Peter Goulding rails at life from the comfort of his armchair in Dublin’s suburbia. He blogs on lighthouses and writes both humorous and serious verse, though few people can tell the difference. He has just finished his first novel and plans to read another one soon. He follows Shelbourne FC and was an ardent follower of English football until it was destroyed by Sky in 1993.
Poems by Peter Goulding
- Ogden Nash debunks Brazil
- Former players spouting (rondeau)
- Eight years old
- Airtime to fill
- The death of custard
- Six-year-olds play a match
- Orange leather footballs in the snow
- The end of Tolka Park
- I miss the old clock at the Ballybough end
- Trampolining
- The rusty old tin shed
- Another season
- Playoffs
- Playing you next year
- End of season prayer
- Give us back our football
- If only they’d stop winning
- The one club man
- Finn Harps away
- WC2014 Epilogue
- WC2014 Day 32 Argentina 0 Germany 1 (aet)
- WC2014 Day 31 Brazil 0 Netherlands 3
- WC2014 Day 30 Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 28 Argentina 0 Netherlands 0 (4-2 pens)
- WC2014 Day 29 Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 27 Brazil 1 Germany 7
- WC2014 Day 26 Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 24 Costa Rica 0 Nethlds 0 (3-4 pens)
- WC2014 Day 25 Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 23 Brazil 2 Columbia 1
- WC2014 Day 24 Advice to Juan Zuniga
- WC2014 Day 24 Argentina 1 Belgium 0
- WC2014 Day 23 France 0 Germany 1
- WC2014 Day 22 Another Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 21 Rest Day
- WC2014 Day 20 Argentina 1 Switzerland 0 (aet)
- WC2014 Day 20 Belgium 2 USA 1 (aet)
- WC2014 Day 18 Costa Rica 1 Greece 1 (5-3 pens)
- WC2014 Day 19 France 2 Nigeria 0
- WC2014 Day 19 Algeria 1 Germany 2 (aet)
- WC2014 Day 17 Brazil 1 Chile 1 (3-2 pens)
- WC2014 Day 17 Colombia 2 Uruguay 0
- WC2014 Day 18 Mexico 1 Netherlands 2
- WC2014 Day 16 Rest day
- WC2014 Day 15 Algeria 1 Russia 1
- WC2014 Day 15 Ghana 1 Portugal 2
- WC2014 Day 15 Germany 1 USA 0
- WC2014 Day 15 Belgium 1 South Korea 0
- WC2014 Day 14 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 Iran 1
- WC2014 Day 14 Ecuador 0 France 0
- WC2014 Day 14 Argentina 3 Nigeria 2
- WC2014 Day 14 Honduras 0 Switzerland 3
- WC2014 Day 12 Australia 0 Spain 3
- WC2014 Day 13 Italy 0 Uruguay 1
- WC2014 Day 13 Greece 2 Ivory Coast 1
- WC2014 Day 12 Chile 0 Netherlands 2
- WC2014 Day 12 Brazil 4 Cameroon 1
- WC2014 Day 12 Croatia 1 Mexico 3
- WC2014 Day 13 Costa Rica 0 England 0
- WC2014 Day 13 Colombia 4 Japan 1
- Real football back again
- WC2014 Day11 Portugal 2 USA 2
- WC2014 Day 11 Algeria 4 South Korea 2
- WC2014 Day 10 Argentina 1 Iran 0
- WC2014 Day 10 Germany 2 Ghana 2
- WC2014 Day 10 Bosnia 0 Nigeria 1
- WC2014 Day 11 Belgium 1 Russia 0
- WC2014 Day 9 Costa Rica 1 Italy 0
- WC2014 Day 9 Statement from HRH
- WC2014 Day 9 France 5 Switzerland 2
- WC2014 Day 9 Ecuador 2 Honduras 1
- WC2014 Day 8 Colombia 2 Ivory Coast 1
- WC2014 Day 8 Greece 0 Japan 0
- WC2014 Day 8 England 1 Uruguay 2
- WC2014 Day 7 Australia 2 Holland 3
- WC2014 Day 7 Chile 2 Spain 0
- WC2014 Day 7 Cameroon 0 Croatia 4
- WC2014 Day 6 Russia 1 South Korea 1
- WC2014 Day 6 Brazil 0 Mexico 0
- WC2014 Day 5 Germany 4 Portugal 0
- WC2014 Day 5 Iran 0 Nigeria 0
- WC2014 Day 5 Ghana 1 USA 2
- WC2014 Day 6 Algeria 1 Belgium 2
- WC2014 Day 4 Ecuador 1 Switzerland 2
- WC2014 Day 4 France 3 Honduras 0
- WC2014 Day 4 Argentina 2 Bosnia Herzegovina 1
- WC2014 Day 3 Ivory Coast 2 Japan1
- WC2014 Day 3 England 1 Italy 2
- WC2014 Day 3 Colombia 3 Greece 0
- WC2014 Day 2 Australia 1 Chilly 3
- WC2014 Day 3 England doesn’t expect
- WC2014 Day 3 Costa Rica 3 Uruguay 1
- WC2014 Day 1 Brazil 3 Croatia 1
- WC2014 Day 2 Cameroon 0 Mexico 1
- WC2014 Day 2 Netherlands 5 Spain 1
- WC2014 – Day 1- Alleluia
- There’s always somebody
- Mexico 1970
- England still believe
- The day European football came to Connemara
- Let us Arise and Join Yaya
- In spite of the absence of tea
- The blue side of anguish
- Here there be dragons
- Dilemma
- Let’s not run away with ourselves…
- The Silly Season
- The pain, the pain
- To pull a bird (Rondeau a la Jerk)
- My wife and football
- Tower of wood
- Pep’s not coming to Shelbourne
- Alas poor football
- Dear oh dear
- In other years
- Last minute goal
- The greatest skill of all
- The midseason break
- Half a loaf
- That League of Ireland bond
- The error of our ways
- The mind plays tricks
- Football mothers football widows
- Euro 2012 Day 24 The Final
