I have followed Newcastle United for more years than I care to remember through thin and thin, although these days I spend more time watching local non league football in the North East, I am a father and grandfather who likes to dabble in writing a bit of poetry just for my own pleasure.
Poems by John Oliver
- These Days……..Those Days.
- Clatts my boy.
- All that glitters…….
- Watch out Big Sam’s about.
- European Union v The Toon.
- Pavel Srnicek
- In the wrong hands.
- Twixt Tears and Tyne
- Value4MoneyFootball.
- Big Mac’s leaving do.
- Chelsea 6 Newcastle Utd 5
- Staying Put….until next window.
- What’s up Doc.
- Time to walk away.
- The Teflon John.
- Millfield of Dreams
- Our hearts go with you.
- Ashley buys Liverpool F.C.
- Those Fullwell End stairs.
- Is this seat taken please.
- Ashley plans ahead.
- Whatever would Sir Bobby think ?
- NUFC….Time for change.
- On the ( Tyneside ) Street where we lived.
- The Final Whistle.
- Gus, Gus…a Minus or Plus.
- J.F.K.
- Cockney in the Toon.
- Sorry, not for sale.
- A simple tribute.
- The name stays the same.
- November the 5th…..Newcastle in 3rd.
- Room At The Top
- Well it makes a refreshing change.
- October 2nd and In 4th Spot.
- Late, Late show.
- Hard times ahead.
- Comic book heroes.
- It never rains but it pours……..at SJP.
- Another fine mess.
- When Saturday came around.
- A season too far.
- The crying game.
- Nat Lofthouse broke my heart.
- MP (3) Player.
- The once special F.A. Cup.
- I beg your Pardew.
- Out with the old….In with the new.
- A Geordie Xmas wish.
- Next in the firing line.
- All’s fair in love…….And footie.
- Any stickers to swap ?
- Big Sam, Little respect.
- Hush Hush at the library.
- Stick with us Chris.
- Up on the roof.
- Time to call a halt.
- Number Nine shirt.
- Jackie Sinclair R.I.P.
- In defence of the 4th official.
- You couldn’t make it up.
- A taste of what’s in store ?
- The Clown Prince.
- All Aboard.
- Toon’s new number 5.
- Big Titus.
- Probables v Possibles.
- Poor relations.
- Going up yes….staying up???????
- Bouncebackability
- The Entertainers
- Ready to Party.
- The game that I once knew.
- Winter Blues
- F.A.Cup 2010.
- Boxing Day Memories.
- Unreliable (club) source.
- 60s Revisited.
- Overated…..Overdrawn.
- Who are you ??
- Please call it a day.
- Unlucky for some ?
- Fondly remembered.
- Albert Stubbins.
- Green Army, great fans.
- Cheryl Cole….Geordie saviour.
- Window Shopping.
- What is a football fan ?
- No Respect
- Robert William Robson. 1933-2009.
- The great and not so great.
- The deck chair top.
- How to ruin a football club.
- Then there were none (Premiership games left)
- And Now There’s Just One
- Now there are Two.
- Then there were Three
- Now there are Four.
- just for the kids
- Then there were Five.
- 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
joe morris
12th May 2025
Mike Bartram
8th May 2025
joe morris
8th May 2025
Mike Bartram
6th May 2025
Alex Saynor
4th May 2025
joe morris
4th May 2025
Steven Taylor
30th April 2025
kevin halls
30th April 2025
joe morris
28th April 2025
Mike Bartram
28th April 2025
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
24th April 2025 at 1:05 pm
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
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8th March 2025 at 2:34 pm
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
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11th January 2025 at 8:13 am
TO ADD THIS TO THIS POEM’S COMMENT:WELCOME BACK DAVID MOYES!!!
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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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