Today is the FA Cup Final.
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Apart from traveling to stadiums and photographing the theatre of football, at AMA we also document the story behind the story and undertake commissions and create our own features which we then present to picture editors for hopeful inclusion in magazines.
This week we have been to Portsmouth to photograph John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood.
Pictures © Sam Bagnall and Matthew Ashton / AMA SPORTS PHOTO AGENCY
Born in Hampshire, England, John Westwood started watching Portsmouth FC in 1986. In 1989 he changed his name, by deed poll, from John Anthony Westwood to John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood, John sells antique and second hand books at his shop, Petersfield Bookshop in Hampshire, England.
John has over 60 Portsmouth tattoos on his body. He has written and has featured in books about Portsmouth and at football matches is known for dressing up in a blue curly wig, taking a handbell to games and is renowned for standing up. Westwood was not permitted to take any instruments to the 2008 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, a match won by Portsmouth.
Our feature took us go to John’s shop and his home and also a tattoo parlour.
Through photography we documented the transformation of the calm book shop owner to the crazy unmissable football fan.
– on this blog we preview a selection of the full feature containing over 25 images
Football Photographer Blog by Matthew Ashton 