For more than four decades, John Bolloten has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most uncompromising visual storytellers. Known for documenting life on the fringes – from addiction to hooliganism – his work is defined by trust, proximity and a refusal to sanitise reality. His latest book, Ciggies, Spliffs and Footie, may be rooted in grassroots football, but it stands among his most hard-hitting projects.
Photographed between November 2023 and December 2025, the book follows Red Lion, a Sunday League side playing at Emsley Rec in Bradford. What began as a cold morning visit evolved into an intimate, near-weekly chronicle of a team bound by loyalty, volatility and shared experience. “I wanted to feature only one team and make a long-term documentary project that was far more intimate,” Bolloten explains. “I stated that I wanted to make a book and then I was subsequently warmly welcomed into the fold.”
Red Lion had a reputation. At one point they were suspended from the league for six weeks and narrowly avoided expulsion. Discipline could fracture. Tempers could spill. But Bolloten saw something deeper. “It was very important to me not just to make propaganda or something that was sanitised, I wanted to show it as it really is,” he says.
The images reflect that intent. There is no Premier League gloss. Players put up their own nets and clear waterlogged penalty spots. They smoke at half-time. They drink after full-time. Arguments flare. Promotions are chased. Cup runs fall short. Two players suffered heart attacks in their early thirties – stark reminders that the culture carries consequences.
Yet at its core, this is a story about people. “The best asset of Bradford is its people – real, authentic people. Sunday league football represents that in a way,” Bolloten says. “For me, this book is less about football but more about this tight community that turns out in all weathers to proudly stand and fight together.”
Published by Shotta Publications, Ciggies, Spliffs and Footie is a 88-page book featuring 86 photographs. Limited edition of 150 copies. Available now at johnbolloten.co.uk
