John Shaw, Bristol City
November 17, 1984
Photograph by Eamonn McCabe
Published in When Saturday Comes 228, February 2006

Now best known as a Guardian portrait photographer, Eamonn McCabe became involved with newspaper photography through sport. His trademark style captured moments of apparent stillness among frenetic movement. Working in the 1970s and 1980s – before the era of saturation coverage – he describes a time when you could “go and shoot what you want, develop a style of photography without having to be a slave to newsworthiness”. As a sports fan he enjoyed minor events where he could pursue an interest in graphic shapes and form, though at this FA Cup first-round tie at Fisher Athletic the Observer no doubt hoped for a shock. Fisher were having their best ever Cup run while Bristol City, a First Division team only four years earlier, found themselves not just floundering but drowning after three consecutive relegations.

But with the home team trailing 1-0, the light fading and little hope of a news scoop McCabe was thinking of something more obscure. “A spectator would have said, ‘Did you see the Bristol goalie, he looked like he was going to kick his own head down the pitch’. Now everyone shaves his head, but it was an unusual sight back then. I thought I’d get a picture of him appearing to dive to catch his head, but in the end this worked.” Needless to say, the speculation was that Shaw’s condition was caused by the stress of City’s slip down the divisions and financial meltdown. First-team keeper in the First Division years 1976-80, he lost his place to Ray Cashley as relegation loomed. In Division Two and Three City’s keeper was Jan Moller (who played for Malmö against Nottingham Forest in the 1979 European Cup final), but as the club faced bankruptcy they could no longer afford him, Cashley was too old and Shaw reclaimed his place.

Whether a sports photographer could now pursue something as abstract as graphic shape or a visual pun is unlikely. McCabe is resigned to accept newsworthiness is paramount. “If Peter Crouch is the story there would be no point coming back with an odd off-the-ball composition of Garcia.” So what hope is there for individuality in sports photography? “With a bit of confidence you can still take a gamble and find something a little poetic and unusual.” With maybe a little terrace wit to boot.

Doug Cheeseman
Football Photography Writing

Eamonn McCabe died in 2022