Women’s World Cup : Girls United
The Women’s World Cup 2007 is taking place in China.
We’re looking forward to a great tournament and hope for success for Hope Powell’s troops.
BBC2 are covering the tournament – daily highlights (on late) plus England’s matches live :
next up :
Monday 17th September, 13:00 BST, England v Argentina
Also, a great promotion by the FA : Girls United – to help promote football at the junior girls level. Very ably covered in Crispin’s poem below.
More info here – the FA : Girls United
Contributions on the subject posted here at Football Poets, can be viewed by clicking on the poem names below.
Some selected poems copied in full below that list.
World Cup Final : Ni-how-ma World Cup Winnie
girls go out with pride haiku Crispin Thomas
Where There’s … Hope – kevin raymond
pink salmon haiku – World Cup Winnie
Three Lionesses Haiku – Crispin Thomas
Pandas in the Dug-out Haiku – Crispin Thomas
Hope on the Touchline Haiku – Crispin Thomas
Deadlock and Glory Haiku – Crispin Thomas
A Point In China Haiku – Crispin Thomas
Girls United For England – Crispin Thomas
Man to Man – World Cup Winnie
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Girls United For England
Things we blokes didn’t know about women..and football
Football is the number one
female participation sport in England.*
The Active People survey in 2006
highlighted that 250,000 women
and 1.1 million girls
play some form of football.*
FA research has shown
that over 50% of girls
have never taken part in football
and at least 300,000 girls would like to do so. *
ok so it’s kicking off at last ..or is it..
and what can we do?
is chauvenism dead on the field and terraces?
how behind are we
isn’t it time to sit up and take note?
Kelly Holmes or Kelly Smith
both run their hearts out
but one with a ball
let’s backtrack ninety years..
when Englishmen went off to fight World War I in 1914
women were thrown into traditional male roles at home
at work and on the sports field
within 3 years the self-formed Dick Kerr Ladies
fronted by the mighty Lily Parr
were playing matches
to crowds of 50,000..honest!
they played abroad as well
enjoying successful trips
to France, Holland and North America
the team were in truth
the first blend of marketing and football
despite the insane objections of the tme
that paying football might be dangerous
in the birth process
and so women’s football was born
but where are we now?
busy being reborn
and in the Women’s World Cup
having got there for the first time
and facing no less
the old enemy – Germany
in Japan
and another fact…
England’s females
have never beaten Germany
losing 15 of their 16 meetings.
it’s time to get yer flags out for the girls
and don’t they look cool too..
so can I be wrong or sexist
to cast an eye
across to overpaid men
and their so often tact-ruled play
and say.. yes
sexy football is back
we need a draw at least
but more than that
we need to draw girls
their teachers and parents
into the game
guys
get behind the campaign
Girls United
for England
© CT07
*All curent factual information listed above and here is taken from the great new Girls United site launched today by the FA at www.thefa.com/GirlsUnited . Check it out.
*The Girls United campaign in conjunction with the World Cup, aims to inspire girls who have never played football before to take up the beautiful game.
Girls United is specifically targeting 9-11 year old girls, their parents and teachers and a print and on-line campaign will drive them to the specially-built interactive website – TheFA.com/GirlsUnited.
Here you can watch video clips, enter a great competition, sign up and get a squad number and send good luck messages direct to the England women’s team. The website contains details of local Women’s and Girls’ teams so the next generation of international stars can find their local club and kick-off their own football career.*
*Taken from Girls United website..
Come On England!
—————————————————–
2007, Women’s World Cup I : ‘man to man’
Quote from the German team coach :
“I hope that streak continues, but it will be a tough game,” said Germany coach Silvia Neid.
“But the game against England will be a totally different game. England is good in defence and plays well man to man.”
So, football colloquial speak
Overrides the physical reality
I wonder would Emily Pankhurst
Revel in this playful gender neutrality?
But football is football
As per another cliché
So I’ll be cheering for England
When we pitch against the Germans today
© World Cup Winnie, 14th September 2007
England Women vs Germany Women, World Cup Group game, Friday 14th Septermber
—————————————————–
pink salmon haiku
Hope springs eternal
Kelly Smith leaps like a salmon
We’re in the pink!
© World Cup Winnie, 18th September 2007
Congrats to the England girls, who qualified today for the Quarter Finals of the World Cup
Talismanic striker Kelly Smith nets a double.
Manager Hope Powell is rightfully thrilled.
—————————————————–
Three Lionesses Haiku
three lionesses
knock Argentina for six
bring on the quarters
© CT07
Women’s World Cup .China.2007
England 6 Argentina 1.Sept 17
You can watch the quarter final(v USA, N.Korea or Sweden)live on the
BBC on Saturday 22nd 1pm .
—————————————————–
Pandas In The Dug-Out Haiku
joy throughout the camp
pandas in the dug-out
Kelly’s heroes shine
© CTO7
Women’s World Cup. China.2007
England 6 Argentina 1.Sept 17
You can watch the quarter final (v USA, N.Korea or Sweden) live on BBC on Saturday 22nd 1pm.
There really was a panda in the dugout..well on top of it…(a fluffy top mascot one) .They not only need a mention but a reminder of their dwindling numbers. Save them now!
—————————————————–
Where There’s….Hope.
The belles are singing
For Hope Powell’s girls
Blokes back in England
Are jealous as Hell.
A quarter final World Cup spot
When they’re only warming up
USA, North Korea or Sweden
Bring ’em’ all on, cos we hope (sic)
Them England belles will win the cup?
© kev 2007
Caught the terrific England v West Germany highlghts the other night, which was real end to end stuff. Gonna watch this match later tonight.
So….Lets Hear It For The Girls!
peace
kev
—————————————————————————-
girls go out with pride haiku
girls go out with pride
so much England style on show
against the holders
© CT07
USA 3 England 0 Women’s World Cup China 07
It’s been brilliant watching England this time around.We’ve moved on so much since the Euros.In the end fitness and class shone .
Remember USA ironcially has been massive for the girls’ game for years., they are professionals- we are part time, and they haven’t lost in fifty games or more..Bring on the future.
Ni-how-ma
The Bible has it
That God took a rib from Adam
To conjure up Eve
That being so
He must have taken Gerd Muller’s boots
To conceive …
Birgit Prinz
Germany wins
A pity
I was rooting for the flair of Brazil
And the magical Marta
All tournament long
She brought her own beauty to the game
This elusive little darter
And I also loved
Seeing the Brazilian girls dancing in the tunnel
A Samba segue
Part of their warm up routine
Along with superstitions, motivation, tactics
And hair spray
But as so often
T’was Teutonic efficiency uber alles
And Germany won the day
But victory too
For Women’s football as an attraction
Game on : fair play
© World Cup Winnie
Ni-how-ma : a phonetic attempt at the Chinese for ‘Hello’
(Only because I don’t know the Chinese for ‘Goodbye’!)
Sunday 30th September, 2007 : Women’s World Cup final
Germany beat Brazil 2-0
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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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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