Rahman
01 Sep Blind Faith In The Game Pt 2 Crispin Thomas
11 Aug Korea take bronze haiku Crispin Thomas
11 Aug Mexican waves haiku Crispin Thomas
07 Aug Brazil stroll on haiku Crispin Thomas
07 Aug goal fest haiku Crispin Thomas
06 Aug Olympic Football kevin halls
05 what crowds haiku Crispin Thomas
05 taking part haiku Crispin Thomas
05 dream is over haiku Olympian
01 Aug team GB are through haiku Crispin Thomas
01 Aug Olympian kevin halls
01 Aug Team GB 2012 v Dick Kerr Ladies 1914 Crispin Thomas
01 Aug Land of Hope and Glory olympian
31 Jul no heeby GBs haiku Crispin Thomas
31 Jul Nut Crackers jim dolbear
30 Jul kevin halls olympian
30 Jul The Olympics come to Coventry kevin halls
29 Jul Sounds of Silence olympian
29 Jul Walk on with Hope olympian
29 Jul Absent Friends olympian
29 Jul game haiku 14 Alan McKean
29 Jul game haiku 11 Alan McKean
29 Jul game haiku 10 Alan McKean
28 Jul Leave It To The Women Crispin Thomas
27 Jul Twenty Twelve S B Ingle
27 Jul Olympics 2012, day 2 S B Ingle
26 Jul Olympics 2012, day 2 Oliver M Peake
26 Jul Olympics 2012, day 1 Oliver M Peake
26 Jul Team GB Haiku Eddie Gibbons

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———————————————
7 WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT FOOTBALL POETS ..

“The only known collective of football poets in the world”
Today BBC Radio 4.

“The beautiful game in all its guises . In the street, in the ground, in the memory, in the heart . Poetry with balls! ” Michael Foreman

“Wacky funny and downright mad..but also serious ” Kick It Out

8 A SHORT HISTORY ……..

Founded by Stuart Butler and our ex-webmaster Dave Cockcroft in June 2000 whose totally un-funded vision was achieved along with Crispin Thomas who with his drive and enthusiasm has kept the site as a living breathing adjunct to the wonderful world of Football, where who visit get to daub their own little mascara’d touches to the face of the Beautiful Game.

During these past 12 years the site has survived with 5 editors; Crispin, Stuart, Parry Maguire, Peter Goulding and Clik . For the past 7 years we have been without a webmaster and with no funding but have inherited and sustained a wonderful yet antiquated site which still runs even if wildly un-modernised, like some old but much-loved football ground.

There are on the site, poems about every aspect of Football, and also how Football reaches into people’s lives, in so many different ways. We take pride in the fact that we try to encourage fans of every age, gender, race, creed, colour, physiology and social standing to embrace the world of Football in poetry.

9/10INVOLVEMENTS /INITIATIVES MEDIA & BEYOND

Along the way , we have worked alongside, been associated/ aligned/appeared with and recognised by many worthy social initiatives to further encourage those aspirations including (in no particular order) :
‘Kick It Out’, ‘The British Council’ ,’National Literacy Trust, ‘Playing For Success’ ‘Kick Into Reading’,’ Reading The Game’, ‘Reading is Fundamental’, ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, ‘Word Up’, ‘Football Unites, Racism Divides’, ‘Give Us Back Our Game’ , ‘Philosophy Football’, ‘Dads Against Drugs ‘ , ‘Read A Million Words’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Independent’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘They Think It’s All Over’ ‘When Saturday Comes’,’Match of The Day 2′ ‘Inside Out’ BBC 1 TV, ‘BBC Radio 5 Live’, ‘Sky Sports’, ‘BBC Radio Gloucestershire’ ‘Cheltenham Festival of Literature, ‘Cheltenham Poetry Festival’, ‘Glastonbury Festival’, ‘Stroud Fringe Festival’, ‘Larmer Tree Festival’, ‘Marlborough Jazz Festival ‘ ,and of course ‘The British Library’ who archived us for posterity as one of only 1000 recommended sites and for which we are very proud.

8 EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENTS LOCAL & GLOBAL

We know we have a global reach, there are poems on the website from every continent on the planet. Our biggest restriction is that we can only currently accept poems in English.

We are also a conduit for countless schools, colleges and educational establishments across the globe – many of whom have sent in the fruits of their wonderful efforts. What a great vibrant contribution they make & also the community initiatives with poetic contributions from clubs we have directly inspired including Chelsea FC, Reading, Portsmouth, Cambridge United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham Utd (ELG) to name but a few..

In addition to extensive work in the UK at football clubs and comminutles Crispin has also along the way been invited by the British Council to perform and run workshops in Germany during the World Cup and in Porto at theri offcies and in ‘secondaria’ schools .

We are indebted to the many people who have championed the site including Jim Sells of The National Literacy Trust, Suzi Raymond and Wendy of Chelsea FC ,Peter Daniel of Westmister Archives, Jude at Fulham FC, Jennie at Reading SSC ,Piara Power and Lord Ousley at Kick it Out, Show Racism The Red Card, Football Unites Racism Divides and Liam Murtagh of King Edward V1 Morperth..we thank you .

Alongside its online presence and undoubted contribution to raising literacy standards Crispin has performed, run workshops and inspired hundreds of enthralled students at the following
Football Club Study Support Centres : AFC Telford, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea FC, Charlton Athletic, Colchester United, Everton, Forest Green Rovers, Fulham FC, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Nothampton Town, Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Sheffield United, Stoke City, West Ham United & West Bromwich Albion.

There are too many individual contributors to mention – over 2000!!
The full list can be seen under the ‘Poets’ link and there are certainly many, more people who read and enjoy the poems on the website, including sections of the media, who have refercned us on many occasions and also make enquiries from time to time.

10ANNUAL EVENTS COVERED & COMMEMORATED

We have commemorated and continue to cover annual events and anniversaries of various football tragedies, e.g. Hillsborough, Heysel, Bradford, Munich Air Crash and the Christmas Truce of 1914. The various footballing events/ major competitions. From our inception at Euro 2000 to the FA Cup, African Cup of Nations, World Cups 02, 06 & ’07 (Women’s) and more recently with World Cup 2010. We hope there’ll be plenty more inspiration for all our past, present and future contributors! Regards

Clik. Ireland (Editor 2001-Present)

“Big thanks to Clik for being there through thick and thin, most especially when my wife was very ill. Much respect also to you all for contributing to support the site with your wonderfully diverse poems. I do hope that one day day we’ll have instant translation here and an up-dated site – with much requested exciting sections for us to share.. given that football is an international language.Keep on.
Crispin Thomas Butterow. Stroud (Editor 2000-Present )

“Of all the things I’ve achieved in my life, I do take pride in the recognition and success the site has achieved – and all from a simple idea originating in the back room of a pub in Stroud in 2000”.
Stuart Butler Rodborough Stroud 1.6.10 (Editor 2000-2005 )

Here are a few of our own earliest poems and a couple from just three of our long-time contributors and supporters.

Football Time Stuart Butler – 2000
Football Stuff Crispin Thomas 2000
Desperately Immature, But.. Peter Goulding- 2003
Young Versus Old In Irwell Road. Simon Icke- 2011
The Save of The Century Kevin Raymond – 2005
The Ghosts From the Playground P Maguire – 2

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