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Back of the Net!

"A brilliant celebration of football and poetry that proves that the beautiful game and the power of words make a winning partnership."

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LoveReading4Kids Says

LoveReading4Kids Says

If football is your game, then Back of the Net! is a sure-fire winner. Selected by Paul Cookson, Poet in Residence at England’s National Football Museum, this fantastic collection brings together 50 football poems from a dream team of soccer-mad poets including Roger McGough, Michael Rosen, Coral Rumble, Joshua Seigal and Paul Cookson himself. Brilliantly complemented by Martin Chatterton’s zany, energetic illustrations, this really is the GOAT in football poetry collections.

Whether you play every weekend on a proper pitch or use jumpers for goalposts in the park, there’s something here for every football fan. Goalie, winger, striker, defender - whether you’re perfecting your Cruyff turn or simply love watching the beautiful game, these poems capture all the excitement, drama and emotion of football. The highs, lows and heartbreaks of the game are all here.

What makes this collection especially appealing is the way it introduces readers to different forms of poetry. Throughout the book, you’ll be shown a few cards (don’t worry, not red ones!) that help identify different poetic formations and structures. Sonnets, shape poems, performance poems and haikus all take to the field, demonstrating the many ways poetry can play. It’s a cracker!

Packed with rhythm, rhyme, humour and plenty of opportunities for reading aloud, these poems are designed to be shared and enjoyed. The energy leaps off the page, making this an incredibly accessible collection that will appeal to even the most reluctant readers.

Deborah Maclaren
Reviewed by Deborah Maclaren
Deborah is a book reviewer, passionate literacy advocate, regular speaker and presenter about the power of books and the importance of reading for pleasure.
More reviews by Deborah Maclaren

About Back of the Net!

Get ready to kick off a great reading adventure with this brilliant collection of football poems! Capturing all the agony and ecstasy of the beautiful game, with contributions from Paul Cookson, Bash Amuneni, John Cooper Clark, Sarah McCreadie, Julie McNeill, Roger McGough, Michael Rosen, Coral Rumble and Josh Seigal, you'll find scores to enjoy in this pitch-perfect collection.

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