Possible Clues:

• Pretentiousness shown by poet's whiskers
• After what's not in the middle one sets fire to them on ahead
• Team gets heated on the subject of whiskers
• Cheeky display from poet with pretentious air?
• He might have them by the ears and get them fired
• Hair in buns dries out?
• They're hairy players in group accompanying poet
• Hair extensions give pretentious air to poet
• Facial hair by the ears
• Facial hair (and fringe) goes up in smoke