THE WORLD CUP
I did have an idea to celebrate 40 years since 1966. I wanted to get 11 poets to write 11 poems about the team of ’66. However, I couldn’t get a publisher or sponsor interested, so in the end I wrote a series of poems myself. They are everyman recollections that try and capture something of the men, the magnitude, the mood and the memories. You can click on the names on the image to see the poems.
FIREBALL EXCEL THRIVE
( For Alan Ball )
Red headed exocet
Dynamo, engine
Tightly wound spring
Ball of fire
Cocked pistol, trigger happy
Fully charged battery
Ever ready energy
Real live wire.
Tenacious in the tackle
A whirlwind on the pitch
Tireless and tiger –like
No holding back
I always wanted football boots
Just like yours,
White for distinction
Not for surrender.
Never say die
No cause ever lost
Always on the ball
Alan, aptly named.
PAUL COOKSON