Poems tagged ‘Liverpool’
Champions crash down to earth
Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool
A guard of honour it is
Before the Etihad car crash
It was to be expected
After a week on the lash
So a strong start with no goals
Followed by a period of disjoint
That mega leads been reduced
To a paltry twenty points
Sterling forces a penalty
De Bruyne doesn’t miss
Sterling and Foden seal it
From Ox the goodnight kiss
02 07 20
number7
© emdad rahman
Liverpool are champions!
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Pulisic, De Bruyne, Willian
End a three decade black out
A global pandemic couldn’t stop
An end to that Red drought
Kings for the nineteenth time
Hold your heads up high
On a flaming night in June
Walk on, see that golden sky
Earliest and latest ever winners
They looked beyond the ridge
A thirty year wait is over
Crowned champions at the Bridge
25 06 20
number7
© emdad rahman
A Covid spree at Anfield
Liverpool 4-0 Crystal Palace
Pre match Jurgen was coy
Admitting to once studying Roy
Saha’s injury is a bitter blow
Trent’s strike lighting up the show
With the Reds on half press
It’s easy on the eyes I’ll confess
Fifty games and we still lead the polls
Salah makes it a hundred goals
Thanks to our carers, bless
Football thanks the NHS
A silent Kop roars Fabinho’s rocket
Mane slots a fourth in the pocket
24 06 20
number7
© emdad rahman
The Ghost Derby
Everton 0-0 Liverpool
Live games return to Merseyside
Football without fans is nothing
Moise Kean’s cameo the highlight
Minus Salah the Reds lack sting
Contemplation for those we’ve lost
All present are taking the knee
Proclaiming “Black Lives Matter!”
United at the ghost derby
Richarlison thunders the strikers mosaic
The Goodison star strikers screen
Into the Gwladys Street upper tier
Nearly took Dixie Dean out clean
21 06 20
number7
© emdad rahman
Hendo
On the 1st of June with his dad, both in tears
This guy was preparing to lift old “Big Ears”
It was the 6th time for this amazing club
Now with famous captains down the years Hendo’s shoulders would rub
Along came August and Chelsea we’d floor
Hendo would be raising his arms aloft once more
The Reds won on penalties the game oh so tight
Hendo wouldn’t be finished raising his arms that night
When December came they went off to Qatar
To try and be world champions the best near and far
We would beat Flamengo with their Brazilian flair
And Hendo once again raised a cup in the air
Now he’s back in the premiership playing out of his skin
A player of the year candidate there’s a chance he could win
He covers every blade of grass with assists galore
Hendo,our captain,keep driving us on and you’ll lift number 4.
YNWA
More records break as Firmino sinks Spurs
Tottenham 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool dumbfound football
In the best-ever start to a season
“Doesn’t feel special somehow!”
Is Jurgen Klopp’s reason
Firmino’s first-half goal
Turning Japhet Tanganga
With a sweet left-foot drive
To beat Gazzaniga
Another impressive clean sheet
They’re still not quite through
Liverpool are breaking records
To dare is to do
11 01 20
number7
© emdad rahman
Hitching To A Game At Christmas Once More
whatever happened to hitching?
and can you remember when kids would hitch home for Christmas
to waiting parents on frosty December mornings?
a different world then – hap-less map-less and sat-navless
sussing out the best lay-byes to hitch from
cardboard felt pen signs talking rubbish making conversation
listening to the hits on crackly radios
with smoking lorry drivers and flash geezers in sports cars
often going way out of their way
and – if you were lucky maybe a free coffee
but friendly and always always the spirit of freedom
and then best of all – destination achieved
the beauty of money saved
but more importantly
getting somewhere for nothing
so it was that crazy Christmas
late sixties in London and sharing a flat for £10 a week
with a rubbish gas meter
guzzling shillings like some hungry pig
we hit on a cunning but glorious plan
there in some café just off the Fulham Road
when John chirped up
“Fancy hitching to the Liverpool game – Boxing Day….we could check out The Cavern?”