- Euro 2012 Day 23 Rest Day
- Euro 2012 Day 22 Rest Day
- Euro 2012 Day 20 Semi Final 1
- Euro 2012 Day 21 Semi Final 2
- Euro 2012 Day 19 Rest Day
- Euro 2012 Day 17 Quarter Final 4
- Euro 2012 Day 18 Rest Day
- Euro 2012 Day 16 Quarter Final 3
- Euro 2012 Day 15 Quarter Final 2
- Euro 2012 Day 14 Quarter Final 1
- Euro 2012 Day 11 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 10 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 10 Match 2
- Oh Lord
- Euro 2012 Day 11 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 12 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 12 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 13 Rest Day
- Euro 2012 Day 9 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 9 Match 2
- The Fields in Gdansk
- Euro 2012 Day 8 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 7 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 7 Match 2
- Bigmouth strikes yet again
- Euro 2012 Day 8 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 6 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 6 Match 2
- Incantation
- Euro 2012 Day 5 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 5 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 4 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 4 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 3 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 3 Match 2
- The morning after
- Euro 2012 Day 2 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 2 Match 2
- Euro 2012 Day 1 Match 1
- Euro 2012 Day 1 Match 2
- Euro 2012 D Day Minus 1
- Euro 2012 D Day Minus 2
- Euro 2012 D Day Minus 3
- Paper planes
- In Estonia
- Fifteen years
- Richard Dunne Colossus of Moscow
- Good times
- Putting on a show
- Call the Shelbourne doctor
- The ballad of Jermaine Pennant
- We demand legislation!
- Double standards?
- Empire
- Not defeatist merely realistic
- Butch Cassidy and Giller the Killer
- Limerick at home
- Who would you follow?
- World Cup 2010 – Day 31
- World Cup 2010 – The Final Word
- World Cup 2010 – Day 30
- World Cup 2010 – Day 29
- World Cup 2010 – Day 28
- World Cup 2010 – Day 27
- World Cup 2010 – Day 26
- World Cup 2010 – Day 25
- World Cup 2010 – Day 24
- World Cup 2010 – Day 23
- World Cup 2010 – Day 22
- World Cup 2010 – Day 21
- World Cup 2010 – Day 19
- World Cup 2010 – Day 20
- World Cup 2010 Day 18
- World Cup 2010 – Day 17
- World Cup 2010 – Day 16
- World Cup 2010 – Day 15
- World Cup 2010 – Day 14
- World Cup 2010 – Day 13
- World Cup 2010 – Day 12
- World Cup 2010 – Day 11
- World Cup 2010 – Day 10
- World Cup 2010 – Day 8
- World Cup 2010 – Day 9
- World Cup 2010 – Day 7
- World Cup 2010 – Day 6
- World Cup 2010 – Day 5
- World Cup 2010 – Day 3
- World Cup 2010 – Day 4
- World Cup 2010 Day 2
- World Cup 2010 – Day 1
- World Cup 2010 – D-Day minus 1
- Sunday football
- Old neighbours
- Airtricity
- The new neighbours are coming around
- The viscosity of fudge
- Captain Blubber
- My stage play about Man United
- A bridge too far
- Casting the first stone
- Ce n’est pas la guerre
- Gloom upon gloom
- Out of the wilderness
- An unbelievable miss
- Papering over the cracks
- In search of the perfect ten
- The rare oul’ times
- Taking it on the chin
- Losing to Bohs
- Of football pitches and gravel
- Horribly wrong
- The worm turns
- Chilling words
- Battle
- Bigmouth strikes again
- Starting off the season with a win
- The Table
- Mrs Ingle, please pray tell
- Do we want to do it all again?
- Last match terzanelle
- Summer football
- Just a little wobble
- Euro 2008 Day Six i
- Euro 2008 Day Six ii
- Euro 2008 Day Seven
- Twenty years
- Euro 2008 Day Five i
- Euro 2008 Day Five ii
- Euro 2008 Day Three ii
- Euro 2008 Day Four i
- Euro 2008 Day Three i
- Euro 2008 Day Four ii
- Euro 2008 Day Two (ii)
- Euro 2008 Day Two (i)
- Euro 2008 Day One (ii)
- Euro 2008 Day One (i)
- Spouting Thomas
- Twas the night of Eurovision
- I’m Tosh. Fly me.
- Terry’s Tears
- For the love of Bisto
- The European Cup 2008
- Dundalk 1 Shelbourne 3
- For dedicated followers of fashion
- Six in six for Anto
- Wexford Youths 2 Shelbourne 2
- More sinned against
- Fate
- Not so good Friday
- Victory over the Thoroughbreds
- The St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- Live updates
- A tactical plan to combat chronic time wasting
- The First Division title
- The Eircom League season’s upon us
- The Second Coming
- The 39th Step
- Joe Trapattoni’s waiting
- Crikey Mr Bikey
- Champions!
- Ireland 0 Brazil 1
- What’s in a name?
