This is a collection of images I have shot during the last decade. I wasn’t selecting them because they were necessarily the biggest moments or the greatest stars – it was purely because I liked them as pictures and some had nice stories attached. What jumped out at me when choosing them is there should be far more sportswomen featured. The amount of women’s sport I cover has gradually increased but if I get to do a decade round-up in 2029, I want there to be a far more even balance between the sexes.
Fen skating, Cambridgeshire – 9 January 2010
14mm lens, 1/1250th f9 ISO 320
The start of the decade brought freezing temperatures across Britain. This caused carnage with the fixture list so my mind turned to finding a sport that was thriving in the sub-zero temperatures. I discovered that for the first time since 1997 organised skating races were being held on a flooded field in the Fens. Luckily for me it was a beautiful day and produced scenes that reminded me of a Bruegel painting. It was hard to believe I was in the heart of England. The event hasn’t happened since.
Cheltenham spectators – 17 March 2010
85mm lens, 1/500th f3.5 ISO 1000
Taken at one of my favourite events of the year, this sums up the atmosphere at the Cheltenham Festival. Wherever you look there are pictures to be had both on the course and off. I spotted these two ladies and waited, hoping they would react in some way or another. Luckily for me but unluckily for horse and rider, a horse careered through the railings. Fortunately, everyone emerged unscathed.
Track Cycling World Cup, Manchester – 20 February 2011
190mm lens, 1/4th f16 ISO 200
Team pursuit qualifying lasts for more than an hour with teams competing against the clock one at a time. Not exactly thrilling stuff but it meant I had plenty of time to play with slow shutter speeds and lighting. I placed a strobe on the inside of the track and worked on different combinations of slow shutter speed and either keeping the camera still as the cyclists passed or reverse panning. I don’t often get the opportunity to experiment like this during a top event; it was a chance to create virtually my own little studio and have some fun.
Swansea mascot, Emirates Stadium – 10 September 2011
500mm lens, 1/1000th f5.6 ISO 800
As the Swansea team gathered for their huddle before kick-off, their young mascot looked disgruntled to be left out. It’s highly unusual to get a sweet, soft picture such as this at a high-profile Premier League match. I remember it was far better than any of the action pictures I took that game.
Didier Drogba, Champions League final, Munich – 19 May 2012
500mm lens, 1/800 f4, ISO 2500
In the middle of the penalty shootout, Chelsea were trailing. The players looked dejected except Didier Drogba, who had rescued his side with a late equaliser in normal time. He started to pray. Maybe this paid off as Bayern Munich missed two penalties, leaving Drogba to score the winning spot-kick. Penalty shootouts are great for pictures but very hard to photograph as you need cameras pointing in various places at the same time. There are so many decisions to make quickly and, with such high stakes, you don’t want to make the wrong choice.
Chris Hoy, men’s keirin final, London Olympics – 7 August 2012
420mm lens, 1/800th f4, ISO 2000
This was the day Chris Hoy beat Steve Redgrave’s record to become Britain’s greatest Olympian in terms of gold medals. So I wanted to illustrate this by going tight on his face and the beautiful medal. It was imperative to get a dark background that showed off the medal to its best. He is such a gentleman that after posing for the photos he thanked us all. Not many top sportsmen do that.
Mo Farah, men’s 5,000m final, London Olympics – 11 August 2012
200mm lens, 1/800 f5, ISO 1600
When setting up for the final session of athletics in the main stadium, I knew the story of the night would be if Mo Farah completed the historic double of 10,000m and 5,000m victories. I managed to bag a decent spot for a tight shot of him crossing the line, so I set up a remote camera with a wider angle designed specifically to include a lot of the crowd. As the race was run at 7.30pm I knew there would be plenty of daylight to light up the stands. I was trying to create a frame that wasn’t just about an individual winning. More I wanted a feeling of national jubilation, a united Britain, celebrating the wonderful achievements of a Somali immigrant. I look back at this frame now and wonder how times have changed.
Ellie Simmonds, women’s S6 400m freestyle final, London Paralympics – 1 September 2012
500mm lens, 1/1000 f5.6, ISO 2500
Just after finishing her race and realising she had won, Ellie Simmonds started to sob. She had been in a titanic battle with the American Victoria Arlen, definitely the best race I saw at the Aquatics Centre that summer. The then teenager was one of the faces of the London Paralympics and endured enormous pressure after being so successful in Beijing four years earlier.
