News
2010 World Cup Poetry Competiton winners!
Posted on: July 19th, 2010
Thank you to everyone who submitted a poem to our World Cup Poetry Competition! The standard of poems was very high, and we have enjoyed reading each and every one of them! Our winners are:
Jocel Macaraeg from the 10-13 age group
Richard Boothroyd from the 14-18 age group
Here are the winning poems:
Jocel Macaraeg’s poem
“Football is my hobby
I look up to Stevie G
Liverpool is the best
I know they beat the rest
Terry takes a corner
A fantastic goal by the striker
Wayne Rooney gets that goal
Then he passes it to Ashley Cole
1- 1-0 to England, Don’t give up
Then Gerrard scored, he lightened up
2- 2-0 To England, You’re going to win the world cup!
Spain is out of the game
C’mon England you’re on your way to fame
Now beat Brazil
You’re going to win this for real!
But Brazil hits the ball in the net
C’mon England, it’s only 2-1 don’t fret
But Robert Green lost the Ball
Oh No! You could have beat them all and all
Let’s go now make it 3-2
This is for us and also for you!
Heskey to Aaron Lennon
Then kicks it to Crouch, Our point is proven
Crouch headered it in!
Can’t believe, we’re going to win
Brazil are now desperate, their coach is shouting
Whilst Fabio Capello is hysterically laughing
The game has ended the final whistle blow
Of England the winners went, what a incredible show
That’s it for now folks, ENGLAND Has won the world cup!”
Richard Boothroyd’s poem
“Every four years it’s that time again,
We’ll just have to pray for no more dodgy linesmen.
The world’s best talent all on show,
Ronaldo, Messi and Torres you know.
Held in South Africa, this is a first,
Vuvuzelas electric, burst after burst.
Bafana Bafana, the atmosphere is intense,
A world cup to remember, totally immense.
Shocks and celebrations, skills and mistakes,
Did the ref really miss that, more penalty retakes.
The controversial Jabulani, swerving, dipping and totally untrue,
Some of the players have mastered it, how about you?
In the sweepstake at work, the luck of the draw
I’ve got the Netherlands, a team whose football you’ve got to adore.
Bert van Marwijk leads the orange army from the bench,
No troubles in the Dutch camp, not like the mutinous French!
It all began back in Soccer City with Tshabalala’s famous wonder-goal,
Japan, New Zealand and Ghana have all played their role.
The build up has been brilliant, but now we’re down to the final four,
Holland, Uruguay, Germany, Spain and no more.
Who will win, only time will tell,
Four teams have a chance, so long as they don’t dwell.
We want to see attacking football, all of the skills known to man,
Personally I’m glad there was no vuvuzela ban.
Brilliant stadiums, the turf shimmers a glimmering green,
Imagine being sat in that crowd, even though I’m only eighteen.
I’ve just finished college, university calls,
Hopefully I won’t be watching the world cup finals in my residential halls!”
Congratulations Jocel and Richard…from all at Streetspeak! Your prizes are in the post!
World Cup Poetry Competition!
Posted on: June 10th, 2010
The World Cup 2010 is finally here and we want you to write a poem about it!!
Our fantastic poetry competition starts today – Friday 11th June 2010 - and lasts for a whole month….
Simply write a poem about the World Cup, include your name, age, address and telephone number, and send it to us at:
Streetspeak@hotmail.co.uk (e-mail)
Philippa Duxbury, National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester M4 3BG (post)
- There are 3 categories:
Up to age 9
Age 10-13
Age 14-18
Entries will be judged by four of our poets – Paul Cookson, Terry Caffrey, Craig Bradley and Mark Mace Smith. Prizes for each category are:
- A replica 1966 World Cup football
- A replica 1966 Jeff Hurst football shirt
- Signed poetry books from each of our four judges
Winning poems will be published on our website. Good luck!!
Poet Terry Caffrey joins Playing for Success Celebration Event
Posted on: January 5th, 2010
Terry Caffrey represented Streetspeak on 17th December 2009, at a celebratory event organised by Playing for Success in Preston. The event was held in the Invincibles Lounge of Preston North End Football Club, where over two hundred mums and dads gathered to watch young people receive awards.