- The language barrier
- Super Eagles
- A grave mistake, Didier
- New kid on the block
- Superior away form
- Anyone want to be manager?
- Robbie Keane (Aged 10)
- Fair weather supporter
- Taking penalties ‘gainst Grandad
- The truth about Mike
- Wicked
- If Allardyce was half as nice
- What magic of the Cup?
- The winning feeling
- Being Roberto Baggio
- A Christmas Story
- Christmas Presence of Mind
- The Rime of the Middle Aged Shelbourne Fan
- A curse upon thee, hawthorn bush
- A chorus of dissent
- Death of an old pro
- The grace of God
- Spare a thought for Port Vale
- A tribute to Jim Crawford
- The great leveller
- Foul!!
- Robert The Bruce
- Stoppage time
- Upon the Isles of Scilly
- A piece of worldly advice
- Fashion
- A Christmas wish come true
- FAI Cup Final 2007
- The unfairness of it all
- End of the line for Harrogate Railway
- He shoved you
- Norwegian Wood
- Three and in
- Stan
- Football is dead
- A simple skill
- Bung
- Eternal substitute
- The ultimate protest
- An unrequited love
- Starting a chant
- In the kingdom of Ostania
- You chopped me down
- The FAI Cup Final Replay 1996
- World Cup 1974
- Opium
- Stormin Norman
- Match abandoned
- The Finger of Suspicion
- The World Cup Draw 2010
- Who was that boy?
- Comrade take care
- Useless centre forward
- The captain’s armband
- That guy from Zaire
- Pot kettle black
- Off track
- Sows’ ears and silk purses
- My blood and guts midfield girl
- Another Christmas Tale
- Faking it
- Scotland 1 Italy 2
- Shero’s equaliser in the 1996 FAI Cup Final
- World Cup Final – The Post Mortem
- 1986 World Cup Finals
- Lady Luck
- Scotland v Italy
- Total Football
- Does anyone remember Alan Suddick?
- Sporting Fingal FC
- Ireland vs Someone, possibly Wales
- Crouch
- Those little Swiss chappies
- He wishes for a new Ireland shirt
- Close season – a sonnet
- Put Notcher in goal!
- Bob Fullam terrifies the Italians
- Famous buns of history (Part 1)
- The cockatoo
- A little slice of history
- Won’t you give us a goal?
- Let’s do it
- The gaffer regrets
- Sweet Valentine
- Chopper Harris and Tommy Smith
- Leaving out Greavesie for Hunt
- St. Gary Mackay of Sacred Hearts
- Silverware!
- If
- The Gunslinger (above the pass)
- Selecting the new manager
- My Friend Stan
- Still arrogant after all these months
- There is pain and then there is pain
- In Lehmanns Terms
- A Prayer for Dida
- A Rinky Dinky Manager
- Gulping air
- In a hotel room
- Slovakia 2 Ireland 2
- Dad’s Advice
- Shelbourne 4 Limerick 37 0
- Oh where are the bums (that once sat on dem seats?)
- Reclaim the game
- Plus ca change
- Go east young man
- The Good Ship Shelbourne
- Lest we forget
- Only a game?
- A Late Own Goal
- For Joe Higgins – the last of the socialists
- Monaghan 4 Shelbourne 0
- When Giants Fall
- Mugged down in Limerick
- Destiny
- Ten Seconds
- Transfer Window
- End of the Affair
- A Terrible Beauty
- I will survive
- Greedy Footballer Limerick
- The Golden Age of Football
- Football and Beer
- Dancing Wesley
- The Big Red Candy Tolka
- Glenn’s Goal against Kilkenny
- A win against Harps
- Mea Culpa
- Our Jewel an’ Darlin’ Tolka
- Kilkenny Ireland
- Our National Shame
- Criticise? Moi?
- A Horse with no Name
- Discover Ireland
- Ireland 1 Wales 0
- The Ballad of the Kent Senior Trophy Semi-final 2006/2007
- You’ll never win nothing with kids
- A long journey
- At least
- We’re not bigtime anymore
- Mastermind
- Irony
- Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
- Is this the end for Shelbourne?
- San Marino 1 Ireland 2
- Lines written in a Dublin pub
- Ollie Byrne
- Pre Season Ritual
- Just in case
- Exodus – Movement of Shels People
- A Sad Christmas Tale
- The Departure of Pat Fenlon
- Ireland 5 San Marino 0
- The FAI Cup Final 2006
- Playing Football Against Myself
- It all turned out right in the end
- Stuey Byrne achieves legendary status
- Hatchet Buried
- Willo’s Blunder
- Musing
- The Eircom League Rulebook
- Waterford 0 Derry City 1
- Behind the Goal (Shels 2 Drogheda 2)
- The Ironic Mr Kenny
- To the Claret and Blue
- The Higgins Lament
- The Belfield Lament
- Bold Rupert’s Square Eyed Masses
- Redemption Song
- Ireland v The Czech Republic Preview
- Waterford 0 Shelbourne 1
- Where are we now Stan?
- Do we have to play the rest of our games?
- Shelbourne 2 Derry City 2
- Racist? What Racist?
