Poems tagged ‘Last minute drama’
The finishing line
After 38 editions of private teeth clenching
Month after month of emotional investment
The Premier League finishing line finds
Its final bend, the last chicane, the gallop to
The post. It has indeed gone to the line
Neck and neck
City and Liverpool
Hard to choose
City would seem to hold the aces
And should burst through the tape
With adoring hymns ringing in their ears
For a moment, recalling another Bell,
Sturdy, tireless, running himself into the
Ground, Colin, here, there and everywhere
Mike Summerbee, Rodney Marsh, Francis Lee
When football met Pannini stickers
In a delightful rendezvous next to the
Maine Road faithful
But today’s City are more than upright
Citizens, more commanding lieutenants
Sergeant majors of today’s platoon
Smartly attired men on the parade grounds
Of City’s 21st century generation
Now the palette holders of today
Raheem Sterling, still conjuring,
Jesus, almost religious but certainly
A man with that mystical aura
About him, scoring goals and
Answering prayers
But then Merseyside could
Still be the architects of their
Own triumph again
Like the artwork at the Sistine
Chapel, frescoes
Of timeless beauty,
Heralds of future
Greatness since 18
Old First Division titles
Remain impeccably beyond
Reproach
And finally one Premier League title
To boot, another flourish from the
Fountain pen
That underlined the
Anfield signature
But Klopp can become
The sainted one, holier
Than thou
The figure of reverence
That Bill Shankly became
Worshipped by those
Who never stopped believing
In the wholesome ideals
Of past deeds
Faithful followers
Fidelity was never in doubt
Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson,
Virgil but not the one from Greek
Mythology but a defender of some
Value, weight and substance
It could be the year of years
For Liverpool to snatch
Back their Premier League title
On solemn, then sonorous Sunday
Homages to rousing Jerusalem
The last page of the last chapter
What a pot boiler, a nine month
Labour of love, the season
Ends on a conclusive, percussive,
Note, a thunderous crescendo
The last day of football’s Maypole dance
Oh, Sunday, Sunday.
Last Minute
In a cheap plastic pew
With a right blinding view
We soared at two, two.
Through the ensuing hue
I mouthed toward you,
“What d’yer think? Will we win it?”.
Suddenly, a mere slip of a kid
Cost us seventeen million quid
Stuck his hand in the way
Of a straightforward save
Caused those gathered to bay,
“Oh no…he hasn’t, he’s give it”.
Home fans wince aghast
Away fans, triumphantly laugh
Savouring that final half minute
After a mere slip of a kid,
Cost seventeen million quid,
Proper went and dropped us, right in it.
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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
kevin halls
10th November 2024
joe morris
10th November 2024
Clik The Mouse
10th November 2024
Clik The Mouse
6th November 2024
Alex Saynor
6th November 2024
joe morris
29th October 2024
joe morris
17th October 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
16th October 2024
joe morris
11th October 2024
Mike Bartram
11th October 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
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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25th April 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Joe,
you might like to write a poem yourself on the same subject…
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23rd April 2024 at 4:03 pm
Hi Denys
With you all the way on the abolition of FA Cup replays. What are they doing to the game?
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