Keepers ..

Well, bugger me, I've only gone and found it! There's something to be said for going through all your old stuff before moving house. Look what's turned up from May 21st 1994 ..

Yes, way back in the mists of time I got an exclusive photo-shoot with Sir Alex Ferguson after Manchester United had won the Treble. That's the FA Cup, The Premiership and the Charity Shield. I can't remember if I set up at the Old Trafford Museum or The Cliff - the team's old training ground - (It looks like the Museum) but I was the only photographer given access for the shot. It was used in the Manchester Evening News and then sold to The Sun for their next day's paper and, by the way, it's not your eyes .. the register was out during the printing so it looks like a poor 3D attempt!..

But why the excitement? Well, I never got a print of the picture to include in my portfolio, and then the MEN very stupidly threw away all our negatives during a move from their Deansgate offices. I thought the shot was gone forever ..

Speaking of The Cliff, there's another belter that turned up during my tidy-up .. Roy Keane's signing for Man U there in July 1993. I was the only photographer allowed in for this shot, too, and I remember shaking his hand and wishing him well after the shoot. (I think he did ok after my chirpy encouragement!) Blimey, he was 21 then, and he sold for a "staggering" £3.75m !! ..

You'll notice I said I was "going through" all my old stuff, as opposed to "throwing out" all my old stuff. Oh yes, you can be sure .. this stuff is for keeps! ..   

 

Come on you reds ..

It's amazing how things work out sometimes. I had a portrait session booked at the studio yesterday morning and I was determined I'd try out a new red backdrop I'd recently bought. Well, who should walk in but a lovely redhead .. in a red dress! You can't make this stuff up! What a fab shot, and what a great debut for my backdrop. Hey, perhaps it's a sign. Maybe The Reds will come up with the goods at Wembley next Saturday. I certainly hope so .. 

Upping your game ..

A new set of Wedding albums was delivered yesterday and I felt I had to show you a photograph of them. I can't wait to present them to the bride! Of course, these things aren't cheap and it's timely that there was an article in the 'paper yesterday about a couple who have been disappointed by the photographs produced by their Wedding photographer. Amazingly, this couple weren't put off by the fact that the person they booked to shoot their Big Day was a "student" with prices starting from £125. More fool them - you get what you pay for in this game ..

Speaking of games brings me nicely on to the subject of football. I don't write about it very often but today is different. We've managed to get tickets to the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next weekend, with the prospect of seeing Manchester United playing for a place in the final. The only problem is .. they've not got through to the semis yet! That all depends on them beating West Ham this evening. I don't think I've been this keen on a football result since I was 13! Come on you Reds ..

Cliffhanger ..

Two shots of The Cliff for you today, from back when I wore the hat of Press Photographer! That's the Cliff - the old training ground for Manchester United - and some wannabe pop poodle from days gone by! Actually, I shouldn't joke .. I do have some Cliff Richard records in my collection. Wired for sound is ace!
Anyway, I digress...

The shot of Sir Cliff was just a one-off when he came to plug his show at The Palace Theatre in Manchester, but I used to go to the old training ground in Salford quite often. Not for the football, obviously - despite being named Martin O'Neill I wouldn't say photographing football is my forté - but for the goings-on around the team back in the '80s and early '90s. I remember having to dash there when United sacked Ron Atkinson in '86, and I got an exclusive photo-session there with Roy Keane when he signed for the team in '93. Going off the character of some football players, I thought the sign in today's shot was rather amusing..

Anyway, that's it! End of blog! No cliff-hangers today ..

Back of the net...

Well, I've done it! It's behind me! I've weaned myself off football! It wasn't until I got an email from a pal at the weekend that I even knew there was a match twixt Man U and Liverpool yesterday. As I write this I don't even know who won! It means nothing to me anymore, and it feels great! I decided, at the beginning of the season, that I wouldn't follow the 'beautiful game' anymore, because it isn't! It isn't beautiful! Where's the beauty in pretending to be elbowed in the face just to get a free-kick? That's just cheating! Where's the beauty in a goal being disallowed just because one man with a whistle didn't see a ball crossing a line? That's just stupid! Where's the beauty in dolts with sticky-out ears being paid kerzillions when all the rest of us are really struggling? (Ok, that one's just envy!) Whatever! It doesn't matter anymore. I am cured! I am free! Back of the net! Result!.. Oh, heck!

Oh, Bollocks!...

Hey, Happy Monday everybody! Hope all's well! Did you have a nice...? Huh? The title? Oh sorry, didn't mean to alarm you! Don't worry, nothing's wrong! Far from it! I just read an article at the weekend about the art of succesful blogging, and it said you had to choose a title that grabbed readers by 'the short and curlies'.
I thought 'Oh, bollocks' might be just the thing to say!
Alright, I know that's not exactly what the author of the article had in mind but actually, it's not as if we haven't got reason to use the exclamation at the moment, is it? The Economy, The Weather, Man U's slim chances in the Champions League...
Oh, bollocks! Stuff it! Christmas is coming and I've got a busy month ahead. Who's got time to be down? Here's to pretty pictures, chocolate advent calendars and Christmas Weddings! It's December! Hurrah, hurrah...

(Now that's a much more eye-catching title...)

Manchester, Manchester...

Job done..and two trophies on their way to Manchester, after a great weekend of football for the city!
Here's a shot of my pals in the pub at the final whistle of the Man U game. Happy, eh?

Glad to say the Eurovision Song Contest didn't disappoint, either, with a winner that was suitably appalling!  Here's to Azerbaijan, with a song that put the Zzzz in Muzic! I'll have a much more interesting music story tomorrow which, you'll be pleased to hear,  gets us back onto the subject of photography!

Anyway,  I wouldn't be English if I didn't talk about the weather, would I? So let's have a good old moan about the wind and rain and cold.  I've even had to put the heat back on, for goodness sake.
I mean, have you seen the price of gas?

Write on time...

More on the passage of time!
Ryan Giggs was told after last night's Manchester United win that he was the oldest player ever to score in the Champions' League, a fact he received with a wry smile and a shy thank you! Reminded me of when I shot him as a pleasant young lad with George Best outside Old Trafford. Who'd have known back then he would turn out to be one of our most loyal players! Speaking of loyalty, I was sent an email from Sainsbury's yesterday, asking if I would complete a questionnaire about their clothing range..and it would only take 20 minutes!! Er, no... I'm busy!
Makes me wonder about the lives of the brides I photograph. Some present me with their chosen list of Wedding images within a couple of weeks of their Big Day, yet one couple still haven't chosen any shots for their album, and it's now three years since they married!
One last thing on time. Poor old Poly Styrene died yesterday. She sang with X-Ray Spex, one of the great punk bands of the seventies. She only got 53 years! Make the most of it, folks!
Ok, that's enough clock-watching!