- Poor Poor Ashley Cole
- League Cup Final
- Holiday Heaven
- In the Beginning
- Tapping Him Up
- She Wears a Gold Tiara
- Mr Richardson Regrets
- Joey Ndo – A Very Special Player
- The Famous Arbroath Smokie
- The Best in the Nation
- Germany 1 Ireland 0
- Shelbourne 0 Derry City 1
- The Agony and the Ecstasy
- Eleven Ten on Penalties
- Ireland 0 Holland 4
- Limpets
- Glenn’s Equaliser against Cork
- Watching Defeats in the Rain
- UEFA Cup 2nd Round
- Foot and Mouth
- Nice Footie, Shame About the Fans
- Talking Tenerife Blues
- Six Points Deducted
- World Cup 2006 The Abiding Memory
- World Cup 2006 Day Thirty
- World Cup 2006 Day Thirty One
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Nine
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Eight
- Foregone Conclusion
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Six
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Seven
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Four
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Five
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Three
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty Two
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty One
- An Old Haunt Revisited
- World Cup 2006 Day Twenty
- World Cup 2006 Day Nineteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Eighteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Sixteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Seventeen
- Shelbourne 4 FC Vetra 0
- World Cup 2006 Day Fifteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Fourteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Thirteen
- World Cup 2006 Day Eleven
- World Cup 2006 Day Twelve
- World Cup 2006 Day Eight
- World Cup 2006 Day Nine
- World Cup 2006 Day Ten
- Says Rico
- Shelbourne 1 Derry City 0
- Its All Relative, Bud
- The Freewheelin’ Sean Dillon
- World Cup 2006 Day One
- World Cup 2006 Day Two
- World Cup 2006 Day Three
- World Cup 2006 Day Four
- World Cup 2006 Day Five
- World Cup 2006 Day Six
- World Cup 2006 Day Seven
- A Case of Simulation
- Sligo 1 Shelbourne 1 Bad Poet 1
- A Quadrennial Complaint
- The Old Lady of Connaught Street
- Liam Kearney’s Goal Against UCD
- The Chelsea Factor
- The Bomber Owen Heary
- Shelbourne 1 Dublin City 0
- Perspective
- Cork City 2 Shels 0
- Shels 1 Derry City 1
- Waaaaaterford 0 Shels 1
- What’s So Funny ‘Bout Promotion and Relegation?
- A Bad Start
- Indisciplined Behaviour
- G14
- Reports of Our Demise
- Cold Comfort Against Longford
- I Have Faith in Ollie
- Alphabetically Bray
- Bray 2 Shelbourne 2
- Glenn Crowe’s First Goal Against Glentoran
- Eoin’s Miss Against Derry
- The Eircom League is Back
- Groundhog Day
- The Pre-Season Friendly
- Away to Friendly Limerick
- The Setanta Cup
- And So The FA Cup Resumes
- Written in the Scriptures
- Can You Hear the Home Fans Sing?
- Ireland Gets Its World Class Manager
- Wesley Departs for Scotland
- Entrenched
- Shed a Tear for Roy Maurice Keane
- Quick Limerick
- The Board of Irish Ferries to Lead by Example?
- Jason Targetted by Swedes
- And So Blackness Descends
- FAI Cup Final 2005 Drogheda United 2 Cork City 0
- The Underdrogs are Coming
- Bad Day for Rovers, Great Day for Socialism
- Bags I be Bestie
- November 2005 Poems
- October 2005 Poems
- September 2005 Poems
- August 2005 Poems
- Flash in the Pan?
- Zinedine, Me Old Mate
- We Lost
- A Lack of Communication
- The Hardest Shot There Ever Was
- He Must Score…
- The Cape of Good Hope
- Fairy Story
- Crucifix
- Corner Flag, oh Corner Flag
- Cometh the Hour
- The Ball was made of Marzipan
- Throwing Shapes
- Steaua Bucharest
- Cool Jim
- Robbie Keane Aged 13
- The Ballad of Shels and Glentoran
- Addict
- St. Pats 0 Shels 1
- Majorca – The Downside
- Glentoran 1 Shelbourne 2
- Roumanian Rhapsody
- Shelbourne 0 Steaua Bucharest 0
- Ballad of a Frustrated Shelbourne Fan
- Bearsted Football Club
- Stand up for the Champions?
- Our Only Route to Europe Next Year?
- The Four Peaks Challenge
- Low
- One Swallow
- Divvying up the Honours
- A Slight Consolation
- A Silver Lining
- The Battle of the Stadia
- Bohs Saunt Packing
- Don’t Mention the ‘S’ Word
- Trampolines
- The Ballad of Wesley Wesley Houlihan
- Crisis? What Crisis?
- Upon a Windswept Limestone Rock
- Silence Descends Once More
- Reasons to be Cheerful
- Mutual Encouragement Society
- The Good Ship Rovers
- On Hearing the News
- By The Rivers of Babylon
- Down to Third
- Oh Mother Dear
- Two big lumps of Cotton Wool
- Not God’s Chosen People
- Knocked off our Perch
- Linfield’s First Goal
- Observe the Sons of Linfield Marching Towards the Tolka
- To the Rebel Army
- The Loneliness of the Eircom League Fan
- Drogs 0 Shels 0
- FAI Cup Draw 2005
- That Finn Harps Away Kit
- Open Letter to Malcolm Glazer
- Jamie’s Miss Against Bray
- Starting to Play Football
- It Crossed the Line
- Bank Holidays
- Long High Balls
- Twilight of the Gods
- The Corner Turned?
- De Banks
- Cork and Bray
- Up Where We Belong
- Barry Ryan Saves with Ease
- Public Apology to Robbie Doyle
- A Minute’s Silence for the Pope
- Alan Reynolds
- Colin Hawkins
- John Paul II – The Early Years
- The Tolka Artists’ Academy
- Mourinho Wasn’t There
- The Older Fan’s Lament
- Downstairs Downstairs
- A Footballing Nursery Rhyme
- Senile?
