Poetry Archives
This archive contains every poem that has been published on Football Poets. They are listed ten-per-page in reverse chronological order so the most recent poems appear first. Click or tap the arrows in the corners of the page to navigate between pages. It's easier to use the search form below to find a specific poem.
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League leaders held at Anfield
Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd
It’s just like the old days
When United led from the top
Cautious on the offensive
They played intending to stop
Liverpool on the other hand
Struggled with fluency
Looking just a little jaded
Are that killer front three
No goals for three games
Yet Alisson was the catch
Foiling United a few times
He’s my man of the match
17 01 21
number7
© emdad rahman
Bobby Kellard (he was Well ‘ard )
Some players are born to ramble
Others play for just one side
Bobby Kellard played for eight different teams
And led them all with pride.
Robert Sydney William Kellard
A north Londoner by birth
A born and natural, feisty leader
And a salt man of the earth
Near the earth, he was we know
Standing only five feet four
But anyone tackled by Bobby Kellard
Always came out bruised and sore
His son Rob was often told by fans
‘you’re dad was a dirty player’
“No, he was just a little bit ‘ard,” said Rob
“He always tried to play it fair.”
He started out with Southend United
Then was signed, by Palace boss Dick Graham
And in midfields throughout the football world
Bobby Kellard caused sheer mayhem.
Combative, ferocious, tenacious
Were descriptive words for Bobby
Whose ruthlessness in winning tackles
Was on par with MacKay and Nobby.
Sold by Palace to Ipswich town
Was the man with the chest of barrel
Bought by Bristol City, Pompey,
and then Leicester’s Frank O’Farrell
He re-signed for Palace in 71
About forty grand we paid
And after just half a dozen games
Our captain he was made.
He led us into battle
Saved the team from relegation
Loved by all the Palace fans
For his inspirational dedication.
He weren’t no Martin Peters
And he weren’t no Johnny Giles
But to the fans of Crystal Palace
He brought happiness and smiles.
He was transferred back to Pompey
Where he made the history books
Being the first player ever sent off on a Sunday
After throwing a few right hooks.
So Bobby you were a rare one
A captain through and through
While some players for brekks have cornflakes
It was nails that you would chew.
So for all the clubs you rambled
And all the grounds you played
The name of Bobby Kellard
Will never, ever fade.
R.I.P. Bobby
Historical notification
Carlyle defined genius as an infinite
capacity for taking pains so the human
pain that has to be borne is often beyond
imagining
Can I define footballer’s genius as an
infinite capacity for taking pains so that
footballer’s pain that has to be borne
is often beyond imagining
Marine Mourinho & The Magic of The Cup
A windswept beach and the Gormley statues
The footprints of Ancelotti across the Crosby sands
And now Marine Fc in that self same corner of the world
A club named after the local pub
Enjoy the magic of the Cup, lit up by a papercut Klopp
A back garden prosecco and a 16 year old lad living his dream.
Also in Mexico
Diego was Diego
The Mexico 1986
was Diego’s El Dorado
My memory recorded
one refrain as though
Lineker it is goal
And one special goal
scored by Manuel Negrete
incredible
Lineker ended in Barcelona
in 1986
Gary Gary Gary
not Cooper really
But Lineker truthfully
Diego and Gary
Barcelona’s scary
I hate Covid
Ohhh Covid you’re such an invaded pest
I cannot watch my football team
Your presence I do detest
I miss the football banter
Whilst watching from the stand
But as long as Covid is around
Us football fans are banned
I cannot get excited
when I’m watching on TV
There is a special channel I watch
But I cannot view it for free
Even though I bought a season ticket
They charge to watch the game
I suppose I’m now an armchair fan
Because Covid is to blame.
Lets hope I get to watch my team
Before this season ends
Or at least a chance next season
But I guess that all depends
This nasty killing virus
Will leave us once for all
And allow us once again
To enjoy our stadium football.
Live Streaming Away
It’s not easy being a live streamer,
not easy at all,
when hapless camera crews seem
incapable of following the ball
or wiping rain drops from the lens
while we can see nothing at all
or zoom so far from the action
we could be up a mountain in Nepal.
It’s not easy being a live streamer,
not easy at all,
when enjoying such poor sound, plus
punditry so partial it’s funnier
than the late Bobby ‘Rock on Tommy’ Ball.
To add insult to injury, the gall,
they’re charging us £9.99 to watch
this live football.
It’s not easy being a live streamer.
No, not easy at all.
