I went to Bolton today to watch Bolton Wanderers play host to Bristol Rovers. Before the match I have a walk around the stadium with my mate Alan. As we approached the main entrance I noticed a cool looking gentleman in a pork pie hat. He was walking towards the Rovers team coach.
“Are you admiring the coach?”
“Yes I always take a look at the coaches. They all tend to be from on company, Ellisons”
We then had a chat about football coaches, the kind that run on wheels and roads as opposed to the ones who coach the players on how to play.
Mick was very knowledgable on the subject, I was surprised how much I knew on the subject as we chatted away.
Mick had also spotted that the livery on the coach showed that this once was the Swansea City team coach. The Swansea City name had been painted over.
I asked Mick how long he’d been supporting the Wanderers, all his life was the reply, which is essentially the same as me. Mick told me he used to be a ball boy at Burnden Park (the former home of the Wanderers) from 1967 to 1970.
“When I got to Fifteen and a half I gave it up as I had to start work”
I’m surprised I hadn’t seen Mick before, he’s 68 and I’m 66 and we’ve both been Wanderers fans for over 100 years between us. You get to recognise faces over the years, especially in the bleak years when we were struggling both on and off the field and our support was poor, but I cannot recall ever seeing Mick before.
Mick told me he was in the corporate seats today as a friend of his was one of the match day sponsors.
When I asked Mick for a photo he said “Let me button my coat up and look smart and hide my cigarette”. I shot Mick against the side of the team coach as it was a blank canvas and also reflected the Wanderers team badge and letters from the name, therefore helping to tell the story.
At this point I shouted my friend Alan over and Mick pointed out the painted over Swansea City name. Alan said they looked like transfers, Mick said they could have got glue remover to hide the transfers.
As for the match, after winning 10 successive wins, the Wanderers lost for a second time in a week, having a player sent off in the process.
I thanked Mick for the photos and we bumped fists and said goodbye
Fabulous portrait. You had a great, willing model, a perfect light and a nice environment (I love that we see Mick's back reflected behind him), and of course you are talented :-)
@carole_sandford Carole , Mick was wearing a smart coat and jumper , I think it may have been because he had an invitation to the corporate hospitality / seats
@jamibann thanks Issi , I think Mick looks great it was his pork pie hat that attracted me to photograph him
@happypat thanks Pat, I knew it was a good shot as soon as I clicked the shutter . I'm really surprised I've never seen Mick before in the 50+ years I've been supporting the Wanderers (I made my Wanderers debut in January 1967 !) so I'm closer to 60 than 50 !!!
@christinav thank you Christina , I appreciate your kind words
@amyk Amy , you are right about the clarity , the low winter sun made for good portrait conditions
@kjarn thank you Kathy , much appreciated , your comments are always welcome
@allie912 thanks Allison , it never fails to amaze me how people open up to me after a few minutes together , I love meeting and photographing my strangers
@beryl thanks Beryl , I was really pleased with the meeting and photo , Mick was great to meet
@corinnec Corinne you are very kind with your comments and words , as for me being talented , I just point my camera at my stranger and chat to them !
@jamibann thanks Issi , I think Mick looks great it was his pork pie hat that attracted me to photograph him
@happypat thanks Pat, I knew it was a good shot as soon as I clicked the shutter . I'm really surprised I've never seen Mick before in the 50+ years I've been supporting the Wanderers (I made my Wanderers debut in January 1967 !) so I'm closer to 60 than 50 !!!
@photographycrazy It was indeed Bill
@christinav thank you Christina , I appreciate your kind words
@amyk Amy , you are right about the clarity , the low winter sun made for good portrait conditions
@kjarn thank you Kathy , much appreciated , your comments are always welcome
@allie912 thanks Allison , it never fails to amaze me how people open up to me after a few minutes together , I love meeting and photographing my strangers
@beryl thanks Beryl , I was really pleased with the meeting and photo , Mick was great to meet
@corinnec Corinne you are very kind with your comments and words , as for me being talented , I just point my camera at my stranger and chat to them !