Young people had been working with Terry and Streetspeak/Playing for Success to write a poem about Courage and the 2012 Olympics for a national competition. Terry read out the poems of the four finalists and the audience were asked to select one poem to go through to the regional finals. The winning poem, ‘2012 Courage’, was written by Heather Balshaw from Moor Park High School in Preston.
Also at the event, handing out awards, was Preston Midfielder Michael Tonge.
Streetspeak and Playing for Success in Preston have been encouraging young people to write and perform poetry since January 2009, and we are delighted that from Spring 2010 Streetspeak will also work with young people at Playing for Success in Burnley.
Streetspeak’s first exhibition
Posted on: September 23rd, 2009
Streetspeak’s first exhibition opened at the National Football Museum on Monday 10th August 2009. The exhibition consists of six panels, showing pictures and poems from Streetspeak sessions, along with a DVD by film maker Gary Coogan, who is filming the project from start to finish.
‘It’s generating a lot of interest,’ said Peter Evans, Education Officer at the National Football Museum,‘Visitors are really curious about the project and have been asking how they can get involved.’
The exhibition will continue at the National Football Museum into Autumn 2009, before going on tour to London and Manchester.
The word is on the street about Streetspeak…
Posted on: September 22nd, 2009
Our second visitor in June 2009, Irfan Master, Manager of Reading the Game, National Literacy Trust, visited a Groundwork session on 19th June 2009.
Irfan watched Craig and young people from Groundwork invent their own poems… here’s one of them:
Pele
I saw Pele
On the telly
He looked really cool to me
He was quick
On the ball
He wasn’t very tall
He was a kid on the street
With no shoes on his feet
Playing football with some bags
Dressed in old torn rags
But he had passion in his heart
He was a living Work of Art
He could fly like a dart
He was a goal scoring machine
The best on the screen
But, Pele, for all your fame
We don’t even know your name!
After watching the Streetspeak session, Irfan said, ‘It was a more informal style of learning, and there was lots of learning going on and for young people that’s the best environment. They will go away with enhanced vocabulary, speaking and listening skills and they’ve been told they’ve done well. It will be a lasting memory. I’d have been quite chuffed to have been picked to take part – that’s a big deal. Poetry is a form of expression, and we can all be poets by default as soon as we can speak.’
More organisations on-board
Posted on: September 18th, 2009
Streetspeak has been growing in popularity since its launch in November 2008, with five organisations and three poets already taking part in Streetspeak sessions.
Neil McAlley, Community Programme Manager for the Football Foundation visited the National Football Museum on 12th June 2009, to see a Streetspeak session with Groundwork.
Young people from Groundwork were guided by poet Craig Bradley on a tour of the PNE ground and changing rooms, then the museum. Craig and Groundwork members put together a few poems based on their experience, including this one:
That’s what football means to me
That’s what football means to me
On the grass scoring one, two, three
Unlock the defence, find the key
Blaze up front, you and me
Pass and move from A to B
Respect the team – PNE
Breezing in the box, sting you like a bee
Saturday afternoon at three
We’ve won the game, home for tea
That’s what football means to me
Stewart Meadwell, Development Officer with Groundwork, accompanied the group and is pleased with the project’s impact on young people: ‘The two sessions so far have exceeded anything I could of hoped for. Craig has thoroughly engaged the group on such a tough subject to do so. I think the session at the football museum worked very well to inspire the group.’
Streetspeak project launches
Posted on: September 17th, 2009
Sir Tom Finney, former Preston North End and England Player, officially launched the Streetspeak project at the National Football Museum on 19th November, 2008. Sir Tom, who won 76 caps and scored 30 goals for England, was presented with a cheque for Streetspeak from the Football Foundation, one of the sponsors of Streetspeak (along with the Arts Council and National Football Museum). Sir Tom met young people taking part in Streetspeak, and one of the poets – Mark Mace Smith.
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said in November 2008, ‘I am delighted to see Streetspeak launched, especially by such a legend in the game as Sir Tom Finney. The project is good news for young people in Preston, Lancashire and beyond and the fact that it is being launched by a player of Sir Tom’s stature means it will be beginning in true style.’
