Poems tagged ‘England’
Big Jack’s Gone – Jack Charlton RIP
football through and through
‘Big Jack’ towered over all
hard man leader boss
Billy Wright – England’s first centurion!
Good teachers are like stars
Lighting paths for the has been
Wolves B against Walsall Wood
After trials aged fourteen
Lad from Ironbridge, Shropshire
Once let go for his size
Was first to reach a hundred caps
When Major Buckley became wise
Took the captaincy from Stan Cullis
No single caution, red card or fine
First Division winner three times
FA Cup in 1949
Century for the Molineux Marvel
Against the Auld enemy
On the shoulders they lifted Billy
Celebrating at Wembley
A career forged through World War Two
Led England 90 times, a record
105 caps with Walter Winterbottom
Three World Cups on the board
15th April 2020
number7
© emdad rahman
#coronachronicles #billywright #wolverhamptonwanderers
Martin Peters Shone
unassuming style
crucial in our finest hour
Martin Peters shone
Three Lions: One Thousand not out!
Eighteen Seventy Two it all began
England setting the benchmark
Ballynafeigh, Josy Barthel, Levski
A World Record at Hampden Park
Sir Alf’s Wingless Wonders
World Champions in Sixty Six
They all stood up at the Maracana
When Barnes pulled his box of tricks
I saw Maradona’s hand cause mayhem
I savoured Platt’s Belgian volley
Psycho Pearce bought the house down
Gazza’s tears and Euro stunner at Wembley
Neil Webb the thousandth player
Sir Stanley Matthews was a dream
Lampard, Shearer, Gerrard hard to bench
Time to name my Three Lions team
Banks, Parker, Rio, Cole
Bobby Moore with the long sleeves
Gazza, Robson, the younger Charlton
Rooney, Lineker, Greaves
14 11 19
number7
© emdad rahman
Why no poem?
Why no poem?
Mojo magic’d away?
Zeitgeist scooted off?
Muse unamused?
Support spaffed up against a wall?
Or is it just
the embarrasment
of a ten year record
of non-defeat
too replete
for anapestic litany
as we venture
far beyond Brittany?
Gordon Banks – England’s number one
Pele screamed “Gol”
Alberto and Jairzinho tricky
Banks saves heart and soul
Modestly terming it “lucky”
Brilliance from the World Cup winner
In the heat of Guadalajara
Chesterfield, Leicester, Stoke, FIFA
Named six times keeper of the year
Once the Kop lauded merrily
“Nice work, Gordon,” sang the ranks
Lap of honour with Bill Shankly
You’ll never walk alone Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks 1937-2019
12 02 19
number7
© emdad rahman
They Stole Our Rice
I witnessed a commotion in my local saloon
With an Irish fan ranting and acting the loon
“They stole our potatoes
now they’re after our Rice.”
He was so agitated he screamed it out twice.
“They took our potatoes
now they’re taking our Rice
I always knew Southgate
acted way too much nice.”
I soon came to realise it weren’t Rice from Vietnam
But young Declan Rice
who plays for West Ham
Southgate got young Declan to talk on the phone
And played him the song
Foot—ball’s Coming Home.
He told him he was the greatest
Young player he had seen
Who’d look better in white
Than wearing the Green.
“You’ll get plenty of endorsements
I’ll make you a star
And you’ll be in my squad
When we go to Qatar.”
So as the Irish fan by bouncers
Was thrown out of the pub
He still screamed of Rice
And the stealing of Spuds.
So who Declan will choose
It remains to be seen
The Three Lions of England
Or the boys in the Green.
Belgium 2-0 England ~ Nuff Said
when we pause we know
like some epic video
we have far to go
games like this are hard
damage limitation time
with a stronger foe
meaningless to some
I know we’d have taken fourth
at the very start
in the end we tired
driven on then driven home
by a classy side
chances far and few
we looked empty early on
brigher later though
littel to see here
from our still emerging team
so much more to come
lots of lessons learned
Belgians realy look the part
we’ll be back …’nuff said
Awesome Belgique take third
Belgium 2-0 England
Thomas Meunier put Belgium ahead
Sliding in ahead of Danny Rose
With only a mere four minutes in
It seemed the whole team had froze
England had chances to square
Alderweireld clears from Dier
Harry Maguire heads wide
By then the boys had lost their fire
Eden Hazard wraps it up
By then the Reds were spurred
Got the better of Jones to beat Pickford
Well done Belgium on third
14 07 18
number7
© Emdad Rahman
Penultimate Day In The Play.
Belgium’s best side for ages land third place
“It’s Coming Home”, Ingerland a creditable fourth
ITV – for me – hands down land the punditry crown
For the match of the tournament thus far…I’d say
…Keano v Wrighty…of course
Mind you, having said that…Keano v Bilic wasn’t too far away!
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!
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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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