“Done !” I cried unknowingly
Boxing Day ’66 dawned
cold yellow sky and deep deep frost
“what if it gets called off?” ..”It won’t” laughed John
and with no Radio 5 updates or common sense and snow forecast…we chanced it
no-one mad enough to stop for us
believed we were going to hitch up and back in a day
we certainly hadn’t thought it through
but somehow we would and we did
and the journey?
the lifts a blur – except for one
an old VW bus driven by The Chants
one of the ‘nearly’ pop groups of the time
heading back up from a gig
but one thing’s clear – that feeling of achievement
on seeing Anfield for the first time
and us – caught in the banter
cold hands and blue scarves lost in in a sea of red
and clearly the height of much derision
“hope we don’t get thrashed” I offered
“we won’t…come on you Blues!”
and then the big clock on two forty five
we found ourselves a welcome turnstile
and there we were – standing on The fabled Kop!
the only trouble was
so were thousands of red and white scarved fans
and us the only forlorn Blues fans
looking across to the opposite end
a flurry of blue balloons underlined our error
but bon-homie gladly reigned
and with the festive spirit and spirits being imbued
we had a great old time
and me – I loved the way
Liverpool fans gave our hero Peter Bonetti a great ovation
something they still do for opposing goalies
it was probably the only time I was glad we lost
two one for the record
as Yeats, St John and Hunt danced rings around us
later The Cavern shut for the holidays
with snow falling lightly and my gloves wet through
we headed off on foot to the motorway cold but happy
and somehow by the miracle of goodwill
and much cold thumbing
we found ourselves some five hours later
and close on ten back in the Earls Court Road
drinking coffee in Le Sous Sol and listening to Otis Redding
and vowing to do it all again one day
maybe
but no….sadly we never did
Slick Salah at the double
Liverpool 2-0 Watford
Just when Watford come out the shell
Klopp rings the Anfield bell
His Reds fly up the other end
Salah is sweet on the bend
Liverpool not their best by far
Origi gifts to Salah
Nutmegging Kabasele to seal the deal
Throw in a brilliant backheel
Alisson to thank for a clean sheet
Keeper, custodian, athlete
Redmen steady, still on the up
Now a matter of the Club World Cup
14 12 19
number7
© emdad rahman
Cherries chopped as Reds extend record
Nineteen minutes for the death knell
Three goals in a devastating spell
Ake’s subbing enhancing the flow
A blitz from the returning trio
With that came the winds of change
Oxlade-Chamberlain from close range
Ramsdale beaten with a volley of class
From Henderson’s pinpoint pass
Salah’s genius back heel despite the squeeze
Keita slotting home with ease
Paying back the Reds Egyptian star
Game over Mohamed Salah
07 12 19
number7
© emdad rahman
Mersey misery for Blues
Liverpool 5-2 Everton
For the Hillsborough families
A show of solidarity
Three decades of resilience
Courage and much dignity
Six goals at half time
Big Divock hits a double
Keane and Richarlison up the Blues
Shaqiri and Mane spell trouble
Sadio squanders a pair
Gini makes Anfied drool
P45 for Marco Silva?
A club record for Liverpool
04 12 19
number7
© emdad rahman
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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
Crispin Thomas
16th June 2025
Gacina Bozidar
15th June 2025
joe morris
15th June 2025
Stuart Butler
13th June 2025
Alex Saynor
13th June 2025
John Gilbert Ellis
7th June 2025
joe morris
7th June 2025
Denys E. W. Jones
31st May 2025
joe morris
31st May 2025
Clik The Mouse
30th May 2025
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
7th June 2025 at 5:57 pm
Very well put! My recent favourite came when visiting Chesterfield. They have the ‘LMD Vacuum Excavation Stand’.
May be if you’re in the vacuum excavation business, it’s a beautiful sounding name.
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24th May 2025 at 7:19 am
Hi Steve
I’ve come across you before on the live poetry circuit…something I’ve also been involved in since the late 90s at slams, gigs and festivals. Did you ever get to Glasto?
I was also at Swindon when José subbed and berated Kevin in a League Cup game for Chelsea….
Salah as you point out went the same way…
Be interesting to see Kev’s next move?
Best
Crispin
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24th April 2025 at 1:05 pm
Hey Denys..love this
“You may be a miner working down a pit.
You may be a rock star playing sold out gigs.
You may be a fireman putting out a blaze.
You may be an inmate chalking off the days. ”
Not just Dylan but maybe an unintentional nod to and shades of Ian Dury’s enigmatic ‘What A Waste’ rhythmic scanning..eg:
I could be the driver in an articulated lorry
I could be a poet I wouldn’t need to worry
I could be a teacher in a classroom full of scholars
I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
What a waste
What a waste
Was lucky enough to meet and interview him twice.
Best wishes from Forest Green to Genoa C
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8th March 2025 at 2:34 pm
Thanks Crispin
I’ve been to FGR a couple of times in the past – great food! Barnet look like they have the NL sewn up for this season, but I wish you well for promotion next season.
Regards, Beth
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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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