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Poems tagged ‘Preston’

Tom Finney Was Her Grandpa’s plumber

Simon Caplan

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

“Tom Finney was my Grandpa’s plumber”, she said
Which brought a smile to my face
To think of him slotting in a washer and a pass with equal grace

Did he caress that spanner like he stroked that ball?
Was he also the perfect gent with customers one and all?
When things needed hammering did he whack all –
going in hard like making a tackle?
Did he get back in defence to cover that hole –
and celebrate when he stopped the leak like he’d just scored a goal?
Was his finish with the seal, solder or patch –
as smooth as the moves he made in any match?

Tom Finney was her Grandpa’s plumber
Of that she left me in no doubt
“But can you see Messi fixing cars on the side?”, I asked
“Nah”, she said, “He ain’t Tom tha’ knows – he couldn’t do ’owt.”

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Lily Parr & The Dick Kerr Ladies

Crispin Thomas

Friday, May 27th, 2005

t’was no-one quite like Lily Parr
up North in rugby land
when footie was a cissie game
but fans still crammed the stand
and crowds of fifty thousand
were more than common-place
they came in curiosity
but not to see her face

they flocked in awe to wonder at
young women in the war
and cries of “get ’em off love”
rang loud when they did score
for back in nineteen seventeen
they’d come from near and far
to see the Dick Kerr Ladies team
led by young Lily Parr

no softy touch nor bit of stuff
a Woodbine on her lips
exceptional left footed skill
deceptive swerving hips
nine hundred goals in all she scored
for England and the girls
St Helen’s born she learned her trade
and stunned the football world

those Sundays when the pubs turned out
on streets and fields of stone
against those sturdy drunken lads
our Lily held her own
and in munitions factories
with pride they’d speak her name
an England captain well deserved
and icon for the game

and fans recall a moment when
they waited patiently
a cow-pat by the corner flag
caused much hilarity
but Lily took it in her stride
and in her face that day
of all who filled that Dick Kerr side
young Lily led the way

they flocked in awe to wonder then
so many years ago
to keep alive the game they loved
whilst war was raging so
for back in nineteen seventeen
they’d come from near and far
to see the Dick Kerr Ladies team
led by young Lily Parr

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