- That Dennis Behan Goal
- Normal Service
- Who Was That Masked Man?
- Gorgeous George
- Tel Aviv
- Consolation
- Dental Hygiene
- God’s Chosen People
- The Eircom League Regrets
- Rovers on Good Friday
- Portadown in the Setanta
- Crunching Tackle
- The Judge
- The Perfect Midfield
- My Brother Ethelred
- A Tale of Marrakech and Ashley Grimes
- Shels v UCD Preview
- Shels 1 UCD 1 – First Game of the Season
- There was a Duck called Shelbourne
- A Home Banker
- A St Patrick’s Day Tale
- A Second on the Lips
- Portaloo
- Good Decision
- Where Do You Go To, Brian Kerr?
- The Book of Revelations
- Barry Davies Eyes
- Dolan Gone From Cork Haiku
- Kevin Doherty Goes to Waterford on Loan
- Rico’s First Team Talk in Cork
- Coming Home
- True to Form
- Jose Mourinho
- The Rise and Fall of Pat Dolan
- The Scottish Waterways Inspector
- Derry City Vs Linfield
- The Lost Book of Isaiah
- Deja – Vu
- Leagus Beginnus Expectitis
- Vorsprung Durch Technik
- The Supporters’ Song
- Jim Fitzgibbon
- Kanu
- Born in the USA
- I Kicked Him Sharply on the Knee
- How could you?
- On Understanding Women
- The Joshua Free
- Skin Deep
- Kilkenny Appoint Pat Scully
- Answering Bob Dylan
- The Jolly Referee
- Big Sam
- The Bald Facts
- Mr. Dolan
- The Battle for Middle Earth
- Half Time Rollicking
- Elementary Errors
- Lucille
- This Evening is all About Me
- I Run the Line
- Universal Response
- Roman Pottery Inscription
- Pre-Season Training
- Hit the Postie
- Kenny Cunningham
- Norman Hunter
- Kevin Keegan Superstar
- Jimmy Case and Sammy Lee
- Tony Curry
- Football Pools
- In The Bleak Midwinter
- Entrance Antiphon
- Dick Krzyzwycki*
- Stamina
- Good King Rafael
- The Senegal Kiss
- When Friday Comes
- Rewriting History
- The Ballad of Clement Ine
- El Loco
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and the Sheep
- Championés!
- Where’s Seamus Heaney When You Need Him?
- When the Final Whistle Blew
- The Championship Race 2004
- This Rattling Car
- Man, I Got Da Blues
- To be Perfectly Candid
- Fairness And Integrity
- Seven Points Ahead, Three Games to Play
- Willo Flood
- Shoddy Roddy Out-Kilcoynes Louis
- Nasal Prejudice
- Taking the Honours
- From a Cork Viewpoint
- Pictures of Matchstick Men
- Teenage Dreams So Hard to Beat
- David Beckham – TV Critic
- Twinkle Twinkle
- I’ve Nothing Against the Old Corkies..
- A Very Real Threat
- The FAI Cup Final 2004
- Shels v Bohs ABC
- Where is the Scotland manager?
- Jailbreak!
- Back on Track Again
- Visit to the Doctor
- The National Irish Ballet Troupe
- Tonight’s Viewing
- Floodlight Failure
- The Big Secret
- The Ballad of Richard O’Shea
- Red and Yellow
- The Ballad of October 15th 2004
- Clyde
- At least..
- Disappointment
- The Fields of Athenry – A Rant
- The Green Side of Lonesome
- The World in a State of Chassis
- An Unmitigated Disaster
- Hands On, Hands Off
- Getting Things in Perspective
- The Ailing Mr Hoop
- The Trial of Luis Arragonés
- Liechtenstein 2 Portugal 2
- John O’Shea’s Miss Against France
- The Hare and the Tortoise – A Modern Day Fable
- One Man’s Meat
- Dr Spooner in France
- Drogheda 2 Shels 5
- For Alistair Wilkinson
- Ooh La La!
- For The Drog Players
- Art as a Mirror of Football
- The Lille Lament Medley
- And Now It’s All Over
- Brian Clough
- That Goal Against Hajduk Split
- My Tragic Loss
- Trench Warfare
- The Memories Will Remain
- Everything Rosy in the Village Garden
- The Refs are Revolting
- A Great Result Indeed
- Oranges and Lemons
- Shels 2 Lille OSC 2 Medley
- The Drogheda UCD Quarter Final
- Four Tree Two One
- Zinedine Zidane
- Robbie Keane’s Part in Clinton’s Goal Against the Swiss
- An Uncompromising Defender
- Never Start what you Can’t
- Free the Anna Livia One!
- Another Dream Shattered
- Effin’ a Cuckoo
- The Goal Was Gaping Wide
- Action Replay
- The Poor Dyslexic Manager
- Big Match Bust Up
- Stanley Matthews and the Cat
- Dinosaur
- Scottish Field Trip
- The Spherical Ball
- A Question of Nationality
- Ger McCarthy
- Homeless World Cup Winners 2004
- Chief Inspector Mulligan Investigates Match-Fixing
- Our Football Got a Puncture
- Roddy Collins, Come on Down!
