Football Poets

passion pride and style

Keegan’s pace and eye for goal

thrilled a million hearts

how to summon this one up
where now to begin
minutes left to just hold on
moments from the win
not those dreaded penalties
not that fabled curse
not just Tuchel’s sit back plan
somehow this was worse
when […]

the man who bent free kicks like spoons
the body and the hair
the man who took America
is now a billionaire
and stands for all that’s bland and sad 
the money and the bling
his profile grows where-ere he […]

times you’re there at midnight
watching like a child
times you battle holding on    
times you just go wild
times of moments times of touches
times on crazy nights
find you grateful just to wit […]

hand of Jord ensures

sweet successs and helps erase

that ol’ hand of God

The World Cup in America, nineteen ninety four,
USA – Colombia, do you recall the score?
While over in the Rose Bowl, with fever running high,
back on the streets, of Medellin, it’s near to do or die […]

You can say what you like about Kane
And sometimes he drives us insane  
But up in attack 
He just has that knack
Of nailing it time and again 

unconvincing still

Bellingham and Kane provide

sweet relief at last

——————–

still weak in defence

tempo needs another shift

if we’re to advance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

how will […]

when England take on Panama
will we display how good we are
or end up staring at the clock
demoralised by their low block
with nine or ten behind the ball
as we just pass and pass the ball
why is it like […]

Ghana stand up tall

Three Lions cannot find a way

through that 5-4-1 ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

way before low blocks

sticking ten behind the ball

was the phrase we’d use ~

with intensity

England’s press and energy

crush Croatia ~

like some lightning bolt

angling home to save Brazil 

‘Vini’ Junior  ~

(Brazil 1-1 Morocco June 13)

——————————–

thirty long years on* 

Tartan Army make their mark

in th […]

with their baying fans 
Mexico remind us all
what this game’s about  ~

(Mexico 2-0 South Africa) – 11 June 2026 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

leaving things til late
Canada claw back a point 
in their op’n […]

the George Cross flags mean something else
than all the times before
when they would fly at World Cup time
but not much any more
the local pubs are struggling now
away across this land
and FIFA’s made the […]

it’s starting to get pretty close now
we’re right on the cusp of the start
but with all of the stuff goin’ on in this world
are we poets still up to take part?
we’ve been here before in Russia – Qatar […]

What have you done to our World Cup
What have you done to our game 
Failing In Football Always
FIFA destroy without shame ?

You’re a plundering clown Infantino
As you cuddle the next one to fleece
Mohammed […]

when I was fifteen

Suave Marv was at the back

standing brave and strong