Behind the scenes.....Matchday

An interesting feature for a future blog was to do a behind the scenes on a typical matchday at the Vikings. The timing of the blog had to be right, I didnt expect nor want to be behind the scenes when we play in Super League due to the pressure on the team and cause any distractions from a normal matchday routine for the players selected. Players have a set pattern to which they perform their pre-match ritual, A sequence of right sock then left sock, Shorts before shirt, Rub before strapping etc so to have the photographer wandering around the room taking images could have been a total failure. Thankfully Denis agreed to me doing this feature for the Swinton trial game away at the Leigh Sports Village on January 8th. I tried my best to just blend into the background, When lads were doing their certain routine I had to decide wether to comprimise the quality of the images by turning off the camera flash and when was suitable to use the flash. I think and hope I managed to get the quality images and not cause any distraction.

One of the images below does show a little bit of blood. Its nothing gross but some people don't like blood but your warning its the image AFTER the Denis Betts changing room image

1:10pm. Just under 2 hours before kick off and the players kit is already set out by kitman Paul Hansbury and his assistant Rob Samsonsen. Plenty of others muck in to help get things in exact order for the players with their drinks lined up (Notice nearly every players is different to the next) and their GPS sports systems and vests in place so the club can now trace their workrate etc, Im not fully upto speed on the workings of the GPS set up but the science involved now at top level sport is astonishing, Players weight taken pre-match and post match, Urine samples given and heart rate etc monitored throughout the game.

 























1:35pm. The players arrive by team coach. Now were not quite at the premiership footballer level where you see them waltzing in with just a £500 shower bag of smellies and everything provided for them.Our lads do actually unload and carry their own bag and boots

1:45pm. The players now get in their true routine of stretches, massages and getting strapped up before they go out to warm up on the field. The medical staff from doctors to masseurs are run off their feet in a task to give every player the attention they need and also making sure that all players get seen too to enable them to perform.

As this was taken at the Swinton trial game we did have a total of 23 players and about 10 staff (and 1 photographer) the changing rooms became a very cramped place, The kitmen have the duty of filing the official RFL teamsheet out which must be displayed on the changing room doors 1 hour prior to kick off so Paul and Rob take refuge on the team bench. Their job is practically done for now but need to be on hand for any player requests for kit or equipment.

2:10pm. Less than a hour before kick-off and preparation continues before the players go out to warm up and test the pitch. Ben Davies uses the strapping bench for final stretches and Ben Kavanagh relaxes to his music.

2:50pm. And players are now ready, Final words and instructions are given by coach and newly appointed captain Jon Clarke. There is no big speeches, The players know what is expected of them and know how to perform to get the result. This is it......GAME TIME

4:35pm. The smiles tell you the result of the game, A win. This was the teams 2nd trial game ahead of Super League but it was also the 1st game together for many of the players. Yes it was against a lower league opposition who were certainly no pushovers and a team that will be very competitive in the Championship this year.

4:45pm. The team return to the changing room and have de-brief off Denis, Plenty of words of encouragement and very positive atmosphere, A total opposite from pre-match. Earlier there was not much, If any talking, Each individual engrossed in their iPods and set routine. Here we are now chatting, shouting and nearly singing. The new lads have yet to learn the song.

One player missing from the team talk was Danny Craven, Danny and "Mul" collided during the game and to be fair, There was only ever going to be one winner. Danny ended the game coming off early to be stitched up

4:55pm. As the lads get showered and changed and go for post match food Denis has one more job to do, A press conference with various media in a lounge upstairs at the LSV. He does a group question and answer session where a few journos throw questions at Denis and he answers for them to use in their match report. After that he will then do a few one to ones for various radio stations

Well, there we are again, Hope you found it interesting. Hope there isn't too many mistakes in my grammar but I type it as Id say it, I'm not a writer. Please leave comments below and please put a name to them.  ;0)

End of Season...Rest time (Yeh right)

