October review
What a month!
We bid a sad farewell to Ken Bigley, Bill Nicholson and John Peel.
May they Rest In Peace.
In October, we welcomed first time submissions from the following :
Matt Phillips
Graham Bell
Mark Thomas
mottman
Tony Walsh – a Manchester-based performance poet
Johnny Wallman
James Edgar
Neil MacLeod
S B Ingle
Jim Ramsay
Steve Wickham : Steve would be familiar to most of you as one of the members of The Waterboys (one of my very favourite bands).
We also welcomed into the world, young George Wilkinson, son and heir to one of our regular poets, Grimsby Town fan Alistair Wilkinson.
We also saw a welcome return from poets who’ve not posted in a long while : Declan Houton and Joe Reid.
Trying to choose a poem to highlight this month, was really difficult.
I’d recommend :
Declan Houton’s ‘Wayne Rooney Debut’
Parry Maguire’s tribute to Ken Bigley : ‘No Football in Liverpool Today’
‘Crispins Corner’ editorial page for John Peel tributes and also Crispin’s recent workshops
Mottman’s Hillsborough tribute : ‘Cry me a tear’ which includes the names of all 96 victims
Graham Bell’s ‘Giants of Glasgow’
& emphasising the ‘welcome’ theme :
Alistair Wilkinson’s proud daddy ditty : ‘Thank You Uncle Peter’ and also his plaintive ‘How Can I Persuade Him?’
Alan McKean added his congratulations with the following contribution :
Blank Canvas
A new blank canvas
Arrives with each new baby
Ensure its best use
© Alan McKean
I’d like to take that theme and offer :
Haiku for George Wilkinson
A gaping net
Dad’s determination decrees
A Grimsby catch
© Clik the mouse
In the end I’ve plumped for three poems, starting with this poignant double from Mark Thomas :
Friday Night
Football match
Friday night
Steaming cup of tea
Big rosette
Bobble hat
Dad sitting next to me
Big arms
Keep me warm
A love for all to see
Floodlights
Come on Whites!
Lets’s get two or three
Hear my prayer
Take me back there
If only that could be …
© Mark Thomas
Like many Liverpool supporters from the Birkenhead side of the River Mersey, my first “live” football experience was watching Tranmere Rovers. Great memories. Thanks Dad.
The Empty Seat
From his seat he watched Jack Balmer, Billy Liddell then Roger Hunt
Then his favourite was Kevin Keegan when he played up the front
From that seat he clapped and cheered each and every Ian Rush goal
And how he idolised Robbie Fowler when he filled the goal king’s role
By the time of Michael Owen’s reign he found it harder to take his seat
That Scouse spirit was still willing but the flesh it was growing weak
Djibril Cisse is the new young gun. He had dreamed of seeing him score
Ticket in pocket, he passed away. Never quite made it through his door
The turnstiles clicked and the stadium filled. The Kop turned up the heat
Nobody gave thought to where he was. He was now the empty seat
Dedicated to all who have been “the empty seat”.
© Mark Thomas
CONCENTRATED EFFORT
Concentrating.
Really hard.
It is
really hard
To focus on the league
When our eyesights been ruined
by trying to make out faded sepia faces
Of our last cupwinning team
© S B Ingle 28.10.2004
Yes. Norwich City won the Frist Division Championship last season.
No. “Grandad” hasn’t stopped going on about the ’59 cup run.
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!
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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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