AMA_SHOWCASE_v4

nn Manager Sam Ricketts
deliveres some final
pre-match instructions
unprecedented access to the
dressing rooms.
The Times exclusive behind the
scenes feature was to go deeper
into a football club than ever
heard of before. Reporting on
and photographing a manager
delivering his pre-match, half-time
and post-match talk, win, lose or
draw.
It’s not very often if at all that
photographers and journalists
are granted unlimited access to
a football clubs dressing room.
The dressing room is regarded
as the inner sanctum of the
football stadium where players
and managers feel safe and at
ease away from the glare of long
camera lenses and countless
requests for selfies.
Tom had dared to ask the
unthinkable question and despite
the magnitude of the game
and financial importance of the
occasion Town’s management
had the foresight to realise that it
would do no great harm and serve
as a fantastic public relations
exercise for the club.
Photographing the players in
the dressing room when young
mascots get to meet their heroes
an hour or so before kick off is
something that we do on a regular
matchday and when Town beat
Bristol City in the previous round
some post match celebratory
dressing room pics were also
allowed.
As a photographer working
for a club it’s important to build
up a strong bond of trust with
the manager, coaches and the
players. I believe that part of
achieving that relationship is
being conscious of their space and
knowing when it’s time to make
yourself scarce.
The approach on the day of
nn Fitness Coach Andy Johnson
hangs up the players’ match
shirts in the dressing room
// The
dressing
room
didn’t hide
too many
secrets //
the big game needed to be no
different than any other despite
the unprecedented access. We
were made to feel welcome
and nothing seemed to be off
limits, Jon wanted to check a
few pictures before print but the
dressing room didn’t hide too
many secrets. Tom had already
spent some time with Ricketts and
the players at the training ground
in the build-up to the game and
much of his feature-length article
was prepared before matchday.
Additional material was to be
added from our behind the scenes
experience.
I was fortunate enough to
have the opportunity to go into
the dressing room in the early
afternoon before the players
arrived at the ground. I wanted to
get some scene setting pictures,
Matt and Nicola joined me and
between us we photographed just
about everything we could from
every conceivable angle.
This was the perfect opportunity
to tweak camera settings and nail
the exposure. I decided to set up
two camera bodies, one with a 70-
200mm lens and the other with a
shorter 24-70mm lens. I also put a
14mm prime in my jacket pocket
but for obvious reasons I had to
leave the flash in the camera bag.
Preparing the dressing room
for the game was kitman Rory
McVicar, first team sports
therapist Gregg Jones and fitness
coach Andy Johnson. I needed to
do some preparation of my own
and what I really needed to know
was where would manager Sam
Ricketts stand to deliver his teamtalk?
Taking advice from the lads
as they hung shirts on hangers
and neatly placed boots together
under benches I decided that the
entrance by the shower block was
going to be the best place to work
from.
It was going to be a tight
squeeze and unfortunately slightly
obstructed by a large cabinet in
the middle of the dressing room
floor but it was the only place
where I was going to get a clean
picture of Ricketts delivering his
instructions.
The items on the cabinet
featured heavily in Tom’s article.
nn Medical supplies and food is
laid out ready for the players
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