A LIFE-LONG Newport County fan has written a poem celebrating his side's Great Escape from relegation out of the Football League.

Sean Edwards put pen to paper hours after the historic win against Notts County to write the piece, titled 'Hope, despair and joy'.

The poem by the Llanwern steel worker, from Underwood, covers all the emotions felt by fans at Rodney Parade - from agony, despair to joy with help from those playing for "a special local boy" in coach Michael Flynn.

South Wales Argus:

Sean Edwards' poem, titled 'Hope, despair and joy'.

Reference is also made to "the Rodney up North", Devante Rodney, the Hartlepool United forward who struck twice for his side against Doncaster Rovers to give his fans - including Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling - hope.

But ultimately it was the Exiles who prevailed, with Mr Edwards writing that Mark O'Brien's late winner "had brought men to tears".

Before the match Mr Edwards had also written another poem called 'The Great Escape' in a bid to spur on the players.

South Wales Argus:

'The Great Escape', by Sean Edwards.

Previous poems have also garnered the attention and praise from Newport East Jessica Morden MP, who shared one to her constituents last year

"I've been writing them for a years now about all sorts of things," he said.

"I started them just for a laugh, they've never been anything too serious.

"The sporting poems started when I used to put rhymes to the games of Caldicot RFC U13s, where my son Iwan plays, and I'm still doing them for the U16s.

"I then started writing poems on most topics, history, sport and where I'm from."

Mr Edwards has followed County since the early 1970s and witnessed such highs as the win against West Ham in the 1978–79 FA Cup to the 1980 Welsh Cup win.

The former ballboy at Somerton Park was also on hand to see the memorable quarter-final tie against East German side Carl Zeiss Jena in the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup.