The Beautiful Game in Poetry from Porto & Workshops
2006 FOOTBALL POETRY WORKSHOPS We are once again undertaking football poetry workshops this year.The Football Poets have undertaken recent workshops for communities , schools and prisons in Ascot, Birmingham , Bradford, Gloucester, Hull, London, Morperth, Porto, Stroud and Wales. Also at the following clubs : Charlton Athletic, Chelsea FC, Everton FC, Fulham FC, Northampton Town, […]
International Day For Elimination Of Racial Discrimination
Today is the International Day For The Elimination Of Eacial Discrimination It is observed annually on 21 March. This year’s theme is “Empowering Youth to Fight Racism”. Anti-racism acrostic A all around the ground N the ‘n’ word T throwing bananas I idiotic bigots abound R Raising A Awareness C Continuously I Intuitively S Soccer […]
‘POEMS FROM INSIDE’ HMP Wales Oct 05
Back in October 05 ,Crispin and Ted Smith Orr ,the Charlton football poet and charicaturist, who have both worked together at Chelsea and Charlton, were invited to run workshops with prisoners on ‘football and racism’ at two prisons in Wales. We spent an incredible day, and would like to thank Louise, the prison staff and […]
Kick Racism Out of Football Educational Pack
We have now produced a draft pack that has been sent to KIO and the FA. KIO is showing interest in supporting the production and marketing of the materials – and these should be available shortly. The draft material below gives a flavour of the educational pack we will be producing at Brockworth Enterprise School; […]
Peter Osgood – The King of Stamford Bridge, R.I.P.
Poems for Ossie… To view or leave personal tributes on the official Chelsea FC site – to which the following poems have been added -visit…. http://chelsea2.chelseafc.com/chat/ch_tribute.htm Kings Road King He wOS GOOD, He wos King of the Shed, He was 60’s Kings Road, He filled defenders with dread. He wos a cup winner in 70, […]
Poems From The Inside -Prisoners on Football
About Parry’s Post..First of all it’s not Parry here! Many of you point out and ask ‘why is this section empty?’ Fair point. So we are going to use it from now on, as and when. We will use it extensively, for addtional childrens’ and adults’ poems created in workshops, and hopefully with your support […]
Education Through Football Poems – Chelsea Jan & Feb
Crispin’s involvement in the innovative Chelsea FC “Education Through Football” Programme kicked off the year in style with a week at Stamford Bridge from Monday January 16th – 20th 2006. The poems and fun continued in a great afternoon session at Servite School on Wed Feb 22nd with nearly sixty children to tie in with […]
Draft letter from Bas (1st draft)
To Whom It May Concern: May I firstly introduce myself – I am Basil a six year old West Highland Terrier and official mascot of the Stroud Football Poets. ( see www.footballpoets.org) You may recall that you considered me for the post of England manager in the interregnum after the resignation of Mr. Keegan, but […]
Ron Greenwood R.I.P.
The ‘appy ‘ammers Not so joyful now And the rest of football Takes a respectful bow For today we’ve lost One of life’s Gentlemen Even the Fourth Estate, wouldn’t berate With their judgemental pen To Ron’s family We extend our sorrow His guiding hand from Heaven Could yet shape England’s tomorrow From BBC.co.uk : Former […]
Toffee knows
Quote from David Moyes, published today on the BBC sport website : “There is no rhyme or reason in football sometimes, what confidence and self-belief can achieve is remarkable,” he added. Then come and visit our humble little website, David, during those ‘sometimes’! Or anytime. 😉
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
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
Clik The Mouse
6th 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
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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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