Lifelong Aston Villa fan Pete Hitchman captures the passion and spirit of fellow Villans in his new photo book, showcasing the vibrant community of supporters at the iconic Villa Park during the 2023-24 season.
Speaking with Lower Block, Pete discusses his compelling new photo book, Every Week We Follow, a beautifully crafted collection that captures the passion, emotion, and vibrant culture of Aston Villa fans at Villa Park during the memorable 2023-24 season. As Villa made their triumphant return to European football under Unai Emery, Pete was there to document the journey, turning his lens toward the fans who make the club what it is.
Pete shares his deep connection to Aston Villa, a bond that has been a lifelong thread running through his experiences. He reflects on what the club means to him, fondly recalling early memories and describing the legendary Paul McGrath as the greatest player he’s ever seen don the Claret and Blue.
Beyond his love for Villa, Pete also delves into his broader fascination with football culture. He talks about how this passion extends beyond the pitch, revealing an appreciation for the unique rituals, architecture, and traditions that define the game worldwide.
Lower Block: Tell us a bit about yourself Pete; why the Villa, where are you originally from and beyond photographing Villa fans what’s your day to day?
Pete Hitchman: I live five miles from Villa Park in a place called Sutton Coldfield, in north Birmingham.
I’m a copywriter by trade – I often say I’ve made a career out of words and a hobby out of photos. I’ve worked for myself for nine years writing commercial content for mostly B2B businesses, including website copy, reports and editorial.
It was never in doubt (supporting Aston Villa). I come from a long line of Villa fans, I first stood on the Holte End aged six and by the time I was 12 I’d seen them lift a trophy at Wembley twice. It turns out that wasn’t a sign of things to come! I’m sure every supporter says the same, but there’s a real family feel about the Villa – those relationships have been central to the project that led to this book.
LB: What does the club mean to you? Any players in particular that you idolised during those early years as a fan?
PH: I’ve dipped in and out of the Villa through my life. It’s always been more than the results for me – as a child it was an obsession, in my teens it was quality time with my dad and in adulthood it’s a community – a network of like-minded individuals who share the same interest. I always say football fans are lucky to have that network that very few others in society have access to, and I’ve connected with so many more fans through this photography project.
Ask any Villa fan of my age and they’ll say Paul McGrath is the greatest. He didn’t train, had two dodgy knees and a drink problem but he’s still the best player I’ve seen in claret and blue.
LB: From what we’ve seen, the book looks great, and if the photos you share on your social media pages are anything to go by – it will be brilliant. How did it all come about?
PH: When Villa got back into Europe for the first time in 13 years in May 2023, I was just starting to take more interest in photography, and I decided I would follow the journey with my camera.
It started as a personal project. Football is so much more than what happens on the pitch and my goal was always to capture matchdays beyond the 90 minutes. I’ve seen so many fans’ photos from over the years and I thought ‘who’s making a record of what it’s like to go down the Villa in 2023-24?’ ‘Who’s capturing the emotions inside the ground and the connections that we all make outside?’. I wanted to document something that my grandkids can look back on and see what it was like in “our” time, although at stage I didn’t have an end result in mind.
As Villa’s ambitions for the season grew, so did the interest on social media. By the end, I had inadvertently captured the feeling of Villa’s best season for a generation on my trusty FujiFilm. And the vision for a book was born, made possible thanks to the brilliant Matt Caldwell from Mondaynights.co, who designed it.
The book showcases some of the best moments from last season. It’s for the fans who were lucky enough to be there, and for those who couldn’t make it. I’ve had messages from Villa fans in Asia, America and closer to home, all saying how my photos helped them to experience the passion of a Saturday afternoon (or a Thursday night) at Villa Park.
And I’m proud that we’re donating £5 from every book to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity too – a place that does so much good for so many people in the city.
Pre-order your copy of Every Week We Follow now, (delivery expected by end of October).
LB: What do you think makes football culture and lifestyle so fascinating, and lends itself so well to photography?
PH: I just think can learn so much about a place by its football lifestyle. I’m fascinated by the differences between countries and even between cities in a typical matchday routine. When you stop to look at the different demographics, the architecture, fans’ rituals, fashions, even the food – there’s so much to capture.
I’ve always enjoyed travel (with a camera in hand) and I tell anyone who will listen that the best way to experience a place is to go to a match. The catalyst for really taking football culture photography more seriously was a trip to Naples in April 2023. From behind my camera lens, I watched the whole city have the party of their lives as they approached their first league title in 33 years. I still get goosebumps thinking about it now.
LB: Any artistic influences on your work?
PH: Not so much an influence, but I’m in awe of anyone who took a camera to the match before 1992-93. We’ve all seen the professional shots from our own club photographers over the years and of course people like Tony Davis did a fantastic job of documenting those days. But there’s no substitute for the grainy photos I’ve seen from normal match-going fans in and around Villa Park in the 1980s and early 1990s. Some of the old pictures I’ve been sent since I started @AVFConCamera deserve to be a museum.
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Tartan Army – Sweden 92 | Tony Davis£8.50 -
San Siro Spirals£130.00 – £175.00 -
Wembley 1990-03 | Tony Davis£8.50
Every Week We Follow is a 152-page, hardback coffee table format book with over 100 photos following Aston Villa from the stands during the 2023-24. The book costs £25 plus P&P (which includes a £5 donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity).
You can pre-order a copy now, with delivery expected by end of October. Upon release Lower Block will have a limited number of copies avaliable in our online shop.
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