the curse o’ Andy D’Urso
in the 2002 / 2003 Premiership season a certain Frenchman, lost all sense of reason for in the closing stages of the League Arsenal let slip, a comfortable eight point lead but Arsene Wenger, would like it to be known that it had nothing to do, with Martin Keown no, despite his ill-timed o.g. the […]
Premiership Priory
Poor Merse has a curse an addiction no valediction in sight try as he might the demons return money to burn and time to kill looking for a buzz, a thrill it’s not funny all that money gambled away yet he’ll play to win Poor Paul McGrath he’s come so far from his days in […]
Just a Moment..At Season’s End (Re-Visited)
so how did you end up this season how was the season for you all of those hopes and euphoria what were the things that came through? did you go higher and higher? or was it a case of exist all of those moments wasted and gone all of those chances you missed or did […]
Just a Moment..At Season’s End (Re-Visited)
so how did you end up this season how was the season for you all of those hopes and euphoria what were the things that came through? did you go higher and higher? or was it a case of exist all of those moments wasted and gone all of those chances you missed or did […]
FA Cup Final 2003 – a personal view
There was a time, When I was just a spectator A real hard-core, blinkered, no-nonsense, Concentrated, non-distractable footy fan A slouch On the couch Beer filling belly As I kept up with tradition In front of the telly But this year (and for the last five) The family came first And the only thirst That […]
BACK TO THE FUTURE: BLAKE AT NUMBER 7.
So was it all worthwhile then? Was it all worthwhile? Spending all that time, travelling on the train? Was it all worthwhile, waiting in the waiting rooms, Penning these lines at 4 o’ clock in the morning On an empty rainswept station in Exeter? Was it worth the while then ? Was it time well […]
green fingers : stemming the tide of tortuous tat
welcome to the proliferation of new poets submitting to this site they’re springing up everywhere this growing band of football poets from flower power, to budding youth from the withering, to the know wits like pigs in muck quills playfully toil nurturing such special words shooting up through the soil by taking an axe to […]
Following You…..Poems On & For Fans Everywhere Wanted?
WANTED! Loyal Fan Poems,, of Team or Game And how was the season for you?.. Do let us know..in your own space and rhyme of course..?) .meanwhile a couple of new sloshy fan poems here… and it’s good to be back on Planet Football’s Earth .. and still be fluffy! as ever ..from the heart… […]
Lesson Plan Guide for Teachers Using This Site for Citizenship Lessons
TEACHERS’ GUIDE TO www.footballpoets.org This site won a national award from Kick Racism Out Of Football and it offers tremendous potential for cross-curricular work in History, Citizenship, Sport and English. It is used by many schools and football club study centres and has been recommended by the Guardian the Observer, the Times, the Arts Council […]
Not in my Name
Not in my Name When you’re out there digging your mum’s garden And it’s a blue sky March Saturday And you’re out there Oedipun alone With all your childhood memories, After starting the day in Stroud Reading the parish council poster board, “Were you in Stroud in World War 2?” “Do you have any artefacts […]
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
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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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