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Ian Beesley: Bradford City – Claret & Amber in Black & White

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Photographer Ian Beesley, a loyal Bradford City fan himself, turns his focus on the supporters as The Bantams put them through the wringer.

Beesley’s book, Claret & Amber in Black & White, records their brief stay among the Premier League hierarchy, including most notably their last day survival from relegation at the end of a gruelling 1999-2000 season.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Prayer of thanks. Against the odds, City stay up Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Now his pictures of that dramatic season will go on display later on in the year at an exhibition of all his work at the West Yorkshire national heritage site, Saltaire, in Shipley.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Fans celebrating City’s promotion to the Premiership, whilst waiting for the team coach to arrive back at Valley Parade. 09.05.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Paul Jewell, manager of Bradford City. The West Riding Cup, Halifax v Bradford City. The Shay, Halifax. 24.07.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City fans ahead of their first game in the Premiership. Middlesbrough v Bradford City. The Riverside Stadium. 07.08.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

“I’m a fan. I had to turn away from the action and look towards the fans as an observer. I found it really hard.”

Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Apprehensive City fans. Middlesbrough v Bradford City. The Riverside Stadium. 07.08.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Against all odds, Bradford City somehow survived relegation with a nail biting last day victory over Liverpool which brought to an end Bantams’ first season in the Premier League.

That unlikely victory over high riding Liverpool, fourth in the table, earned them a second season with the big guns.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Kick-off on the last day of the season. Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
The Kop begins to celebrate City’s survival in the Premiership. Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Press pack. Fans celebrate on the pitch. Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Relegation duly followed at the end of that campaign, but by that stage documentary photographer Ian Beesley had a book load of memorable pictures after he turned his attention from the pitch to what was happening on the terraces.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Paul Gascoigne looks on as Christian Ziege fires a free kick into the Bradford wall. Middlesbrough 0 – 1 Bradford City. The Riverside Stadium. 07.08.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City fans celebrate Dean Saunders’ goal against Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough 0 – 1 Bradford City. The Riverside Stadium. 07.08.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Summer Soccer school, Football in the community programme. Park Avenue, Bradford. 07.09.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Bradford born Beesley has been following his local side since the early 80s. He hasn’t always been a photographer, having worked in a local mill on leaving school, but, encouraged by workmates, he took up photography, won a scholarship, and began to document life in West Yorkshire, particularly the industrial demise.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City score. “After Spurs has scored most of the photographers are up and away, got their picture. In added time Stuart McCall equalises and I get my picture!” Bradford City 1 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur. Valley Parade. 12.09.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
“You’re not singing anymore.” City fans taunt Spurs fans after equalising in the 91st minute. Bradford City 1 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur. Valley Parade. 12.09.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
George Graham, manager of Spurs, receives brown envelopes marked ‘cash’ from City fans in light of newspaper allegations about Graham’s dealings. Bradford City 1 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur. Valley Parade. 12/09/99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Now a renowned documentary photographer, with 40 books to his name, his work is displayed in museums and galleries in both the UK and America.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
C’mon City. A fan tries desperately to get the crowd going. Bradford City 0 – 4 Sunderland. Valley Parade. 02.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Lenny the City Gent. The City Gent character was introduced around 1966, based on a caricature of the incumbent chairman Stafford Heginbottom which appeared on the cover of the club’s programme 1966-74. Bradford City 0 – 4 Sunderland. Valley Parade. 02.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Coppers in the corner experience the Roker roar. Bradford City 0 – 4 Sunderland. Valley Parade. 02.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Half-time showers. Bradford City 0 – 4 Sunderland. Valley Parade. 02.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Bradford City’s all too brief stay in the Premier League provided Beesley with plenty of material, though turning away from the action on the pitch to concentrate on the crowds behind proved difficult for Beesley the football fan.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Substitute, Neil Redfearn. Bradford City 2 – 3 Barnsley. Worthington Cup. Valley Parade. 12.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

Manager Paul Jewell had put together a few gems on the pitch. Lee Sharpe and Peter Beagrie on the flanks, leading scorer Dean Windass up front, Stuart McCall in midfield and David Wetherall, a £1.4m signing from Leeds, adding stability at the back. There were free signings too, big names in Dean Saunders, latterly at Benfica, and England keeper Neville Southall as experienced back up, joining from Torquay.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City fans in the Kop shade their eyes. The Kop or Spion Kop, the home end of the ground is named after a hill on which 322 British soldiers were massacred during the Boer War. Bradford City 3 – 1 Leicester City. Valley Parade. 23.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

“I’m a fan ” says Beesley. “I had to turn away from the action and look towards the fans as an observer. I found it really hard.”