The Kop spells it out, Liverpool v Manchester United – 23 September 2012
58mm lens, 1/500 f5, ISO 640
In September that year, the Hillsborough Independent Panel revealed for the first the full scale of the establishment cover-up of the 1989 disaster. Liverpool’s following home game was against Manchester United. Just before kick-off the Kop formed a mosaic. I stood right next to the goal so I could shoot straight into the Kop as the players lined up to start.
Sir Alex Ferguson, The Hawthorns – 9 May 2013
640mm lens, 1/1000 f5.6, ISO 400
Sir Alex Ferguson gestures to Manchester United’s fans immediately after the 5-5 draw at West Brom – his final match before retiring. I wanted to get in very close to his face, so I put a 1.4x converter on my 500mm lens. I should have known Fergie wouldn’t shed a tear, he is far too hard for that. But I liked this determined and strong final pose as his players applauded behind him. Unfortunately for me this day will also be remembered for the local steward who placed himself in front of Ferguson as he bowed on the pitch thus ruining it for the mass of photographers. He then went on to shake the United manager’s hand. You can imagine the earful we gave that steward afterwards.
Andy Murray, men’s singles final, Wimbledon – 7 July 2013
300mm lens, 1/1000 f5.6, ISO 400
Early that day I was interviewed by Wimbledon TV and asked how I would react if Andy Murray won. I said I didn’t quite know and didn’t really want to know; I tried to block it out of my mind by saying Novak Djokovic would be victorious. This was me trying to take my own emotions out of the final. So that afternoon, when my prediction was proved decisively wrong, I reverted to auto-pilot, using my experience of covering nearly 20 finals there. This is one of my favourites – the expression on his face, picked out by the sunlight as he finally gets his hands on the famous trophy, a mixture of relief, joy and possibly disbelief. I look back at this and think that day was really something special.
England win the Ashes, Durham – 12 August 2013
82mm lens, 1/800 f6.3, ISO 400
Australian batsman Peter Siddle lobs a catch straight to Jimmy Anderson at mid-off to give England the match and victory in the series. A few minutes earlier I was positioned straight on to the wicket at ground level where most of the other photographers were, when the most gorgeous evening light broke through threatening storm clouds. The view at Durham, over the pitch and across to Lumley Castle, is one of the best in cricket so I took a gamble and moved into the stands. As the final wicket fell I got this picture. My next frame was completely blocked by the arms of celebrating spectators.
Luis Suárez advert, Copacabana Beach, Brazil – 25 June 2014
50mm lens, 1/200 f2.8, ISO 1250
It was the day after the infamous Suárez bite in the Uruguay v Italy World Cup match. So as the controversy started to engulf the tournament, I headed back to a strange advert I had noticed a couple of weeks earlier, hopeful that something may be happening there. I wasn’t disappointed; it was great fun seeing fans from all over the world posing in different ways. I shot the pictures and filed them quickly. The response on social media to that simple gallery was amazing. Apparently it was even trending on Twitter in Paris.
Men’s squash final, Glasgow Commonwealth Games – 28 July 2014
44mm lens, 1/1600 f3.5, ISO 5000
I managed to blag a shooting position right ‘by the tin’ shooting low down through the glass wall. As the final went on, I shifted position from the forehand side to the backhand. I realised by putting my lens right up against a glass-supporting strut in front of me I could achieve an amazing reflection. It wasn’t like a mirror, which is opaque, as you could also see through it. All I had to do was wait for the action to occur in exactly the right spot. I have been accused of tampering with this image in Photoshop. I admit it’s hard to work out but I swear it hasn’t been altered. Firstly, I am not allowed by my editorial code to do that but I’m also rubbish at Photoshop and don’t posses the necessary skills. Also this final was tight on deadline which meant I had to file immediately after the match, giving me no time for any retouching.
Men’s 10,000m final, Glasgow Commonwealth Games – 1 August 2014
70mm lens, 1/2000 f5, ISO 200
It was a golden, sunlit evening in Glasgow, a rare occurrence that I had to make the most of. For a couple of hours I walked around the stadium, working on angles, trying to find the best spots to shoot the lengthening shadows. Luckily the 10,000m final was at exactly the right time. The light was perfect for only a few laps before the sun disappeared behind the back of the stands.
