13 hours Ago
A photographer has spoken about her passion for capturing the agony and the ecstasy of fans at football matches. Debs Parr has had a camera in her hand since she was a young girl, a vocation she has carried through to the present day. Now 58, she has, in recent years, decided to study photography at university to hone her skills.
Through doing it she has discovered a passion for taking photos at football matches, in particular at her beloved Bolton Wanderers . Bolton fan at the Papa John's Trophy Final 2023 (Image: Debs Parr) Debs, who is from Westhoughton, said: "I have supported Wanderers for 54 years, but never thought about taking photographs of fans. "I have had a camera since I was eight or nine, back in those days it was toffs and royalty who did it for a living.
Three years ago I decided to do a photography degree and learn everything I could, like dark rooms and such. "I wanted to know everything about it, and just wanted to be better, I wasn't looking to get work out of it, but have. In the first year, we had to do a project where we took 12 photographs a day over two weeks.
"I had been to a match, and my tutor said have I thought about doing that, capturing football." Before the Papa John's final (Image: Debs Parr) From there, Debs starting taking her camera to matches, not just at the Toughsheet but also to the Papa John's Trophy Final in 2023 at Wembley , as well as other grounds. Read more: FAN GALLERY: Wanderers rack up the miles in hectic week on the road Read more: How Wanderers fans soaked up famous day at Wembley Read more: Back to school in Bolton in 1974 - are you in one of the photos? She said: "I loved it.
I call it 'Everything But the Game' as, obviously I am interested in the game because I am a fan, but I like capturing the people at the matches. Portsmouth fans (Image: Debs Parr) "I want to take photographs that make people feel what it is like at the matchday experience. I get given a media pass but don't like wearing a hi-vis, I want to be in the thick of it.
"You get your different factions, the casuals, the ultras. I am also interested in women in football, I started doing Bolton Fems a couple of years ago, which is a group for female Wanderers fans." Debs has gone on to have her work in galleries, with four walls of her photography currently being showcased alongside Lowry's famous Going to the Match painting at Bury Art Museum.
To see her photography, visit her website here: https://www.debsparrphotographer.com/ Bury FC fans (Image: Debs Parr) She added: "I have a series called Rivalry and Romance, which features couples who support opposing teams but are obviously in love, and how that affects their relationships.
"My uncle supports Manchester United and my aunty supports Manchester City, that inspired it." We have included a selection of 24 of Debs' photos, many from Bolton matches, as well as from other clubs such as Bury FC, Portsmouth and more..