- Andy Reid’s Goal Against Cyprus
- Memo to Waterford United
- The Retirement of Jason McAteer
- Ronan Seery and the Wolf
- The Akond of Lille
- Sister Jeckyll
- Wizard of the Wing
- Inevitability
- The Hubble Deep Space Telescope
- From the Shores of Deportivo
- The Orchard Cup Draw
- Kick in the Teeth
- The UEFA Cup Draw
- Some Neck
- Depor 3 Shels 0 Medley
- Going One Up in Split
- Back Garden Football
- Football in the Sitting Room
- Shels 0 Deportivo 0 Medley
- Shels 2 Hajduk Split 0 Medley
- Not Paying Dividends
- They were Dancing the Liechtenstein Polka
- Klingons on the Starboard Bow
- The Ballad of 28th July 2004
- Croatian Divorce
- John Gill’s Resignation
- I Aimed For Him
- Plumbing the Depths
- Weso’s Goal Against Finn Harps
- Get Under ‘Im!
- Eddie, Eddie and Daniel
- The Great Pats Summer Sale
- Shels 0 KR Reykjavik 0 – The Home Leg Medley
- Viera’s Not Coming To Shelbourne
- Super Cub
- An Exciting Prospect
- Jason Byrne’s Sending Off
- The Streets of Longford
- If The Kids Are United
- Pat Fenlon Sandwich Maker
- Beckham’s Ball – The Truth
- Icelandic Medley – Fenlonssons Saga
- Newton’s Third Law
- Pilgrimage to Knock
- Mick McCarthy Gets Cold Feet
- Communications Portuguese-Style
- Packie Bonner
- Follow The Yellow Brick Road
- Keep Your Shirt On, FIFA
- FAI Cup Draw
- They’re Preaching Football to the Layman
- The Serious Sexton
- Congratulations Cork
- Shels 1 Rovers 1
- My Big Fat Greek Limericks
- Gerry Daly
- Quick Straw Poll In Work
- Urs Meier
- S.S.England
- Whatever Happened to Ujpest Dozja?
- A Message to You, Ruudi
- The Dark Trojan Horse
- Picnic At Hanging Rock
- Postiga’s Penalty
- The Scapegoat
- How Nice To Watch A Real Match
- Nedved, Oh Nedved
- The County Cork Cup Final
- Over The Moon, Fernando
- Blow Football
- On Having a Nightmare About Meeting The Italian Football Team At A Party
- A Load of Balkans
- Le Chef
- Martin Rustle
- Beach Football
- Rotten To The Core
- My Cousin
- The Olympic Stadium, Rome
- End of the Summer
- Ref Aid
- Robbie’s Goal Against the Dutch
- Dublin City 1 Shels 3
- Jayo’s Getting Married
- Euro 2004 – The Works Draw
- R-E-S-P-E-C-T
- The Tournament’s Tastiest Tie
- Football Doggerel
- A Team To Savour
- The Night of A Thousand Offsides
- The Ballad of Patrick O’Connell
- The Team That Cannot Score
- The Return
- Return to the Park
- Professor of Maths
- The Hand of Friendship
- King of the Fishes – Goodbye Henrik
- Final Verdict
- Rasher’s Disciplinary Hearing
- Come Dance With Me in Ireland
- A Quite Unbelievable Tale
- Taking a Bough
- Marmaduke Butter
- Respect for Fintan Cassidy
- The County Clare Final
- Pickpocket Palace
- Then Again
- Beat on the Brat
- A Message for Roy
- The Deep Fat Friar
- Dancing the Polka
- Shels vs Pats
- Long Time Coming
- The Prodigal Son
- Easter Miracle
- Jayo Didn’t Score
- The Orange Vested Steward
- Stuttgart 88 [The Pop-Up Version]
- The Last Laugh
- The Ballad of Koller and Doherty
- Another Trend Bucked
- Arthur’s Advanced Alliteration At Arsenal
- The Salon 66
- Language Barrier
- Rio ABC
- Stuttgart 88 ABC
- First Game of the Season
- Here We Go, Boys
- Heeding Busby
- A Bird in the Hand
- Useless Striker RIP
- Sammy the Seagull
- The Spice of Life
- Someone Move That Stanchion
- South Coast Characteristics
- Ollie Byrne – A Christmas Tale
- Rocket Man, Rocket Man
- Football and Music
- A Cautionary Tale
- The Pharaoh Aisles
- Universal Interest in the New Season
- Big Fan
- All Hail Derry City!
- Bit O’Red Shed Dead
- The View From Below
- And its Stadium Project, By a Neck…
- Just Call Me Bert
- For Liverpool Fans
- Il y a une Petite Rue
- Will This Be Cork’s Season?
- The Quest for Truth
- Still The Fastest Hat-Trick Ever
- A Figo of my Imagination
- Hartlepool 0 Shelbourne 3
- Dark Days for Rovers
- The Crusty Old Hack
- Tommy Eglington [1923-2004]
- Kilbane Out-Brazilians the Brazilians
- Johnny Giles Gets an Award
- Privilege
- Diddle-Diddle-Dumpling Avery John
- Stephen Geoghegan
- The Ballad of Richie Baker
- The UEFA Licence – An Irish Solution
- Lionel Archibald Marmaduke John
- Starting To Get Fidgety
- On A Knife Edge
- Revenge
- No Grounds For Complaint
- Quisling
- The Death of Eoin
- Lansdowne, I Hardly Knew You
- Jack Pulls the Perfect Pint
- Ireland’s Most Underrated Goal
- The Loneliness of the Sunday League Poet
- Fair Play to the Superdrogs
- Never Felt More Like Spinning The Blues
- Tommy Coyne
- Ode to the Wisdom of Sepp Blatter
- Liam Coyle
- Tottenham Swansong
- The Chairman of the PFA
- Farewell, David Seaman
- Noel Edmunds and the Conspiracy Theory
- Weleath Woger!
