Publisher's Synopsis
Stuart Clarke's photography captures the passion, comedy and beauty that is at the heart of modern British football culture. His work spans the whole of the game, from landmark internationals and the glamour of the Premiership to the sparse dressing-rooms of the lower divisions and the non-league games played to a handful of supporters week after week. He has been active as a photographer during an era that has seen our nation's favourite sport subject to enormous change, a time when grounds like Burnden Park and The Dell have become memories and the English and Scottish Leagues have been flooded with foreign talent. He has immortalised moments in such sagas as the re-emergence of sleeping giants Newcastle United and Preston North End, the battle of supremacy in Scotland between Rangers and Celtic and the struggle to survive of Brighton and Hove Albion.FOOTBALL IN OUR TIME brings together 14 years of Clarke's best photography, selected himself from his vast collection. His eye for the essence of a scene is as effective when he turns it to the ecstasy of the crowd or the key point of a match as when he concentrates on the personal detail that others would miss or the quirky moments that without him would be confirmed to oblivion. He has structured his book to reflect what he sees as the big themes of his work, concentrating on his efforts to represent the camaraderie of football, the thrill of the match, the agony of defeat and the special affection that bonds people to their clubs. Football In Our Time is an intimate and thought-provoking collection that will be enjoyed by anyone caught up in the culture of the modern game, as well as people with an interest in art, photography and social documentary. These are photographs that not only illustrate an affection for the spectacle of the match itself but also hold an avid fascination for the world that surrounds the game.