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Prayer of thanks. Bradford City 3 -1 Leicester City. Valley Parade. 23.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City fans sing “Are you watching Rodney Marsh?” After Sky pundit Marsh described City as the worst team in the Premier League. Bradford City 3 – 1 Leicester City. Valley Parade. 23.10.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

He found it difficult to keep his emotions in check, getting into trouble for jumping up and down in all the excitement.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford City fan’s unbiased reaction to a penalty to Liverpool. Liverpool 3 -1 Bradford City. Anfield. 01.11.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

“I found the transformation from photographer to fan difficult. I really wanted to watch the game and enjoy the atmosphere.”

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Fans without tickets try to get a view of the match. Bradford City 1 – 1 Coventry City. Valley Parade. 06.11.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
On the way to Elland Road. Leeds United 2 – 1 Bradford City. Elland Road. 20.11.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

His book, Claret & Amber in Black & White, begins with all the celebrations of promotion to the Premier League in May 1999 through to similar scenes of joy with that 1-0 win over Liverpool at the end of the following season.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
City fans react to a Leeds goal. Leeds United 2 – 1 Bradford City. Elland Road. 20.11.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Lee Sharpe can control the ball with his eyes closed. Bradford City 2 – 0 Newcastle United. Valley Parade. 18.12.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
“It’s bitterly cold, I’m fascinated by the cloud formations behind the Drummonds Mill, it looks like a mushroom cloud: somebody has nuked Halifax, but City play on.” Bradford City 0 – 0 Everton. Valley Parade. 28.12.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Time, Ref, Time. “The noise is unbelievable – thousands of City fans are whistling for the end of the game. As Einstein so rightly pointed out, time passes more slowly over moving bodies, particularly when Arsenal are attacking your goal in the last minute of a game.” Bradford City 2 – 1 Arsenal. Valley Parade. 05.02.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley

He continued to take pictures throughout their second season in the top flight, and those pictures, along with his other documentary work, feature in that Saltaire exhibition at the site’s Salts Mill between August and October later this year.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
The boot room, where apprentices pay their dues in elbow grease. Valley Parade. 07.02.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
The Saints visit Valley Parade. Bradford City 1 – 2 Southampton. Valley Parade. 08.04.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Despair. City lose to Southampton. Bradford City 1 – 2 Southampton. Valley Parade. 08.04.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Dean Saunders misses a sitter. Bradford City 4 – 4 Derby County. Valley Parade. 21.04.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Feeling drained. Bradford City 4 – 4 Derby County. Valley Parade. 21.04.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
White knuckle ride. The last game of the season. Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Fan with a tattoo. Bradford City 1 – 0 Liverpool. Valley Parade. 14.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Pre match pint. Both Bradford City and Manchester City were relegated from the Premiership at the end of 2000-01 season. Bradford City finished bottom. Manchester City 2 – 0 Bradford City. Maine Road. 14.10.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley

It might have been over 20 years ago and only lasted a couple of seasons, but all the atmosphere of Bradford City’s brief stint in the Premier League is perfectly preserved in Ian Beesley’s book, Claret & Amber in Black & White.

Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Fan with a tattoo. City arrive by open top bus for a civic reception at the Town hall Bradford, Centenary Square. 15.05.00. Copyright: Ian Beesley
Bradford City Claret and Amber by Ian Beesley
Bradford youth. Football in the community programme. Park Avenue, Bradford. 02.09.99. Copyright: Ian Beesley

If you enjoyed that, you may also like Football Fans 1991, where photographer Richard Davis documents the changing culture amongst football fans in England post Italia ’90.

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