- Cheer Up, Rio
- Dynamo Death Match
- They Played Football at Auschwitz on Sundays
- Schoolboy Football
- God 1 Satan 4
- Confessions of a Lily Liver
- The Ballad of Quinn and Hierro
- Revenge on the Dutch
- Big Jack’s Resignation Speech
- Big Jack’s Farewell Speech
- Saipan
- Robbie Keane’s Last Minute Penalty Against Spain
- The Luck of the Irish [76-81]
- Tony Galvin
- Alan McLoughlin Gets us to America [1993]
- Terry Mancini’s Arse
- Liam Brady
- Giant in the Giants’ Stadium
- The Demise of Franco Baresi
- Spain 1 Ireland 0 [1965] – Ireland’s Shame
- [I Did It] Heighway
- Packie Bonner’s Blunder – Orlando 1994
- The Bodybuilder
- Quinn’s Equaliser Against the Dutch – Italia 90
- Typhoo Tea
- Playing for Ireland in the Sixties
- Paul Reaney
- Atyeo 1957
- Historic Day September 21st 1949
- A Monaghan Defence
- Footwear Rationing in Morecambe
- Paul McGrath’s Knees
- Italia 90 – Post-Final Meal
- Mark Wright
- Typical Egyptian Throw-In Italia 1990
- Lokomotiv Moscow
- Macedonia Nightmare
- Throw Away This Ten Team League
- Sculptors vs. Artists
- One Who Never Made It
- Three Football Fans
- Jason’s Hibernating
- Mammoth Goals
- Oh, Ronnie Whelan!
- Nearly Drug Free
- The Liverpool Dog
- Mr. Versatility – Con Martin
- Mickey Walsh Produces the Goods
- “My Side” by David Beckham
- Kilmarnock Blues
- Charlie Hurley
- The Battle of the Brandywell 13/12/2003
- The Weakest Link
- Birth of a Legend
- 1966 Rewritten
- Goodbye UCD
- Di Canio and Winterburn
- Ireland’s Equaliser vs. England Italia 90
- Raining On Our Party
- Houghton’s Miss vs. England 1991
- The Reverse of the Coin
- Close Season
- Turdus Pilaris
- Letter to Vincent Browne
- Another Reason for Hating Arsenal
- Smile
- An Eddie of All Trades
- Congratulations Dublin City
- The Football Poet Laureateship
- The Goalie’s Tale
- The Ballad of Laurie McIlvenny
- Rio
- A Football Chant for Leeds
- Opportunity Knocks
- Just Desserts
- Letter From America
- First Date
- A Bad Day for Becks
- Captain Fantastic
- Aldo’s First Goal for Ireland
- Put ‘Em Under Pressure
- Rivaldo Vindicated!
- The Crushing of Gary Waddock
- The Mouse and the Spouse
- The Red Card
- Lineker’s Goal Against Ireland in Cagliari
- Uncle Stan
- Champions Elect
- Suddenly, It’s All Over
- Credit
- Champions 2003 Penpics
- The Ballad of November 21st 2003
- The Love of Money
- Decapitation For Fun
- Duffer’s Goal Against Canada
- Jimmy Johnstone
- Bungle in the Jungle
- Boudewijn Zenden’s Girlfriend
- Bowel Churning Time
- The Ballad of 14th November 2003
- The Elephant, the Giraffe and the Scouser
- Insect Incident
- Playing the Game
- Another Old Joke Poeticised
- In The Wilds of Connemara
- Seizing An Opportunity
- Basket Cases
- Natal Natal
- Amphitheatre
- Snot Fair
- Euro 88 – Ireland vs Holland
- The Pendulum
- Zoot
- A Sort of Homecoming
- That’s Me in the Spotlight…
- Spooked
- Wash Out, Here I Come
- Far Reaching Repercussions
- The Greatest Ten Seconds of Irish History
- Psalm 28.10
- The FAI Cup Final 2003
- The Greatest Football Team Ever Assembled
- Immanuel and Oliver
- A Vision in a Dream. A Fragment.
- Up For The Cup
- The Regular
- If Only…..
- The Great Jahore of Katmandu
- The Night of Hallowe’en
- Walter Wallcarpeting
- Babaz
- Did You Know…
- Body Talk
- Who’s Your Mother, Referee?
- Shels 0 Rovers 2
- King Edwards
- The Heart of Oul’ Ireland
- We Think We’re Bad
- The Raven
- Basel Faulty
- Funny Devils
- The Wright Stuff
- Another Joy Lost
- I Forgot I Had A Drugs Test
- The Rime of the Ancient Optimist
- The Big Injustice
- A Comparison of Football in the Americas
- A Difficult Position
- The Eggspert
- Black and Yellow
- In Defence of UCD
- I Had a Dream…
- A Race Apart
- Scant Consolation
- Robbie Keane aged 14
- The First Sending Off?
- A Tale of Mystery, Imagination and a Goldfish
- Cot a Weeper!
- Some People Are Never Satisfied
- Tell All the Bohs You Know
- William Webb Ellis
- Bend It Like Shakespeare
- Robbie Keane [aged 5]
- The Big (Headed) Club
- Miscarriage of Justice
- The Ballad of Paddy Moore
- The Minnie World Cup
- Ollie Cahill
- Well Done Longford!
