Dennis Swift
My name is Dennis, I’m 60 and a retired Plasterer from Atherton Greater Manchester. I was an only child who had a fantastic upbringing which made me into what I am today.
I left School without qualifications to take up an apprenticeship with my Father. After three years I became a qualified Plasterer.
In 1976 I met my wife to be, some say she deserves a medal for staying with me so long, so last year I bought her one. Together we have three grown up Children who all have gone on to become successful in their own careers.
Besides my wife, my Passion is Football, I have been a Bolton Wanderers supporter and season ticket holder since the early 60s. I have been fortunate enough to have seen them from rock bottom to performing in Europe and back to rock bottom. Whilst following the Wanderers I was selected by Sky Sports to do Fanzone. Fanzone was where two fans from each club commentated offering an alternate to the normal Martin Tyler/Andy Grey commentary during Sky Sports live games. I was fortunate to do this from 2002 until Sky decided to stop it.
have featured on TV with Simon O’Brien of Brookside fame on a quiz show called `Did I Not Know That` answering questions on Football. My recent escapades took me to London for the filming of a `Tipping Point` show hosted by Ben Shepherd. My episode was aired in November 2015. I declined the chance to appear on 15 to 1 because of a commitment to “The Chase” where filming of my episode will be in March of this year.
In 2012 I had my first book published, “Football Rhymes of Passion” sold in many different countries, all proceeds went to a local charity. My second book “Caught on Site…Confessions of a Tradesman” was published early in January of this year and is a light hearted look at what we got up to whilst working on Social Housing refurbishments. The book seems to have been sold all over the country, and according to the publisher it is in demand.
My other passion is for real Ale, I love the nice tasty Ales from Micro Breweries and the Belgian beers all of which are fantastic. I am a member of CAMRA and volunteer at Festivals. This gives me the opportunity to sample some delightful beers before passing on my tasting notes to the Festival Punters.
Poems by Dennis Swift
- Never happy fans
- Couldn’t catch a Shrimp
- Donkey Centre Forward
- Renewed interest
- We finally did it.
- It’s All Looking Good.
- I Miss Football
- We’re not very good
- From Premier league to league 2
- I hate Covid
- Bored without Football
- Scary times
- Wanderers return
- Wake up EFL
- The price of Football
- Ground Zero
- Frozen Out!
- White Hot
- Make or Break.
- Bolton’s dilema
- We live in hope
- Sort it out Freedman
- Sort it out Duggie
- Not enough cash for the Boro clash
- White Hot
- Sixty two quid
- Deluded Dug (Freedman)
- The chairman’s appointments
- Political correct poetry
- My Football club’s a joke
- Same Old England
- Tough goin for Owen!
- The Old Days
- The Joker
- Time to go
- That Damn Man Yoo
- Fabrice Muamba ( Danger man )
- Phil`s Harmonic
- Goodbye Mr Megson
- The Reebok road to nowhere.
- Call up Kevin Davies
- Old Trafford Fable
- COZ I STILL AINT GOT TICKETS
- Coz I aint got any tickets
- Venue of legends
- Rickets request
- An extra game
- SAM ALLARDYCES LUCKY UNDERPANTS
- The old embankment
- Stressful being a Bolton fan
- The real world
- ANOTHER DEFEAT
- Man Utd poem II
- Rodney Marsh
- A dear night out
- Fans and alcohol
- The price of failure
- Commentary game No 4
- Oh what a beautiful Saturday
- A game from 73
- Give the job to Pete
- Commentary game No 3
- Football all the way
- THRASHED AGAIN
- Hooligans
- A team of Donkey`s
- commentary game No1
- Commentary game No2
- Go Interactive
- Fireworks and baloons
- A new centre forward
- Sorry for crewe
- Drown your sorrows
- Long ball
- SPACE INVADERS
- Local talent
- NICE GROUND
- A battling performance
- Humble pie
- Complaining fans
- Wishfull thinking
- RAIN MAN
- SKINT
- A FISH CALLED WANDERER
- CRITISIZE
- Englands worry
- I used to go a Wanderering
- Silence
- Whinging Alex (Ferguson)
- THE NEW MAN IN CHARGE
- TAYLOR MADE (The England boss)
- SOCCER AM
- MY ALL TIME SELECT
- THE GRIMSBY GAME
- BARRY KNIGHT
- The Evening News
- The pompey chimes
- Days of old
- AFFIRMATION (I Believe to the tune by SAVAGE GARDEN)
- ALMIGHTY SAM
- Load more
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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