Poems tagged ‘Bradford’
Results
5 April, 1902
Scotland one
England one
Match unfinished
9 March, 1946
Bolton Wanderers nil
Stoke City nil
Bolton win two nil on aggregate
2 January, 1971
Rangers one
Celtic one
11 May, 1985
Bradford City nil
Lincoln City nil
Match abandoned after forty-two minutes
29 May, 1985
Juventus one
Liverpool nil
Juventus win the European Cup
15 April, 1989
Liverpool nil
Nottingham Forest nil
Match abandoned after five minutes
Back For One Day
back for one day
to the ground on the hill
careful and wary
with Covid here still
temp’rature testing
out here on the street
we stand in a line
in our masks in the heat
we’re grateful to be here
this late Summer day
we keep to a distance
just like ev”ry day
it could be a one-off
the way things are going
and when we’ll be back
we have no way of knowing
the grass is so green
and the sky is so blue
there’s barely a cloud
but a breeze billows through
and for ninety odd minutes
of real live football
we don’t think about
what’s surrounding us all
the game is a flurry
of chances and goals
a blurry distraction
but safely controlled
we even discover
that crowds can still cheer
in spite of these masks
that we all have to wear
and here at the end
we all follow the rules
and are led out in rows
like we did back in school
the streets are all quiet
as we wind down the hill
now we’re back in the world
that’s surrounding us still
The Whole Stand Is On Fire.Bradford – Lest We Forget 11.05.85
“the whole stand is on fire” he cried upon my radio
but how it started to this day we still may never know
and who here can imagine the fear the heat the pain
but pray that such a day as this will never dawn again
what should have been a joyous game promotion celebration
claimed lives of fifty six that day and shocked this sorry nation
and in that dark inferno blaze too horrible to dream
lessons learned will not replace the lives that should have been
as bravery and tragedy unfurled before our eyes
where fans risked life and limb and more to save so many lives
so hard to not let anger grow at things we can avoid
nor find a way to measure the depth of all destroyed
I used to be nostalgic for lovely wooden stands
those ancient crumbling terraces that stretched across these lands
the rusty turnstile mayhem and big crowd anarchy
that bumbled on for years and years the way it used to be
but from that day we realised in sadness and disgrace
while arguments will rage and rage they never can replace
nor bring back those who sat and cheered all as that game began
as scarves were waved and sunlight shone on trophy and on fan
no mighty modern structures no chrome nor steel designs
can ‘ere erase or truly face those tragic frightful times
we learned a million lessons we looked to shoulder blame
to everyone whose life was changed we hang our heads in shame
those truly awful moments they changed our football homes
but what a price for luxury if only we had known
if only this if only that for words will always fail
and can’t bring back the ones we lost and is to no avail
“the whole stand is on fire” he cried upon my radio
and how it started to this day we still may never know
but still we can’t forget those scenes the fear the heat the pain
and pray that such a day as this will never dawn again
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
8th January 2025
Denys E. W. Jones
7th January 2025
Mike Bartram
7th January 2025
Alex Saynor
4th January 2025
joe morris
2nd January 2025
Phil Brennan
2nd January 2025
John Gilbert Ellis
28th November 2024
joe morris
26th November 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
26th November 2024
Gacina Bozidar
26th November 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
11th January 2025 at 8:13 am
TO ADD THIS TO THIS POEM’S COMMENT:WELCOME BACK DAVID MOYES!!!
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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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