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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Back For One Day
back for one day
to the ground on the hill
careful and wary
with Covid here still
temp’rature testing
out here on the street
we stand in a line
in our masks in the heat
we’re grateful to be here
this late Summer day
we keep to a distance
just like ev”ry day
it could be a one-off
the way things are going
and when we’ll be back
we have no way of knowing
the grass is so green
and the sky is so blue
there’s barely a cloud
but a breeze billows through
and for ninety odd minutes
of real live football
we don’t think about
what’s surrounding us all
the game is a flurry
of chances and goals
a blurry distraction
but safely controlled
we even discover
that crowds can still cheer
in spite of these masks
that we all have to wear
and here at the end
we all follow the rules
and are led out in rows
like we did back in school
the streets are all quiet
as we wind down the hill
now we’re back in the world
that’s surrounding us still
Mane double sinks Blues
Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool
Christensen shown the red
Mane the Grim Reaper
Straight after half-time
Another nightmare for Kepa keeper
Mane took control
Heading in Firmino’s cross
Chasing down Arrizabalaga
Shaken head from Lampard boss
Hendo is off with an injury
Thiago gave the shirt a feel
It’s a reality check for Chelsea
Edouard Mendy the next big deal
20 09 20
number7
© emdad rahman
The Physio
The glory of football
In the matches we love
The breath-taking goals
The tip of the glove
But a club is a body
Of myriad parts
The backroom the boot room
Not just its stars
The steel of the midfield
With strength to endure
But the back of the physio
The strongest of all.
The Who
Who?
The Who?
RINAT DASAYEV
What?
Was facing VAN BASTEN’s volley
The result ?
1988 was the year
The Soviet national team existed
Where ?
In Germany where
THE EURO 1988 was held
What he has done really?
Conceded
most memorable goal in football’s
history
And to add something
The Who are an English rock band
formed in London in 1964
Season 20/21 – Champions are off with a thriller
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds
Mo Salah with a hat trick
This game needed a killer
Liverpool finally sink Leeds
In an opening day Anfield thriller
Salah on the opening day
For the fourth season in a row
Leeds levelled three times
They’ve been sixteen years below
“Leeds are special,” said Klopp.
“The way they play is uncomfortable.
“If you don’t respect the opponent
“They will kill you!”
12 09 20
number7
© emdad rahman
Grace
play the game
for love
not for glory
or gain
tackle with dignity
the obstacles and
traps and tropes
and the winning goal
that no one saw you score
will be seen.
Football Seasons
As children we gladly troop along
And follow the piper’s thrilling throng
Enthralled bewitched by the green of the pitch
The banners flags and aye the songs
As teens we slowly drift and stroll
To fall in love with rock and roll
The snarky verbs of Lydon swerve
The punkish volleys of the turf
Middle age and money thinly spread
Whilst waistlines grasp elastic death
The starstruck heart no longer beats
And yearns the football of the street
A grassroots heaven terrace free
Of pomp and advert neon plea
Thus tender years of youth must flee
Give way this day to vintage stage
And all the better for the age.
All Things Must Pass
Match-day programmes
Old skool fanzines
A standing terrace
The stuff of dreams
A pie & a pint
Tales of away
Like me my old trabs
Have seen better days
But Saturday’s youth
These seasons have grown
Winners & losers
Wisdom is sown
All things must pass
On the final road home.
We All Live in a Socially Distanced Kop!
Going to the game with a hand wash and mask
Swapping the Bovril and hot tea in a flask
Co-Vid volunteers with precision they zoom
The clubhouse is spotless elbow grease and broom
Aye it feels different but we’re back at the match
And it’s still flippin’ football, and for that we give thanks
Digital programmes cashless ticket sale
‘We all live in a socially distanced Kop’ the fans new refrain!
Still Behind Closed Doors
back on my own in the South Stand once more
but where are my mates and the crowd like before?
I’d love to stay but there’s no-one to ask
up on the hill in my hat and my mask
feel like a robber whose stuck in a dream
a bandit a cowboy up there on the screen
science or fiction it’s tricky to say
whatever happened to our Saturdays?
missing the moaning the drumming the lads
keep thinkin’ back to the times that we had
and nobody knows when we’ll stand here once more
now Rovers are playing behind closed doors
took it for granted this game we adore
feel like a rock star whose cancelled his tour
feel like I’ve sneaked in and shouldn’t be here
place is deserted there’s nothing to cheer
you say it’s easing and it’s gonna end
but you also told me that we could defend !
socially distanced the lockdowns and zoom
what will we do when the matches resume ?
yes we’ll be grateful that we are alive
but how will the smaller clubs ever survive
will it be down to a vaccine or cure
now Rovers are playing behind closed doors ?
I miss the times when we just couldn’t score
when we were brilliant and when we were poor
I miss the cold and the wind on my face
I miss the singing the vibe and the place
I miss the Quorn Pie the banter and friends
but when we all be together again ?
watching online doesn’t do it for me
bring on the day when it’s how it should be
when we are back and we’ll grumble and cheer
making creating a new atmosphere
and I’d give it all to be back here once more
but sadly it’s only still behind closed doors
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
Crispin Thomas
22nd September 2020
Emdad Rahman
20th September 2020
Sharon Jones
18th September 2020
Gacina Bozidar
13th September 2020
Emdad Rahman
12th September 2020
Sharon Jones
30th August 2020
Sharon Jones
29th August 2020
Sharon Jones
27th August 2020
Sharon Jones
25th August 2020
Crispin Thomas
25th August 2020
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
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
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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
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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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16th July 2020 at 9:32 pm
Neil,
thanks for introducing us to a poetic form that we haven’t seen or utilized here!
It sets us an interesting challenge!
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16th July 2020 at 5:18 pm
Hi Neil -hope you’re happy with the way it’s laid out. (Thanks Christian). I think from memory, this is the first ever hay(na)ku on Football Poets here on this or the old site in 20 years!
Coincidentally, re C.O.A, Michael Horovitz is very much associated with Stroud and Slad in particular (also the home of Laurie Lee.)
Stroud is where Football Poets as a website began in 2000 and where Michael’s son Adam Horovitz lives. Adam is a fine pastoral and performance poet and a good friend. If you do a search in the search button he does have 4 football poems on here being a Sunderland fan.
Stroud is also close to Forest Green Rovers, who I follow regularly these days, and is also where I am based. I grew up close to Stamford Bridge in London having followed Chelsea for 50 years
Re WBA… Great community club. I worked there several times in the 2000s running anti-racism football poetry workshops with young local school students, as part of their Football In The Community programme
Best wishes
Crispin
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16th July 2020 at 11:13 am
Hi Martyn
I tried to find a pic of the old Crittall gates at Braitntree to feature on the page with your poem, without sucess.Was interested to see them.
As a regular Forest Green fan (don’t scream!) I’m really familiar with the Iron iron and meeting up with your fans when they came up here on the hill for games.
I also still remember well, the NL 2015 play offs and how close you came back in the Cowley (pre-Lincoln/Huddersfield) days v Grimsby, who we of course lost to at Wembley.
Keep on. Crispin
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16th July 2020 at 11:04 am
Great Lines Leonie…sentiment shared..but we will get through this..And think how anazing it will be be to get back to to our grounds, our friends and our teams…
best Crispin
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