Football fans have not been allowed into stadiums around the country since the season kicked off in September, but as of December 2nd 4000 fans might be allowed back through the gates.
As a freelance Sports Photographer Preston, Lancashire I have luckily been allowed in to photograph the games, with the telephoto lens on the camera this helps with social distancing too!
Although a lot of the photographs I take are for Premier League games, but I also occasionally shoot the lower leagues too.
The lower leagues in English football have been affected the most by the various lockdowns and restrictions placed on gatherings and sporting events. By allowing fans back in to watch the games, these teams will have a vitally important revenue stream given back to them.
There are around 30 football clubs in Lancashire alone. The number of people who are directly and indirectly employed by having matches take place is large, when these matches are cancelled it desperately hurts the economy of the clubs and surrounding businesses and people.
Having fans back in the stadiums is a great thing for everybody involved, the fans get to watch the clubs they love in the places where football should be viewed, live and up close, the players and viewers of the matches will be gaining some sense of the atmosphere usually present at the football and it will also help me as a photographer as the crowd is a large part of what makes photos of these events special.
The range of emotions on fans faces and body language can give a fantastic depth within a photo and to how the game is progressing. You get to capture the emotions of a group of people, based on what is happening at the match at that specific point in time. Whether it be a goal, foul, ref’s decision the expressions painted on the crowd’s faces are a large portion of the photos that I take.
Hopefully more and more clubs will be able to accept fans in through the gates soon and I can continue to take more great photos of the beautiful game.