Michael Kacer, Invictus Games, Lee Valley Athletics Centre – 11 September 2014
102mm lens, 1/1600 f2.8, ISO 500
When I headed off to the first day of the inaugural Invictus Games, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But when I saw this veteran with one arm missing, a scar down the side of his face and distinctive contact lenses, I knew I could get a striking image. Lying down behind the shot put circle enabled me to shoot up and use the cloudy sky as a clean background. I also had the lens wide open to throw all the focus on to that amazing, determined face.
Rafael Nadal’s sweat drops, Wimbledon – 3o June 2015
700mm lens, 1/1250 f5.6, ISO 400
Rafael Nadal was struggling to beat a low-ranked opponent during an early round on the No 1 Court. It was the hottest day of the year and I had noticed at the change of ends how the sweat was pouring off him while reaching down to pick up a drink by his chair. By putting a converter on my lens I could get in really tight to his face, isolating the drops.
Japan v South Africa, Rugby World Cup, Brighton – 19 September 2015
500mm lens 1/1250 f4.5 ISO 2500
Like everyone else that day, I was expecting an easy Springbok victory. The ground at Brighton was very cramped and, as Japan had many photographers there, I was quite happy to plump for a position shooting South Africa attack for both halves. I just couldn’t believe it, watching the winning try from the other end of the pitch. Luckily getting this picture helped soothe the disappointment of not being in the right place in the final minute.
Carnage at the Chair, Grand National, Aintree – 9 April 2016
70mm lens 1/5000 f4 ISO 2000
I have a well-rehearsed plan at the Grand National – one that gives me as many angles and viewpoints as possible. Part of this strategy involves putting a couple of remote cameras at the largest fence on the course. That year I had a camera placed either side of the landing area. It was a filthy day, which meant the ground was soft and the horses were tiring. Luckily one of the remotes captured the moment Nina Carberry flew off her horse Sir Des Champs. For 25 years I had photographed the Chair during the Grand National, hoping one day my perseverance would pay off, and that day it did: this frame won best sports picture at the World Press Photo awards.
West Ham v Manchester United, the final goal at the Boleyn Ground – 10 May 2016
24mm lens 1/100 f8 ISO 2500
From my position, low down and by the dug-outs, I knew I wouldn’t have a good angle to achieve an historic reminder of the final game. So I managed to get permission to clamp a remote camera high up on the scaffolding supporting the temporary TV studio. Here I could see it all – the ground, the pitch, the players, the lights, the fans. It was a huge stroke of luck for me that the final and winning goal, scored by West Ham’s Winston Reid, happened at the right end. As I always try to say to myself: “If you don’t try you never get.”
Wales v England, Euro 2016 match, Lens – 16 June 2016
200mm lens 1/1600 f4 ISO 1000
This made me laugh. Seeing a solitary England fan, dressed proudly in his replica kit from the early 90s, marooned amongst a sea of proud, scarlet-clad Welshmen. I just wish I’d seen his reaction when England scored their winning goal. England may have been victorious that day but they departed the tournament in disgrace losing to Iceland, while Wales went on to the dizzy heights of the semi-finals.
Serena Williams, women’s singles final, Wimbledon – 9 July 2016
300mm lens 1/1600 f4 ISO 640
Without doubt my favourite woman to photograph. I have found it very difficult to pick out my best image of Serena from the last decade. Eventually I plumped on this one, her beating Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final of 2016. I wanted a picture that demonstrated her power, strength and determination. On Centre Court some photographers have fantastic seats, low down and very close to the action. When Serena doesn’t hold back like this you can really feel the force.
Men’s synchro diving final, Rio Olympics – 8 August 2016
70mm lens 1/8000 f6.3 ISO 200
This is Britain’s Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow competing outside at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre. Above the top board I noticed a load of scaffolding and metal poles. It looked really messy, almost as if the divers were jumping off a building site. Poor planning and a lack of money meant many venues had a half-finished feel to them. The weather that day was a bit overcast with the sun struggling to break through. I wanted a bit of colour to this picture so I tweaked the colour balance of my camera to warm it up and give this smoggy feel.
