I am a teacher and writer. From an early age I loved writing stories and imaginary football reports, such as when our local park team, King’s Own, in The Wimbledon and District Football League, supposedly held Don Revie’s Leeds United, in their considerable pomp, to a 0-0 draw at the Recreation Ground down the road. I also loved reading about football in Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly. But the main thing was the weekly journey to Craven Cottage or Plough Lane, depending on who was home. Fulham were in Division One then, and Wimbledon were in the Southern League. There didn’t seem to be any conflict of interest back then. I suppose my No. 1 team then were Fulham, because they had Johnny Haynes, and all the great teams of the day came to play: Man United (NOT Man U then!) with Denis Law, George Best and Bobby Charlton; Liverpool, with Ian St John and Ian Callaghan; Leeds Utd with Jack Charlton and Peter Lorimer. And some great victories: Beating Newcastle Utd 5-1; Man City 4-1. But Fulham, as a selling club, would always replace great stars with has-beens and there was never enough ambition: too much emphasis on show business and funny players like Tosh Chamberlain who supposedly took a drag of a fan’s cigarette before taking a corner. I always felt they were on their way down. Yet Wimbledon, then semi-professional, had their own distinguished history, were demonstrably on their way up. And what a journey it was at that homely, ramshackle ground that was not seen as fit to grace the Premier League, where the fans used to change ends at half time with the players. Imperceptibly Wimbledon became my No 1 team. After all, they were a 15 minute walk away, not 3 tube stops and a long walk away.
As a writer I began with painstakingly researched historical plays about the Second World War, before branching out into monologues and audio plays. And then, about 6 months ago, I went on a performance poetry course and that really fired my imagination. I write poems inspired by football, history, nature, human relationships, cooking and technology.
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
Crispin Thomas
8th August 2022
joe morris
8th August 2022
joe morris
7th August 2022
joe morris
4th August 2022
Denys E. W. Jones
4th August 2022
Sharon Jones
1st August 2022
Eugene Abrams
1st August 2022
joe morris
31st July 2022
Greg Freeman
31st July 2022
joe morris
30th July 2022
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
8th August 2022 at 6:01 pm
Thank you. It is great.
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2nd August 2022 at 6:58 pm
Check out Bootle Bucks Inclusion in Liverpool, Set up by parents and grandparents to support kids who were being excluded from football at school. https://bootlebucksinclusionfc.co.uk/
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2nd August 2022 at 6:56 pm
Totally agree Crispin. Alex Scott summed it up beautifully to the ones who would not give the support when asked: “You had your chance & you missed the boat!”
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2nd August 2022 at 1:18 pm
Yeah Sharon….
We can be heroes for ever and ever
What d’you say?
And this is for Lily Parr, Dik Kerr Ladies and all who played before.1915-1970 and the 1984 girls too..All those in the past 20 years .All heroes and their parents and guardians too for supporting them when the FA didn’t.
I agree with Chlesea’s Emma Hayes.Take it away from the FA for doing sweet FA. Old boys boardrooms again.
Football is for everyone and should be available for everyone in in all schools everywhere.Girls games. Boys games. Mixed games. Disabled games . Blind games.
C
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25th July 2022 at 8:57 am
Thanks for your poem Emdad.
Interesting and forgotten tale. I also watched the Nevin documentary.
best C
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13th July 2022 at 9:02 am
I remember Tony Dorigo! Australian full back. Scored the only goal for Chelsea in the Full Members Cup Final v Middlesbrough in 1990 (had to check Google). By pure chance I had a ticket for the press box. Because of the status of the game no one else at the paper wanted it.
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9th July 2022 at 5:52 pm
Hi Clik, merci buckets. Great poem, and I also learned what Coterminous was. For all these years I had it down as the name of a Greek midfield general from back in the day.
Yes Chelsea were a bit of a feeder club to Palace for a few years back in the early 70’s. Bobby Tambling and the great Paddy Mulligan were another couple who took the trek sarf of the river. Later on Mickey Droy, Colin Pates and Gary Cahill also joined our ranks.
Nowadays we seem to get all our loanees from Chelsea. They obviously don’t see us as a threat. The best of the lot of them was Conor Gallagher. We’re really going to miss him next season.
All the best , cheers.
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8th July 2022 at 8:34 am
Fabulous John!
You had me going until I copped it!
So glad we got Charlie back from you, he steadied the ship when we had a bunch of youngsters coming through.
We also got Jerry MURFEE from you too!
And my claim to fame? I was good buddies with Vince Hilaire’s cousin.
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3rd July 2022 at 9:36 pm
Thank you Sharon, same to you.
bestest
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1st July 2022 at 8:53 pm
Good to see you are still writing your wonderful football poetry John. All the best.
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