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Poems tagged ‘Penalties’

Sixty Second Minute

John Gilbert Ellis

Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

With sixty-two minutes played
at a rancid, rainy Selhurst Park,
two photographs appear 
on the jumbo screen, floating 
over the on-pitch preparations
to take a disputed penalty.

Matthew Higgins and Mick Lloyd
sixty-two years of age
eternal supporters, fathers,
stalwarts, drivers and friends,
give us a mirrored reminder
of well lived lives played out
with more than nil-nil intent.

A minute of gentle clapping
rises in kind acknowledgment
of their coincidental death,
while on the pitch,
the bickering football match
continues oblivious and intense.

The whistle blows, and the ball
stumbles towards a Palace post.
The penalty kiss and miss
takes the crowd by surprise
enough to break the reverential bliss.

Claps turn to jeers and boos.
A lifetime chance squandered,
life come breaking in, as usual,
leaves us with the ‘if onlys’ to ponder.

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Penalty Shootout in Zero Gravity

Joe Williams

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022

It was Barry’s idea, so
he only has himself to blame.
For all the thrill of orbital flight,
of seeing the Earth from space,
those journeys are so damn boring.

I admit to sneaking the ball in,
and that Barry was winding me up.
The running commentary didn’t help,
calling me Gareth Southgate,
him being Andreas Köpke.

No one could have predicted
the ball would hit the airlock button,
just when Barry was leaping up,
trying to stop my rocket blast,
straight to the top left corner.

Perhaps he’ll be a hero yet,
get a glove to an asteroid
hurtling towards the Earth.
The slightest of deflections,
nudging it over the bar.

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Last Minute

kevin raymond

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

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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WC2018 Day 19 (post)

World Cup Willie

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

It takes many years of hurt
To learn how to blurt……
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!

~ # ~

small steps
on a long road
cobbled with miss-haps
yet hopefully
studded with glory

~ # ~

say it again
keep saying it
try to get used to it
get your head around…
the fact
that at a tournament ground
the bells chime….
and England
have won a World Cup Penalty Shootout
for the first time!!!

~ # ~

just when it looked like
we had history repeating
and the usual bleating
and blaming the cheating
up steps big Jordan
and with Pickford competing
the curse we’re beating
and booking our seating
at a Quarter-Final meeting!!

~ # ~

Hands together…

We prayed against for the tease of pennos
We prayed that Cuadrado had a mare
We prayed that James would be injured
And that Kane played without a care

We prayed that Pickford didn’t have to pick
Any ball out of a net
We prayed that Rashford wouldn’t be rash
And that we all had a winning bet!

We prayed that Walker would be racing
We prayed that Stones would stand tall
We prayed that the Bury Beckham
Could bend it around a wall

We prayed that Ali wouldn’t dally
We prayed that Hendo would keep it tight
We prayed that Sterling would cash in
But above all
We prayed that we’d win the good fight!

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WC2018 Day 19 – haiku

World Cup Willie

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

usual story
penalty dilemma / curse
Pickford’s big strong hand!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

nerves were frayed, Kane calm
senses working overtime
ecstasy abounds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

giving Nation and
Vintners Association
a shot in the arm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

like playful puppies
jumping all over the place
Bulldogs jubilant

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Los Cafetoros
Ground up by Pickford’s strong hand
Bean and gone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in the wise words of
philosopher Brad Bobley
“so sweeeet!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweden 1-0 Switzerland

a swathe of suave supporters sweltering in the sun
sweaty Swedes swarm across the sward
swarthy Swiss swiftly sweeping forward
a swivel and swipe from Emil Forsberg
and it’s the Swedes who swagger!

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Source: http://footballpoets.org/news/poem-tags/penalties/