The life of a football photographer

Steve Bacon, West Ham's official photographer of more than 30 years, and author of There's Only One Stevie Bacon, on some of the highlights of his career with the club.

I must say I’ve been greatly encouraged in the way in which my autobiography There’s Only One Stevie Bacon has been received by those who have bought it, and those in the media who have reviewed it.  

Well I say those who have reviewed it …. I’m not sure what the Norwegian Hammers made of it on their website as my Norwegian is limited … very limited …. OK non-existent …. but the layout looked nice anyway!!!  

When I was approached by Kirk Blows to write the story of my life with West Ham United, it came at a time when I was seriously considering such a project. Kirk’s offer to ghost write the tome made me decide to give it a shot! I wanted my personality to come across in the words, and I think the end result has captured this perfectly.  

It’s been quiet a roller coaster ride for a little fat kid from Manor Park who, to be honest, was never really that interested in football. The rest of the family were all West Ham supporters – so it was always going to be my team if anybody asked me the question.  

Speedway was my first love, and I went from supporting to acting as a mechanic to one of the country’s top young riders – Roger Johns. We travelled the country with his bike strapped to the back of my old Ford Classic, staying overnight in the cheapest B&B’s we could find … what a contrast to my later life with the Hammers, when I was lucky enough to stay in some of the best hotels both in this country and across the globe. Hotels I could never afford to book into if it wasn’t the club that was footing the bill!  

I guess I’ve enjoyed a unique position in my role as club photographer – a role the late, great John Lyall offered me back in 1980, the pre-season after we had beaten Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. I had, of course, been snapping the Hammers before then and had already formed quite a good friendship with both players and staff, but John thought that it seemed the natural progression for me to become further involved and join the backroom staff, so to speak.

I began travelling to matches on the team bus, stopping overnight with the squad for games up and down the country and also making it on to the plane when West Ham ventured into Europe in the Cup Winners’ Cup. Over the course of my association with the club I have been lucky to visit some amazing countries – many of which only football could enable you to visit. Places such as Russia, Georgia, Romania and Croatia spring to mind. Far-flung places in the old communist regime that, while not the most exotic locations, gave an amazing opportunity to sample the local culture …. a vast contrast to my life in east London.  

If those places were grim, then imagine the delight of my being invited on the club’s Centenary Tour to Australia in 1995! Three weeks, expenses paid in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the stuff dreams are made of. And if that were not enough, the final part of the tour left us with five days to relax on Surfers Paradise … not bad eh?  

Of course it was not all play. In fact I adopted the role of unofficial kit-man to my good friend Eddie Gillam and earned my keep so to speak. I was part of the Boys of ’86 squad, who achieved the club’s highest-ever league position in the top flight – third place – forging friendships with some legendary players such as Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking, Tony Cottee, Frank McAvennie, Paul Brush and Ray Stewart, to name just a few. Everywhere I went, other photographers expressed their envy of my close association with such a great football club. Indeed, as I say, a unique position. My book tells my story, the highs and the lows, the fantastic people I have met, and those I wouldn’t want to share a pint with down the local.   It’s been a fantastic journey for this son of a Billingsgate fish porter, proud of his east end roots and still living within earshot of the Boleyn Ground. Have a read … and enjoy the ride!!!