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The World's Greatest Keeper... a whole poem free!

United fans will be forever grateful to whoever suggested that Ferguson should sign Schmeichel. In teams through the Nineties that were packed with characters and leaders... (author's question... anyone know for how long - if ever - Robson, Keane and Ince played together and whether the opposition survived?), Schmeichel's almost-demented lordship of his penalty area was a class apart. Here's how Stan Warburton shares his appreciation...

The World’s Best Goalkeeper

I wonder if Fergie really knew what he had found,

When he signed a keeper for half a million pounds.

Peter Boleslaw Schmeichel was the keeper’s name,

And United’s defence would never again be the same.

At Six feet Four inches an absolute giant of a man,

Would ‘bawl’ at his defenders to keep them on plan.

Played for Brondby, a Danish first division side,

Had won the Danish League, four seasons out of five.

Had already played for the Danish National team,

And a U.E.F.A Cup semi final with Brondby, it seems.

But no fan had heard of him when he signed for the Reds,

Well Fergie had, but would he stand the test?

In Schmeichel’s first season United finished runners up,

But for the first time ever, won the Football League Cup.

The fans all loved him, right from the start,

They knew in the team’s success, he’d play a big part.

With Denmark he won the Euro tournament that year,

And was voted the World’s Best Goalkeeper, he had no peer.

And so The Great Dane became United’s number one,

He stood the test all right, all doubting was gone.

Won Premier League, with Schmeichel’s 22 clean sheets,

First league title for 26 years, so no mean feat.

Once again named World’s Best Keeper in 1993,

Fergie knew what he’d done when he signed him you see.

Schmeichel started attacks with his famous long throw,

He’d kick the ball into opponent’s penalty area you know.

Even scored a goal against Rotor Volgograd,

Went up for a corner, ………they say goalkeepers are mad!

Saved a Bergkamp penalty in the last minute of time,

Won the Cup and League with European still on line.

So United won the Treble in Nineteen Ninety Nine,

With a Peter Schmeichel cartwheel in celebration time.

The “Bargain of the Century,” said Fergie that year,

And after eight years at the top, Schmeichel said “cheers.”

At age of thirty five, the Great Dane moved on with a tear,

But Red fans know, the Best Keeper in the World, was here!

Another Poem Taster... this time the Ginger Ninja - Paul Scholes

A local boy from Middleton, at United since fourteen,

A member of United’s successful youth team scene.

Scored both goals on his first team debut match,

A 2-1 win against Port Vale, ‘the door was now unlatched.’

In 95-96 United won the double and Paul played in 36,

He scored fourteen goals, and a first team place is fixed.

Now firmly a fan’s favourite, but still the quiet type.

He’s now worshipped by thousands, but doesn’t like the hype.

One of his attributes is that he hardly ever ‘gifts the ball,’

Always ‘shows’ in midfield, ready to heed the call.

Not the best ‘tackler,’ of that you can be sure,

Except for mis-timed tackles, he’d have played in many more.

from 'Scholsey' - a poem from 'Manchester United: Poetry in Motion'

Contents Listing of Manchester United: Poetry in Motion

Full Contents of Manchester United: Poetry in Motion

1                      Poetry in Motion

2                      The Birth of a Legend

3                      Sir Matt Busby

4                      United Fever

5                      February 6^th 1958

6                      Sir Bobby Charlton

7                      Georgie Best

8                      The King of the Stretford End

9                      Brian Robson

10                    Mickey Thomas

11                    Sir Alex………The Best of all Time

12                    My Football Team

13                    Ryan Giggs

14                    David Beckham

15                    King Eric the Red

16                    The World’s Best Goalkeeper

17                    Judgement Day   2008

18                    Champions League Final    2008

19                    Scholesy

20                    F.I.F.A.  World Club Cup

21                    The Race for the Premiership 2008/09

22                    Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiras

23                    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

24                    We’re going to Italy

25                    Champions League Final    2009

26                    Wayne Rooney

27                    Michael Owen

28                    The Best Derby Match Ever?

29                    Carling Cup Final    2010

and last - for the time being.... 