- Penalty?
- The Magic of the Cup
- The Pride of Inchicore
- The Submarine Bar
- Oddjob United
- Susan Pegler
- Charades
- Our Two Centre Backs
- The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules
- The Fall and Fall of Joe Hoop
- Hoist
- Cleaning Boots
- Small Crumbs of Comfort
- Jumping Ship
- Shopfitters Athletic
- Have You Seen Dave Connolly, Brian [Standing in the Shadows]?
- In Praise of Donkeys – A Rant
- Superstitious Cedric
- In The Footsteps of Solskjaer and Flo
- Wichita Linesman
- A Bad Injury
- Stephen Carr
- Budgies 3 Cocka 2
- Mexico 86 World Cup Limerick
- A Tale of Old Araby
- Wrong End of the Stick?
- Brendan Bradley
- Liverpool Dreaming
- Stanley Matthews
- Suwon City Revisited
- Demolition
- A Week Ago
- Leo Sayer
- Desperately Immature, But..
- Replay Incident
- Tofik Bahramov
- Disaster!
- Hooliganism – Irish Style
- Poor Man
- Revised Theory of Evolution
- Same Old Joke Twice Over
- The Haemoglobin Cup
- Uncaring Misers FC
- Eggless Douglas
- Wolfgang and Ernst
- Hell
- I Am [Footballing] Woman
- Up the Pool
- Samuel Peeps
- Shels v Sligo [Part One]
- Contrast
- Gentleman Dave
- The Ballad of the 21st August 2003
- The Nudists Cup Final
- The FAI Cup
- Shels v Sligo Preview
- In Praise of Stewards
- The Greatest Penalty Saver in History
- Clunk. Hiss.
- Billy’s Boots
- Apologies to all Aussies
- The Dirtiest Player
- How My Football Career Ended
- Down the Line!
- Sharon Marshall – A Tribute
- The Aussies are Coming
- Tall Story?
- Does This Happen In Any Other Industry?
- Football Stickers
- Boot Boy
- Pre-Match Tension
- Brickies United
- Olimpija Ljubljana 1 Shelbourne 0
- Poor Old Kinker
- The Very First Football Match
- With O’Leary in the Grave
- I Like David Beckham
- Heaven
- Our Horrific Injury List
- Dissention
- Our Local Fish and Chip Shop
- Dublin Floods October 2002
- Frank Swift
- The Cayman Islands League [North]
- The Ballad of October 5th 2001
- The Ballad of Rico’s Tash
- Well Done Rovers
- Shelbourne’s UEFA Cup Opponents 2003
- Assistant Referees
- Andy Gray
- Schoolboy Cup Match
- An Unfortunate Blemish
- Trevor
- The Ballad of Roddy Collins
- Chief Inspector Mulligan Flies To London
- Foul!
- Free Kick
- Reflections on Glenn Crowe’s Full International Debut
- The Ballad of 25th July 2003
- The Ballad of Big, Bad Dermo
- The First Division
- McKeon is a Shelbourne Ref
- Where was Trevor?
- Incident During the Bohs v Shels Game
- The Ballad of Hartlepool FC
- Conspiracy
- 02 Be In Drogheda
- Conquistador
- Gunfight at the Not Very OK Corral
- Jason, be my Lover
- Keep the Red Flag Flying
- Lock Up Your Children!!
- Prayer of the Faithful
- Singing the Blues
- The Ballad of 17th July 2002
- The Ballad of May 2nd 1985
- The Circle of Life
- The Last Game of the Season
- The Legs of old Jim Gannon
- The Problem with Summer Football
- Tonights Match Against Cork
- We’re Gonna Beat the Bohs
- Wretch
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
kevin halls
28th July 2021
Crispin Thomas
20th July 2021
kevin halls
18th July 2021
Stuart Butler
17th July 2021
John J O’Connor
16th July 2021
Sharon Jones
16th July 2021
kevin raymond
15th July 2021
kevin halls
14th July 2021
U Rowe
13th July 2021
U Rowe
13th July 2021
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
11th July 2021 at 3:19 pm
Thank you!
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9th July 2021 at 12:35 pm
lovely imagery Carol
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8th July 2021 at 7:56 pm
A more than able Kane – nice one.
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8th July 2021 at 7:54 pm
Apologies, just spotted your rhyme scheme. Don’t do end rhymes too often.
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8th July 2021 at 7:52 pm
I noticed the officials too and wondered what all the kerfuffle was about. Seriously?? Such a shame there always has to be some sort of controversy. Love how you managed to get all this into verse and so quickly. Not sure how you feel about enjambment, but I’d be tempted to tweak line 4 to ‘Danish national anthem booed, flipped over’. But that’s just me. I most certainly agree with your fair play sentiments.
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6th July 2021 at 11:11 pm
Love the wry humour. Good piece.
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6th July 2021 at 4:45 pm
yeah, took a bit of thought putting the two parts together so it also worked as a whole. Didn’t know about this site till I started searching markets for football poems/current events – not many! Some good stuff on here.
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6th July 2021 at 11:58 am
A sobering reminder ..thanks for posting Carol
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5th July 2021 at 8:38 pm
Sounds great. I’m going back in the club and I’m sure it’ll be another epic night. Social distancing soon disappeared though and there was lots of hugging going on. Still after the 18 months we’ve all had it had to happen that’s the beauty of football. Enjoy your night.
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5th July 2021 at 8:22 pm
Thank you
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