Football Poets

Hi Steve

I’ve come across you before on the live poetry circuit…something  I’ve also been involved in since the late 90s at slams, gigs and festivals. Did you ever get to Glasto?

I was also at Swindon when José subbed and berated Kevin in a League Cup game for Chelsea….

Salah as you point out went the same way…

Be interesting to see Kev’s next move?

Best

Crispin

Hey Denys..love this

“You may be a miner working down a pit.
You may be a rock star playing sold out gigs.
You may be a fireman putting out a blaze.
You may be an inmate chalking off the days. ”

Not just Dylan but maybe an unintentional nod to and  shades of Ian Dury’s enigmatic  ‘What A Waste’ rhythmic scanning..eg:

I could be the driver in an articulated lorry
I could be a poet I wouldn’t need to worry
I could be a teacher in a classroom full of scholars
I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
What a waste
What a waste

Was lucky enough to meet and interview him twice.

Best wishes from Forest Green to Genoa  C

Thanks Crispin

I’ve been to FGR a couple of times in the past – great food! Barnet look like they have the NL sewn up for this season, but I wish you well for promotion next season.

Regards, Beth

TO ADD THIS TO THIS POEM’S COMMENT:WELCOME BACK DAVID MOYES!!!

‘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

Great poem and great to see you back Wyn.

Don’t leave it so long next time my friend!

More please.

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

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.

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!!!!