30                    The Race for the Premiership  2010

Taster from the poem 'The Birth of a Legend'

In a city in England in Eighteen Seventy Eight,

The start of a story, I would love to relate.

It’s the birth of a team who play fantastic football,

But when it all started, its beginnings were small.

A few lads got together in the locomotive sheds,

They said, “lets start a team“, hence the birth of the reds.

Newton Heath L &Y Railway, the football teams name,

And so it began, the long road to fame.

Playing in green and yellow, the “Heathens” were born,

And from the beginning took Manchester by storm.

Newton Heath “Loco” went surging ahead,

Got best players around by giving them jobs at the sheds.

In 1885 the Manchester Cup beckoned,

They were finalists in’t first year and won it in’t second.

In fact they got to the final, the first 8 years out of 9,

You could say the train was running on time.

unique...quirky... not quite Nobel prize material.... but great!

Man. United - Poetry in Motion is different to any other Sports History book that you have ever read before.It is a potted history of Manchester United but all written in rhyme. 

It is ‘unique,’ it is ‘quirky,’ easily readable, fully illustrated and a book that you are able to pick-up, put down and not miss out by doing so. 

Author Stan Warburton has been a Manchester United fan ever since his dad first took him as a young boy. Even when his family moved to live in Colwyn Bay with Stan as a twelve year old, he never lost his love or support for the Reds, travelling to Old Trafford as often as he could. 

‘Poetry in Motion’ is the Title poem and tells of some of Man United’s greatest matches, the times when they have really been ‘on song’.

‘Why is it that Poets are mean, when it comes to writing of the football scene,’ is the first line of his poem ’My Football Team’ which combines Stan’s love of Man. United and poetry. 

These are just two of thirty widely differing poems about all things Man United. It will never take the Nobel Prize for Literature, but it is a true labour of love, written in spare moments snatched out of a busy life filled with work, family and friends... and following United.

A taster from the Title Poem 'Poetry in Motion'

In a Premier League game in 98,

United played Forest away,

At 4--1 up and in control,

Fergie thought he would ‘call it a day.’

Brought Yorky off and put Solskjaer on,

‘just for the last quarter,’

Ole scored 4 and at 8--1 down,

Forest were lambs to the slaughter.

They said United were brilliant and asked,

“could they use their magic potion?”

It’s just Man United on song, Fergie said “it’s

…Poetry in Motion.”

Expect regular updates and 'tasters' of different poems, including Stan's take on Sir Matt and Sir Alex. 

Different to all the rest...

‘Manchester United...Poetry in motion’ is the author’s first football history book. It tells the story of many of the incidents surrounding Manchester United, the birth of the club, Matt Busby’s great teams and innovations, the Munich story, and the story of many of the great games that you will remember,  from ‘Best, Law and Charlton, to Giggs, Scholes and Beckham, and on to Ronaldo and Rooney. 

Stan Warburton says "But the difference is....it’s all written in rhyme which makes it as easy to read as ‘Rupert the Bear’, and so appeals to United fans of all ages. It is a book that you will love to read over and over again."

What Sir Alex Ferguson thinks of Stan's book Man Utd: Poetry in Motion

Stan……thank you for your poems and I just thought I would drop you a wee line…to say…the poems are excellent and I very much enjoyed reading them, recounting some wonderful memories……

Manchester United Poetry in Motion Intro

Fellow Utd Fans

Initially just 200 copies of 'Manchester United - Poetry in Motion' will be published and made available by the author. Register your interest by emailing him on stanwarburton@hotmail.co.uk. In the run-up to publication short sections from each poem will be published each week on this blog, plus progress reports on publication, background notes about the author and information about Volume Two.

Secure yourself a copy of a book written by a mad-keen United supporter for those who share his passion and enthusiasm.