King of the Kippax
As a youngster falling in love with football
And all things Liverpool Fc
I watched Colin Bell in his pomp for City
A blur of blonde brilliance
Bright shining in light blue
His fireworks lit up Maine Road
And Anfield, and any pitch privileged to catch his play
Like Nijinsky he ran rings round the rest
The man with three lungs.
Colin Bell – 1946-2021
I still have my copy of “Colin Bell”
Reluctant hero on the field of play
Kept safe in my cellar in hope
The legend would sign it one day
Malcom Allison once spoke
Signing City’s midfield kingpin
Nabbed him for a pittance
“An unbelievable bargain”
There’s a League Cup trophy
Helped City go up
Three times top scorer
And the Cup Winners Cup
England caps, the title, FA Cup
A titan with boundless energy
Maestro, king of the Kippax
We pay homage to Nijinsky
05 12 20
number7
© emdad rahman
Saints topple the champs
Southampton 1-0 Liverpool
It’s been over five hours
Saints failed to hit the board
With his old club in town
That man Ings just scored
Not a shot on target
Surely it would get better
But the Saints rearguard
Followed it to the letter
In the South Coast
We failed to get to grips
With three points dropped
Our rivals lick their lips
04 12 20
number7
© emdad rahman
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
Emdad Rahman
17th January 2021
John J O’Connor
15th January 2021
Gacina Bozidar
13th January 2021
Sharon Jones
10th January 2021
Gacina Bozidar
9th January 2021
Dennis Swift
9th January 2021
Dave Martin
8th January 2021
Sharon Jones
6th January 2021
Emdad Rahman
5th January 2021
Emdad Rahman
4th January 2021
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
13th November 2020 at 9:52 pm
I am interested in the tale about The
Boot Room and Shankley
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12th November 2020 at 11:21 am
Hi Sharon
Please see my private message re arecent use of one of your poems from Manchester cheers C
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9th October 2020 at 8:17 pm
Hi Daniel,
Good to see you are still writing about the ‘Tic. Hope all is good with you.
Best, Sharon
See in context
4th October 2020 at 9:52 am
So true mate.
You’re certainly not alone in your thinking. I get incensed sometimes.
Aside from the endless and stillwith its -here once labelled Fergie Time moments ,we now have VAR with its far off decisions by supposed ‘neutrals’ .
So …the supposed influenced ‘integrity’ of refs and neutrals favouritism ?
You could tuck it away into some corner and call it yet another football conspiracy theory, (like analyzing and searching to find which teams refs follow and VAR assistant refs (if we knew ) but it still occurs too often for me.
It raises the question is there such a thing a a real neutral. Everyone who watches football definitely supports or has a soft spot for some club however tenuous..
BTW When I was 10 and the Munich Air Crash happened. i (and many at my school in Fulham) was a Chesea fan but took United on as my second lcub for a season through that awfdul time. Now FGR are my life and my team in the next village and i drum (when we get back) on the terrace at 72 with the young kids and scoff vegan pies and get bwind Dale’s green vision for the planet …
Go well Attila and stry safe with your good lady….
Best Crispin
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18th September 2020 at 5:39 pm
nice one sorting a pic to go with..off to a trial run with several hundfred masked fans v Bradgford at FGR tomorrow
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16th September 2020 at 5:51 pm
Sorted! Cheers. SJ
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6th September 2020 at 6:23 pm
Hi again
This message from Ken via the site.
Ken Storey
mail: kensart@talktalk.net
Message: Message for Sharon Jones. I hadn’t been able to contact you as your email seems to have lapsed and would like to know if you still want your Liverpool Christ painting. Let me know if you want it and when you can pick it up from me at 27 Mentmore Road L18 4PU. Hope you are well. Best wishes Ken Storey
See in context
6th September 2020 at 6:22 pm
Hi Sharon-PLEASE CONFIRM RECEIVED
This request from Gavin via the site. Can you get back to him please. If you don’t want to do it let me know, I might have a go.
Name: Gavin Blackwell
Email: gavinleelee@hotmail.co.uk
Message: Hi,
I am looking to make contact with Sharon Jones to see if can or someone could write a poem from my article The Brutality of life of the football Physio?
Best Regards
Gavin Blackwell
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29th July 2020 at 9:26 pm
Hi Crispin,
I’ve only just seen your comment about a photo of the gates. I will dig one out.
I’ve still not been to The New Lawn but I do hope to get there one day.
Martyn
See in context
29th July 2020 at 6:41 am
Woohoo….sentiment shared Denys.
I thought the huge No 3 on Chelsea’s new shirts strange enough.
Keep on mate.. C
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