Great Britain v China, men’s team fencing, Rio Olympics – 12 August 2016
120mm lens 1/2000 f4.5 ISO 3200 (double exposure)
Olympic fencing is one of my favourite events to cover. It is theatrically and dramatically lit which means photographers can have a lot of fun experimenting with exposures and shutter-speeds. Also it’s not one of the high-profile events where the pressure is on not to miss a vital moment. I managed to work out how I could combine in the camera two frames in a striking multiple exposure. The colours of the different pistes, allied with the contrasting angles, created an image that reminded me of the Union Jack. It was just a matter of time and practice before finally getting the fencers in the right place.
Women’s beam final, Rio Olympics – 15 August 2016
44mm lens 1/2000 f4 ISO 3200
The diminutive Fan Yilin from China competes on the beam during the apparatus finals in Rio. She is only 4ft 10in tall so I deliberately shot this image with a wider view to emphasise her tiny frame especially when leaping high. Gymnastics is one of those sports I rarely get to photograph, so it’s refreshing to work on something different.
Infrared image of Wimbledon – 10 July 2017
24mm lens 1/1000 f9 ISO 400
I had seen images taken with infrared cameras by landscape photographers and had noticed how it rendered colours, especially greens, in a unique fashion. Knowing Wimbledon was a sea of greens, I thought it might be interesting to see what could happen. I also wanted to show a place that is so familiar in a very different, almost surreal way. I got a normal Canon 7D camera which had the sensor adapted to read only infrared light and then produced a gallery of images taken around the grounds during the fortnight. In this image of Court Two, the eventual women’s champion Garbiñe Muguruza is volleying against Angelique Kerber.
Nafi Thiam, World Athletics Championships, London – 5 August 2017
400mm lens 1/4000 f4 ISO 400
The Belgian Olympic heptathlon champion, Nafi Thiam, was a model of consistency, easily winning her competition at the world championships. Her long braided hair makes for great pictures, but it’s especially graphic in the high jump. For me it was just a case of getting the background clean and waiting for the sun to come out so as to light up her face and hair perfectly.
Usain Bolt’s agony in his final race, London – 11 August 2017
400mm lens 1/1600 f3.5 ISO 4000
It was Usain Bolt’s final race before retirement and everyone expected him to go out in a blaze of glory. I was tracking him as he sprinted down the home straight when suddenly he pulled up with an injury. It was a sad end for such a huge global superstar, an athlete who has provided so many amazing moments for me as well as the sporting public.
José Mourinho, Stamford Bridge – 20 October 2018
560mm lens 1/5000 f4 ISO 800
Recently I wrote an article welcoming back José after being appointed Spurs manager. In it I mentioned this picture and how one of my Twitter followers compared it to the Caravaggio painting The Taking of Christ. That tweet went a bit crazy for a while. I thought that bizarre enough but this month the tale had another quirky twist. Again on Twitter I was told this picture, or rather Caravaggio’s, was a perfect example of the Fibonacci spiral. He was a famous 12th century Italian mathematician who invented the Fibonacci sequence which stated each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. This applied to art is an expression of the Rule of Thirds – a principle that gives a more appealing flow to an image. What makes this even stranger is the person telling me about Fibonacci was Carol Decker, the lead singer of the 80s pop group T’Pau!
England win the Cricket World Cup, Lords – 14 July 2019
600mm lens 1/1600 f5.6 ISO 800
More than five months later and I still can’t believe what I witnessed that day at Lords. Compiling this decade review has given me the chance to revisit some wonderful moments – but nothing compares to this. For sheer sporting drama it takes the gold medal. England beating New Zealand to win the World Cup off the very last ball of a super over, with the teams tied after 50 overs each. I remember taking a deep breath before that final ball, trying to get my heart rate down, and then just trusting my instincts. Fortunately the run-out happened at the right end for me and I managed to get it.
South Africa lift the Rugby World Cup, Yokohama – 2 November 2019
400mm lens 1/1600 f4 ISO 3200
This was a day of mixed emotions for me. For obvious reasons I had wanted England to win the final but I always try to put personal feelings aside when I’m shooting a game – it’s my job to be a neutral observer. The key picture, as it so often is, was the trophy lift. This one had far greater significance. Siya Kolisi, the first black player to captain his country, raising the Webb Ellis Cup aloft. For many years rugby was the sport of the white minority, with black players banned from playing under the apartheid regime. Kolisi had been born into extreme poverty but here he was lifting the trophy up and becoming an inspiration, a beacon of hope for a troubled country.
