Your first game/match

Chris141h

Suspended / Banned
Messages
100
Name
Chris
Edit My Images
Yes
So this weekend I'm covering my first game under my own name and my own license in the national league(previously done work under agencies), I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I've checked my gear several times and I'm sure I'll be checking many more times to make sure I don't forget anything. I was just curious if people could remember there first game and if they have funny stories or memories from that game?

Good luck to anyone shooting this weekend whatever they maybe shooting!

Chris
 
Firstly .. have a great game and hope it all goes well for you, and it wouldn't be a first game if nothing goes wrong ;-)

My first game was sometime long time ago.. with my Canon 400D and some kit lenses (it was ice hockey, so a bit more forgivable than footy).
Can't remember much about what game it was, most likely in Helsinki, Finland.. as I was at the time also writing articles for the teams website.. and had asked if I could maybe take my own photos for the articles.
I do remember that I was very pleased (back then) with the images - looking back to them now... I might have been a bit too generous to myself.

Also, what has stuck with me, is that the more seasoned photographers over there were extremely helpful and friendly to the 'new face' in the game.
Many of those guys I still keep in contact with, and catch-up at games when ever possible.

And maybe.. just maybe I've done something right with my sports photography.. as I still manage to make a living out of it today.

Enjoy your first game!! And hope you'll get some good pictures!
 
My first ever game I attended as a photographer was Doncaster Vs Millwall. Doncaster scored and one the Millwall fan's threw hot coffee on me.
 
My first ever game I attended as a photographer was Doncaster Vs Millwall. Doncaster scored and one the Millwall fan's threw hot coffee on me.


Can't recall my first match as a photographe as i went from terrace taking pics to pitchside... BUT on the above subject of having things throw at you... yeagh happens loads of times.. not just thrown at you.. had a bottle of beer land a couple of feet away sent from high in the stands.

but the most rediculous was at the then new man city ground..my first england international in 2004 .. wow 14 yrs ago. england v iceland..... the FA put coloured cards on the seats for a big st george display when the teams came out.... I am wondering what bright spark thought it was a good idea to use tens of thousands of large elastic bands to attach the cards to the seats..... photogpahrs being easy targets... after about ten minutes the floor around us was just a mass of laccy bands and it seemed to go on for ages.. just everyone firing them at us.....

happy days haha
 
My first ever game I attended as a photographer was Doncaster Vs Millwall. Doncaster scored and one the Millwall fan's threw hot coffee on me.

Ah the worst thing I had was a big bangy flare thingy at Iceland v Hungary during Euro 2016. Landed about 2ft behind me, thankfully it wasn't busy and I could move rather sharpish before it went off! Mind you, I wasn't going to be having words with the Hungarian ultras sitting right behind me.
 
My first match was at Bradford when they where then in the then 1st division,
I cannot recall who they played but at that time we only had about 10/20 mins of the game to cover before having to get the 35mm negs developed/ images paper printed & "roller transferred" to the Nationals in London.
I was gobsmacked when my image appeared on the back page of the Sunday Mirror of Stuart Mccall high kicking with the opposition :).

My first "Digi" game was at Sheffield Weds approx. 6years ago which was a baptism of fire for Ftp/emailing etc along with a super sloooooow internet connection. I believe I met you there Phil?.

PS if anyone can recover my image from the Sunday Mirror all those years ago let me know lol. Kind regards Graham. ps could be copyrighted "picture house"
 
Last edited:
My first professional game was Everton v Chelsea in the old First Division back in the autumn of 1979. Had two camera bodies (film, of course), a couple of rolls of film and two lenses, the longest of which was a 135. Pretty much all of the togs worked for a specific paper and there was no such thing as agencies as big as Getty or Action Images. As a freelance you had to physically deliver your 10x8 prints to each paper (all of which had offices in Manchester back then) or else post slides to the footy magazines. The world was a very different place...
 
Back
Top