Poems tagged ‘Russia’
Day 7 Euro 2020 haiku
now well in the mix
early scares are put to rest
As Ukraine edge on
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in a wall of sound
Austria are rolled aside
By a strong Oranje
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
with emotions high
Belgian class the difference here
as Denmark stand tall
Day 3 Group C Matches.Euro 2020 haiku
with a win at last
Austria roll back the years
as brave Balkans fade ~
(Austria 3-1 .North Macedonia
Bucharest. Group C . Euro 2020.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thrilling til the end
Netherlands ride out the waves
in an Orange sea ~
(Netherlands 3-2 Ukraine
Amsterdam. Group C, Euro 2020)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Russia v Belgium.
Number one in The World, Belgium
Putin in a workmanlike shift
To out mussel a dire Russian eleven
Martinez, realizes a problem exists…
“We need to talk about Kevin?”
WC2018 A to Z
A is for Albion. The boys done us proud. Laud ‘em out loud.
B is for Brexit. No mention, amongst the tension, until of course, Brazil exit early. Spot the surly.
C is for Charades (see VAR). Replaces the imaginary waving of cards.
D is for Deutschland über alles? NEIN! Defending champs – in decline.
E is for Engerrlun! We dared to dream, so proud of the team.
F is for Fourth, a satisfactory conclusion, met with complimentary effusion. Also;
FCHS: Football’s Coming Home Syndrome: a contagious delusion.
G is for GLT: irrefutable, technology done right, no confusion.
H is for Holland – no, not the Oranjeboom, but assistant Steve – & set pieces he’ll conceive! Also:
Hat-trick Hero Harry! No thought of defeat.
I is for It’s Coming Home! Repeat and repeat!
J is for Jordan: no, not the country, but messers Henderson & Pickford, Mackem mates.
K is for captain Kane: we salute one of the greats.
L is for Last Legs – true warriors give their all
M is for Messi – didn’t see enough of the ball.
N is for Novichok – no not a stadium! To conspiracy theorists, it could have been
such a poisonous semi-final match!
with Medics required, for every single scratch!
O is for Ospina, saved one penalty, but thankfully not Eric Dier’s!
P is for Pure poetry – it never tires!
Q is for Qatar next up, to host World Cup.
R is for Russia – all bow to our fabulous hosts. From Arctic Circle, to Caspian coasts.
S is for St George’s flag – proudly displayed, courage conveyed.
T is for Telstar 18 – official World Cup ball
U is for unreserved admiration, to one and all
V is for VAR – a new form of entertainment – valiant arbitrary randomness!
W is for Waistcoat – cue dapper Gareth. Also:
Winners: France, witness the victory dance. Also:
Wild Boar FC – a story bigger than the World Cup?!? The impossible happened.
Kudos to the rescuers and survivors.
Took our minds away, from the wrong kind of divers!
X is for Xherdan Shaqiri – from Swiss ‘burbs, upsetting the Serbs, with flag on his boots,
proud of his Kosovan roots.
Y is for Yeltsin, Putin, Gorbachev, Marx – you should be proud of your comrades,
in the fan-friendly parks.
Z is for Zabivaka – official mascot: Wolf “The one who scores”; (with great big paws); also
Zero violence, zero mess: the tournament = 100%, a great success!!!
Incredible Les Bleus take football home: France 4-2 Croatia
Twas France who struck gold first
Sucker own goal by Mandzukic
Croatia throw caution to the wind
One one soon by Perisic
Moscow hadn’t had enough yet
It was Perisic who would make
Nestor Pitana’s VAR penalty
Griezmann makes no mistake
Howitzer from Paul Pogba
On the hour it’s Mbappe
Making this teen a final scorer
Ever since a guy called Pele
15 07 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Mbappe Burns Bright -Les Blues Final Bound
France 1-0 Belgium
on a Summer’s night
promising so much in class
two great sides lock horns
in among such stars
like some Winter Russian sky
Mbappe burns bright
Red Devils impress
Hazard bursts and weaves in vain
til Umtiti strikes
tight as tight can be
one sweet set piece is enough
to see Les Bleus through
Can We Start To Dream?
can we start to dream
or are we fooling ourselves…..
why not all the way?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweden 0-2 England
whatever you say
England swept the Swedes apart
with this new belief
just like Duracell
who cares if Raheem can’t score
he just runs and runs
just two steps away
way beyond our widest dreams
could this be our time?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Russia 2-2 Croatia (4-3 AET)
politics aside
Russian faces in the crowd
show a different side
oh how close they came
always in it til the end
and those cruel pens
Manzukic et al
somehow keep their tired heads
for this spot kick win
World Cup day 21
England are in the semi finals
Sweden 0-2 England
Gareth Southgate joins the ranks
Of Sir Alf and Sir Bobby
For the first time in 28 years
England are in the semi
Red Henderson controlled the flow
Playing to the English choir
England ahead from a set piece
It’s that man Harry Maguire
A hat trick of saves from Pickford
Trippier and Lingard combined
Delle Alli heads in at the far post
Last four sealed, delivered, signed
Croats break Russian hearts
Russia (3) 2-2 (4) Croatia (AET)
It’s the World Cup that keeps giving
Tis the tale of Mother Russia
When Subasic is caught napping
Cheryshev whips in a blinder
Kramaric squares
Vida tightens the rope
Fernandes the boy from Brazil
Gives Mother Russia hope
Not the greatest ever shootout
Fernandes goes to zero
Who will be the difference?
Modric is the nations hero
07 07 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Sweden England Next haiku
Sweden England next
hopefully play-actingless
and a finer game
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweden 1-0 Switzerland
Zlatanless but through
One deflection is enough
To cut this Swiss roll
furnished with success
flat pack four Ikea like
Sweden build their home
ten man Swiss compound
Blagult are still in the mix
England now await
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colombia 1-1 England
England win 4-3 on penalties.
dear oh dear oh dear
where on Earth do we begin
to pen our relief?
nervy night again
no Rashford* or Loftus Cheek
we looked poor upfront
through but only just
penalty hoodoo undone
but we must improve
coming home the cry
suddenly on ev’ry lip
wiil it be in tears?
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!
My Account
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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