Poems tagged ‘Russia’
On Charles Dickens watching England win on Pennos haiku
From the best of times
To the worst of times, and then!
The best time ever!
Gareth Southgate W1A Penno haiku
‘We own the process.’
I’ve no idea what that means –
But I’m glad we do.
On Day Seventeen.
Spain v Russia.
I’m backing The (former) USSR(sic)
In the shoot-out
Buenas Noches Espana.
**************************
Denmark v Croatia
A lottery
Morphed into refereed psychology
Denmark succumb to mind-games.
**************************************
Russia & Croatia Shoot Outs haiku-Day 17
such contrasting games
endless passing – huff and puff
in the end it’s pens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spain 1-1 Russia
Russia win 4-3 on penalties
mastering defence
Russian grit defies the odds
Spain are down and out
passing us to sleep
Spain’s obsession is undone
tika taxi home
they may not be great
maybe they can’t pass all night
but Russia are through
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Croatia 1-1 Denmark
Croatia win 3-2 on penalites
from its crazy start
how this battle swayed and swung
til its bitter end
somehow you just knew
in this see saw to and fro
spot kicks would decide
whatever you say
shoot outs are a lottery
but the only way
World Cup day 17
Hosts pull off shock to reach last eight
Spain (3) 1-1 (4)
Sack your manager
On the eve of the cup
Bring in a legend
Hope it all adds up
Wrestling Ignashevich into his own net
Ramos tried hard to claim as his
In later years this comical moment
Will feature on a sports quiz
Dzyuba puts away the penalty
Mother Russia’s children rejoice
Extra time and penalties
166 million Russians raise their voice
Now it’s down to the keepers
De Gea feels the pain
Akinfeev and his left leg
Koke and Aspas the villains for Spain
01 07 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Penalty shoot sees Croatia home
Croatia (3) 1-1 (2) Denmark
It wasn’t even a minute
Croatia’s defence looked tipsy
Jorgensen is alert
Before the clock struck sixty
You score, we level
That’s only fair
Croatia go back upfield
Mandzukic makes it square
Schmeichel pulled off three saves
With him the Danes are rich
Alas not this shootout
Settled by Ivan Rakitic
01 07 18
number7
© emdad rahman
France Uruguay+Farewell Messi Ronaldo -Day 16
rivalries aside
for Ronaldo and Messi
time to say farewell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
France 4-3 Argentina
in this Russian heat
two proud nations lock their horns
France emerge and stay
this new prodigy
Mbape with youthful touch
tears Argie apart
fluent style and pace
dancing on our global stage
Allez on Les Bleus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uruguay 2-1 Portugal
like an eagle swoops
Cavani the pouncer here
with such stunning goals
Ronaldo forlorn
Portugal again fall short
Uruguay stand tall
chances come and go
Sky Blues here remind us all
grab them while you can
The Russian Constellation
The curtain rose up in Russia
In a number of different ways,
And the actors from many countries
Lined up on the world-wide stage.
One month to perform
Watched from near and afar,
A constellation of footballers
All set to star.
One by one they start falling,
Shooting stars to the ground,
And at the end of the month
There’ll be just two left around.
Only one will be shining
When the curtain comes down,
And that’s the country that wins
And leaves wearing the crown.
Ianthe 30 June 2018
Three One Nils & a One Two Haiku- WC Day 15
Three One Nils & a One Two Haiku
three goals in three games
one nil one nil and one nil…
and then a one two !
Senegal 0-1 Columbia
this is what I love
two great continents who bring
rhythm and passion
oh what fans they have
like some Womad festival
colour dance and song
so what should we fear?
will Rodriguez recover?
Cuadrado looks hot
Japan 0-1 Poland
once again they win
teams already going home
Samurai won’t mind
into the sixteen
just like England and Belg’yum
syllables but just
Poland wake at last
Lewandowski’s thoughts will turn
to his future team
England 0-1 Belgium
in this evening light
we played out a tame affair
with a second team
though our fate is sealed
Rashford-Loftus Cheek aside
what did we learn here ?
when the chips are down
can one really plot a route?
only time will tell
Panama 1-2 Tunisia
with nothing to lose
both sides give their fans a lift
and a fond farewell
love the enegy
that both sides bring and display…
sad to see them go
how dull would it be
without sides like Panama
and Tunisia?
Into the Side Netting
The lines, angles and shapes are wrong. Which
algal bloom will form when the ground has gone –
sunk or deserted – while for now Peru find time
left them, talent still potent, reminiscing
about far post chances, a faulty connection
into the side netting?
A stray Time Out deep in the boot bag –
no substitute for better grains –
forms afterthoughts of wholesome sustenance
as a temporary breakfast lifeline, sugar hypo-
thesis shows how skill falls to the unforeseen
like sublime seasonal post orchestration
when addresses are miswritten,
omitted bunkers on the Lego architect’s plan,
misattribution of cylinders
you awoke to find on the lawn
and a sense of having failed by 7:30 a.m.
such are the new tasks to perform.
Peru did nothing but find careful design
left them just the wrong side.
World Cup day 12
El Hadary the star but Saudis take spoils
Saudi Arabia 2-1 Egypt
A 45 year old makes history
Evergeen Essam El Hadary
Taking Faryd Mondragon’s record
Saving Fahad Al Muwallad’s penalty
There’s that Red forward
Salah the Egyptian gem
Brilliantly lobbing the ball
Over Yasser Al-Mosailem
El Hadary conceded two
His countrymen left bereft
Salman Al Faraj’s spot kick
Al Dawsari with seconds left
Charruas make it three on the trot
Uruguay 3-0 Russia
The home party is muted
Cut to size in Samara
Fernando Muslera breaks a record
His country’s most capped ever
Russia had scored eight goals
Home support makes them tick
Falling behind to the Charruas
Suarez drilled a clever free kick
Worse for Cherchesov’s boys
Cheryshev was unlucky
Akinfeev blocked Bentancur
But Cavani pounced for three
Ansarifard quells Quaresma
Iran 1-1 Portugal
Somehow unfulfilled
Yet so colourful a career
His right foot flick pure madness
That for you is Ricky Quaresma
Television is taking control
VAR once again to the fore
Ronaldo fluffs a penalty
He’s still on goal number four
Lucky escape for Ronaldo
VAR once again to the fore
Ansarifard’s penalty spot on
Portugal second and a little bit sore
VAR leaves La Roja leading group
Spain 2-2 Morocco
Spain survive a scare
As VAR catches many on the hop
Iran’s late goal against Portugal
Sees La Roja finish top
Morocco are home and
They’re really not so bad
Khalid Boutaib keeps his cool
Isco levels in Kalinigrad
Youssef En-Nesyri heads a second
VAR awards Aspas’ flick
Spain will now play Russia
Maroc get ready to go home
25 06 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Beards Snails & Stars haiku -WC Day 8
things are hotting up
still the ‘fave-rites’* struggle with
beards snails and stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Denmark 1-1 Australia
Jedinak spot on
striking pens like stroking beards
Socceroos hold Danes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
France 1-0 Peru
Bleus advance like snails
with their huge army of fans
bold Peru are gone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Argentina 0-3 Croatia
Croats light the night
Rakitic their shooting star
Argies lost in space
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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 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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