I have two portraits,
that have really strong Manchester United links.
And I'd like to talk you
through, just how I came to take them.
I love football.
Based in the Midlands,
I'm a lifelong Aston Villa fan.
And yet, there were two portraits in my portfolio
that have strong links
to Manchester United football club.
So,
why is that?
Well,
it all starts with my days
as a press photographer
and being based in the Midlands,
I became aware
of a very special footballer.
so special in fact,
that many consider him
to be the most complete footballer that ever lived.
His name,
was Duncan Edwards.
And along with his best friend Bobby Charlton,
he played for Manchester United and England.
He was one of the legendary Busby Babes,
a name given to a truly inspirational side
playing under Manager Matt Busby in the 1950s.
The Munich air disaster,
occurred on the 6th of February 1958,
Flight 609 crashed on takeoff at Munich Airport
on the plane was the Manchester United team,
as well as supporters and journalists.
23 of the 44 onboard died.
And one of those, was Duncan Edwards.
To this day there's a clock on the Manchester United ground
Old Trafford, and it stopped at 3:03.
The exact time of the crash.
Now Duncan was from a market town
in the Midlands called Dudley.
And that's where he was laid to rest.
Football fans from around the world,
traveled to the cemetery at Queens Cross Dudley
to pay their respects to possibly
the greatest player the world has ever seen.
The visited statue,
in the marketplace.
And the Pilgrims often make the short trip
to ST. Francis Church in the town.
To see, the stained glass windows in the church,
which show pictures of Duncan and the Man U badge.
How many people knew?
That there was a church in England
with stained glass windows depicting football.
Working in Dudley as a young photographer,
I was very aware of Duncan Edwards
and the Duncan Edward story
and that terrible crash.
And after many assignments on the subject
I often met,
family members,
including Duncan's mother, Sarah Edwards.
Once, on the anniversary of the crash,
I drove to Manchester with Mrs. Edwards
to Old Trafford to photograph her
by the Munich Clock at 303.
It was a very moving day,
and I'll always remember it.
Now for the portrait,
a pub in Dudley had closed for refurbishment
and it decided to reinvent itself
with photos and memorabilia of Duncan.
In fact, it even decided to change its name
to The Duncan Edwards.
His mother Sarah,
had agreed to cut the ribbon
and open the pub.
I did all the usual press pics that you do.
But after the opening,
I asked Sarah if she would like a few moments to herself.
With a drink in hand,
I led her to a quiet spot
and she sat under a portrait of her beloved son.
And there she stayed for a few minutes to herself.
I'd already measured the light beforehand,
so I knew the exposure
and I just took a couple of frames before I left the room.
It's one of my favorite portraits.
I look at it now
and I can feel the connection between them.
I can feel the moment.
Knowing Mrs. Edwards,
also meant that I had my fair share of meetings
with Duncan's best friend
and Manchester United teammate, Bobby Charlton.
Now, Sir Bobby Charlton, of course.
Sir Bobby told me almost every single time that I met him,
that Duncan was without doubt,
the best player he had ever played with.
And whenever anything in Dudley was being done to honour Duncan,
so Bobby would be there to do the honours.
And he looked out for Duncan's mum, Sarah too.
She told me, that whenever he was traveling,
in the Midlands he always called on her
for a cup of tea.
And every year, on Mothering Sunday.
So Bobby sent her flowers.
That's real friendship, isn't it?
So it's no surprise
that my second portrait is of Sir Bobby.
He was in Dudley to open a display of Duncan's memorabilia.
His shirts, his England cups, Cups, trophies.
My intention that day,
was to shoot a portrait with Duncan in it,
somehow behind the photograph, maybe a team shirt.
But when I met Sir Bobby that day
he was quiet, poignant, reflective even,
straight away I was reminded
of that portrait to Sarah years earlier.
So I changed my plan.
I didn't use all the lights I'd taken,
I use a single light
and a black background.
I shot the image with him staring right into the lens
from really close quarters.
I was maybe three feet away from his face.
He must've liked the portrait
though, because later that year
he asked to use it as the cover photo
in his autobiography,
My life in football.
The point is I went in with one idea
of what I wanted to do,
but after assessing the mood
and the situation that day, I changed my mind.
That was the right picture to take that day.
I'm sure of it.
So that's the story you have how a Villa fan
came to have such a close relationship
with Manchester United.
And you can't change your team,
everybody knows that.
Your allegiance to a football team's
imprinted in your DNA, from the moment
you step into the ground,
on your first match as a kid.
I remember mine,
Villa versus Leeds it was,
Holte End, standing room only in those days.
I couldn't see a thing,
never saw the match, but there I was.
And that made me Villa
from that day on.
When the scores come in at the weekend,
obviously after checking Villa
I always have a quick look out for Man U.
And I think of the lovely Mrs. Edwards
who bore an uncanny resemblance
have to say to my own Nan.
And, I think of her famous footballing son.
And I think, of what might have been.