Chester born Matt Jones has found his own way of recording events at his home town club, but admits in the early days he was lured by the neighbouring Premier League big guns.
Jones flirted with following Liverpool in his schooldays, with Michael Owen his idol, and Tom Ince (professional footballer and son of former Liverpool captain Paul Ince) in the primary school year above him.
He recalls Owen scoring against Charlton in the one Liverpool match he went to, in 2002, but from his seat in The Kop he couldn’t see a thing.
It was Chester’s Deva Stadium his father always took him to, and Jones couldn’t get enough of it.
“I soon got hooked,” he said.
“Chester was my team. It represented me and where I grew up. It gave me an identity and since my first games back in the early 2000s I’ve never looked back.
“Football is something that is ingrained into the fibres of this country.”
Matt Jones
“My favourite memories of going to The Deva was the Saturday ritual of bacon butties for breakfast, grabbing my scarf and the long walk down Bumpers Lane. Taking in my surroundings; the smell of fresh laundry coming from the factory, the burger van and cigarettes. It’s stuck with me ever since.
“It was always something I shared with my dad in terms of going to watch it until I made the swap to stand in the Harry McNally Terrace. The sound of the drums and singing was somewhere I wanted to be. I had to get involved.
“I didn’t know anyone else who went to the games. A few weeks of speaking on the forums and ended up meeting a few lads to watch the game with. Fast forward about 15 years and the lad I originally met up with is now our manager!
“Underage drinking, away days on the train and all sharing that same passion was addictive.”
Matt Jones
“It soon became a togetherness when we stood side by side on the terrace. Starting out at the front and graduating to the back and eventually becoming the drummer for a few years.
“Underage drinking, away days on the train and all sharing that same passion was addictive.”
Jones had dabbled in match day photography since 2010 when Chester FC rose from the ashes of Chester City, but the action on the pitch did not make the same impression on Jones the photographer as the atmosphere on the terraces.
“There’s 100 pictures of someone taking a freekick or going in for a tackle,” he explained, as he sought a different angle for his photography.
“I’d seen various photographers on Instagram do similar for their clubs and the one that really stood out was Tony Cole from York City,” he said.
“The raw emotion that was captured was felt through the images. It was at this point I knew I had to share Chester fans’ story.”
He was nervous about how he would be received by fellow supporters.
“Who wants a camera pointed in their face when watching football? ” he said. “It was a huge learning curve as film isn’t something to be wasted. It made me really think about what to shoot.
“It resulted in one of the best images of the project so far. Capturing the perfect moment of joy between fans and players alike.
“I keep learning every game and next season I hope to be more personal in my approach and photograph individual fans/groups during their matchday build up rather than just focusing on the crowd shots.”
“Never have I seen a ball loop so highly and bounce into the goal. F*cking hell. If you don’t laugh, you’d cry.”
Matt Jones
It all began for Jones as a seven year old on a family holiday in Wales. Armed with a disposable camera, he shot a whole roll on a field of cows, something his family have not allowed him to live down.
He has obviously updated his gear considerably since then, now opting for a Canon SureShot Max and Kodak Ultramax 400 film.
“My first DSLR was an old Canon 10D which I bought off a family friend for £100,” he said. “It allowed me to explore and take endless photos whenever I went out. I even used it to photograph the local nightclub, Rosies. It survived a few WKDs poured over it. Don’t make them like they used to.
“The Canon 700D which I have now and have owned since 2011 allowed me to capture my first Chester games and make some money through photography. It’s not been used as much since getting into film but makes the odd appearance every now and then.”
“The fans and players join together for a pint afterwards. You feel a part of the club, not just another customer that’s milked through extortionate ticket prices, endless merchandise and sh*te kick off times.”
Matt Jones
His own inspiration In football terms goes way back to England’s 1966 World Cup Final, when one man, Gerry Cranham, had the foresight to turn his camera on Sir Alf and the England bench in the moment of victory.
He explained: “Out of the 27 photographers inside the ground that day, he was the only one to point his camera in the opposite direction and aim it at the bench rather than the players.
“It was a risky move, which later proved to be genius. It’s an image people will never forget as long as they live.”
Another huge influence was Roy Stuart Clarke. Homes of Football.
“My first DSLR was an old Canon 10D. It allowed me to explore and take endless photos. I even used it to photograph the local nightclub. It survived a few WKDs poured over it. Don’t make them like they used to.”
Matt Jones
“A visit to the Football Museum turned into something I’d never forget. Seeing raw images on film of all levels of football. Not just of the action on the pitch, but off it. It was something I’d never seen before and it captured my imagination right away,” he said.
“Football is something that is ingrained into the fibres of this country and across the world. It’s the same game but each continent, country, city, town and village interprets that game in their own unique way.
“With Chester, our fan ownership model has brought about a new culture to the place. I own the club. My mates are on the board and the lad I stood on the terrace with is our manager. At what other club could you say that?
“Pure football. It might not be very good at times but the unity and togetherness of the club more than makes up for that. The fans and players join together for a pint afterwards. You feel a part of the club, not just another customer that’s milked through extortionate ticket prices, endless merchandise and shite kick off times.”
“Our fan ownership model has brought about a new culture to the place. I own the club. My mates are on the board and the lad I stood on the terrace with is our manager. At what other club could you say that?”
Matt Jones
Straight talking Jones is just as explicit when it comes to offering any advice to would be photographers.
“Just. Take. Photos. Go out and do it,” he emphasises.
“The worst picture is the one you didn’t take. There will always be someone better than you, or further along in their journey. Don’t compare yourself. Just do your own thing and carve out your own path.”
Matt’s photographs are available as high quality prints, and you can follow Matt’s work on his Instagram.
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