Well, Its that time of year again where everyone says how bad they have had it or they post there best 12 images of the year, Well I`m going against the grain and saying last year was pretty good and sad to see it go and this blog is by no means my best images of the year, More a blog on what I`ve been upto. I normally get asked "What do you do when the season finishes?", It is never ending. As Pro rugby finishes the kids rugby still going. Same with the football, When the handsomely paid gymnasts stopped playing the kids continue into a Summer league off the back of a winter league. I started 2011 with a major final in the sport of Basketball at the NIA Birmingham between the Mersey Tigers and the Sheffield Sharks. I had been covering Mersey Tigers officially for their treble winning season and the 1st final they played in they had actually lost, Well beaten by Sheffield but the Tigers continued to win the 3 remaining cups available. I was new to Basketball and even now havent a clue whats happening or the rules but what a great sport it is. Very skilled, very athletic and with Tony Garbeletto in charge very emotional. The Tigers coach is a photographers dream, So much to photograph during a game with him in full flow..........

During the BBL Cup Final at Birmingham, The crowd were treated to a Basketball skills troupe called the All Star Dunkers from France, These guys are amazing!

Summer time comes and another event I`ve covered the last few years is the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament at Calderstones Park, Liverpool. This is another great event and is attracting some big names in the world of Tennis, Caroline Wozniacki (World female No1) is a recent winner at Liverpool. I didnt think they would top last years event with John McEnroe playing but this year they did, In style. They had 5 former stars of the game with 12 Wimbledon titles between them. Greg Rusedski, Richard Krajieck, Martina Hingis, Virgina Wade and with 9 of them 12 Wimbledons titles on her own....Martina Navratilova

So onto Football, Be it kids Winter and Summer league or Professional football up to Premier League level these are both so much enjoyable yet so different its untrue. Shooting a  top flight game at the Etihad or Goodison etc must be the best workplace you could be at. Being so close to the action and seeing the nations favorite game unfold through your lens is sometimes spine tingling. To "hopefully" have images published in the National papers and be paid for doing it is a fantastic feeling. Now covering football is so frustrating at top level as there are so many freelancers/agencies covering the games it seems every angle and every moment is captured. To break into that and get images published is totally out of your hands if you have done all you can, You get the action be it a goal, sending off, crunch tackle etc and get it "wired" to the papers, If it is used on the Sunday is yet to be seen until the usual jaunt to the local supermarket to check all the papers coverage of that game. Its easy to think that it will be easier covering a lower league team such as Bury, Tranmere etc but bear in mind that the coverage in the papers of the lower league is no where near the extent it is for Premiership coverage. It really is catch 22

Now as I say the differences in the make up of the professional game and the kids game is so opposite it makes grown men scratch their head in amazement. How highly paid professionals can act the way they do during a football game is beyond believe sometimes. To roll around wounded because someone touched your (padded) shin or heaven forbid, elbowed your arm is unforgivable when you see as much kids football as I do. The image below shows 2 juniors playing a hard fought game of football, for the love of it, for the hope in being the next Rooney. This wasn't even given as a foul (Clearly wrong), the player never went down, Never cried, never moaned and even carried on chasing the ball. I can only imagine the carnage if this happened at Stamford Bridge!

Onto Rugby League, The sport I prefer to watch and cover be it a Sunday morning junior game officially for the NW Counties Junior league or at professional level. As many know I cover Widnes Vikings in official capacity but also do cover other games at club and international level for other media outlets. To get to cover the touring teams over here in 2011 was a real honor, Now I don't get starstruck normally but when met with Thurston, Slater, Inglis and King Lockyer I found it hard to keep my head and do the job I was there to do.It was such an privilege to talk about how cold it was with Thurston and Thaiday at training. It was equally exciting to cover the Kiwi Haka, being stood just 10m away from the fearsome players performing there routine was frightening to say the least. After seeing the emotion and passion in there eyes during it I wouldn't take that 1st drive in for all the money in the world !!  (Well, Maybe)

Oh well, There you go. Another blog done. Purposely no Widnes Vikings as there will be plenty of WV based blogs from me coming up with the forthcoming Super League season. Hopefully by end of January I will have full behind the scenes blog of the Vikings on a matchday, Stay tuned (and leave comments)