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Poems tagged ‘Anti-racism’

Windrush generation

Clik The Mouse

Friday, June 23rd, 2023

Stepping out onto Albion’s shores
from the ironsides of Windrush
came future friends
future trends
future stars

they assimilated….
but it was a struggle
as the Muggles of middle minded England
welcomed with negative force
and with a narrative both crusty and coarse…
No Blacks
No dogs
No Irish

and Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of blood” speech:
the leeches
of National Front, spray painting “KBW”
added their bile….
and yet all the while
we loved the style
that grew into our game….

The Three Degrees
Viv Anderson’s first cap
Luther Blissett’s first goal
Paul Ince’s tenure as Captain
JB’s wonder goal against Brazil….

all “Progressively moving Britain on”
and enriching our game….
all those banana lobbers
should hang their heads in shame

Clyde Best featured too
I grew up watching him on The Big Match
and then watched non-plussed from the terraces, as our own…
Paul Canoville, Keith Dublin and Keith Jones
were abused with verbal sticks and stones
from those all around me.

It still astounds me
to this day
how racism
ever held so much sway

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Change Of Direction

Clik The Mouse

Thursday, September 9th, 2021

As I carry the ball forward
I survey all ahead of me – options to the left and to the right
All angles of opportunity…
Or, I consider the direct approach
Like a dagger to the heart
A full frontal assault on the target – a goal to decimate the opposition!

And behind me?
I leave behind the beleaguered
The dispossessed
The unbelievers
The doubters
The shouters – those wanting to belittle me, to disrupt me
To unhinge me, to frighten me, to put me down
Those who try to disparage, to hurt, to blurt…
Body shaming slurs / “retard” / “snowflake” / “clown”
Or worse still
Picking out what makes me different
And using it as a barb, to obstruct, or stop me in my tracks

But all it does is urge me on

I’m conscious we’re in a bubble
Wrapped in concrete and steel
But conscious too, that societal ills
Have seeped into our playscape

Is all this vitriol meant?
Or is it a dint of devilment, a tool to disturb and blunt, the sharpness I bring

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Black and Blue (for Paul Canoville)

Greg Freeman

Monday, June 7th, 2021

As the boos rang out at the Riverside
I remembered my team’s
first black player
coming on as sub in the 80s,
the storm of hate from the Shed.

The shock and anguish I felt,
wondering if I could continue
to follow the Blues.
Of course, somehow, I did.
Football’s coming home?

They’re still out there, they haven’t
gone away, these ‘patriots’
who barrack their national team
before a European tournament,
before they’ve even kicked off.

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Kick It Out Rap (2019 Remix )

Crispin Thomas

Sunday, December 8th, 2019

there has to be a space there has to be a place
for every single member of the human race
staring at a problem that hasn’t gone away
underneath the suface it’s lingering today
kick it out.. ignore it but report it
kick it… together we can sort it
kick it out.. let them know the reason why
kick it out ..time for racism to die
kick it out

it kicks off in the playground it kicks off in the park
it kicks off when you’re heading home it kicks off in the dark
it kicks off on the playing field in the rain and thunder
it kicks off and you hear but maybe you’re outnumbered
all-seater stadiums tiny little grounds
anywhere on the street still hear the sound
kick it out …. time for racism to die
kick it out….. rap the culprits in the eye
Kick it out … be a beacon be a light
speak out… let your football burn bright
kick it out

you can sing it you can wing it you can act it out in class
you can trap it you can rap it before the feelings pass
’cause no-one has the right to abuse any other
no one has the right be they stranger or brother
no one has the right to bully or to yell
no one should be frightened to be the one to tell
go back thirty years if your face was black
out there on the pitch they’d be on your back
take a look around you from Africa today
great players everywhere we love to see them play
and ev’ry time you’re out there doing what you do
make a choice be a voice feel it coming through
kick it out – be a poem be a cry
kick it out – time for racism to die
kick it out

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A day with orphans!

Emdad Rahman

Monday, October 29th, 2018

‘Who’ll hear the orphan’s cry?
‘They’re full of fear and dread’
We took our team on the road
To play football with them instead

Haji Eusuf orphanage, Chattak
We met 53 orphans that day
Zoinul and Moshahid had it all lined up
Rounding off with some sunset play

We took pictures and shared gifts
The orphans smiles put us to shame
We were itching to get on that pitch
To play the beautiful game

So gaffers Shaheed and Mehdi
List two orphan teams on a pad
Favourites Abdal, Waj, Abu, Yarimi
Bench stars Saif, Diya, Emdad

But we didn’t care for big names
The orphans were fighting fit
They ran and ran like Olympians
With us adding our little bit

I had to pull a trick for a goal
But then Yarimi beat the keeper
My shot came off the post
Diya pounced for the winner

With plenty game time left
It was time for a dirty prank
Poor Abdal smashed into the hoardings
Only way to stop that tank

With Abu pulling the strings
Saif was our brick wall
Ref Jay whistled to give us the win
Our orphans stood proud and tall

‘I’ve never seen them so happy,
‘I pray you’re all blessed from above’
A local expressed her feelings
On football spreading the love

At the Human Relief Foundation
Raisah’s match summary
Gobindogonj has played host to
The ‘best game in HRF history’

‘Who’ll hear the orphan’s cry?
‘They’re full of fear and dread’
We took our team on the road
To play football with them instead

number7
© emdad rahman

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Larbi Ben Mbarek: The forgotten genius

Emdad Rahman

Tuesday, April 18th, 2017

The first to strike gold in Europe
Was that famous Black Pearl
Fondly known as Benbarek
To others the Moroccan Earl

El Ouatane aged fourteen
Honed the Black Pearl’s stealth
Two Spanish titles for El Prodigio
Order of Merit after his death

Forty three goals for Stade Français
As Larbi walked the walk
Fifty six as Spain’s Perla Negra
La perle noir du Maroc

From twenty Francs a day
An Iberian prince at Marseille
The first ever “black pearl”
Very high praise from Pele

Eight goals against Southend
A first French cap against Italy
War loomed and Larbi went home
With the arrival of the Nazi

French journalists raged in despair
When Atletico signed a cheque
One wrote; ‘Sell the Eiffel Tower,
But not Ben Barek’

Idéal Club Casablanca and US Marocaine
Stade Français adding spice
Atlético Madrid Los Rojiblancos
Where Larbi won La Liga twice

Nineteen caps for Les Bleus no myth
Danced on dictator Franco’s deck
Bel-Abbès and a stadium named
For Haj Abdelkader Larbi Ben M’barek

number7
© emdad rahman

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Source: https://footballpoets.org/news/poem-tags/anti-racism/