News / Blog - Sports News

The GVC riders were out on Sunday morning making good use of gravity for Round 3 of the Downhill series.

The track had been set out through the La Pomare site and benefited from an additional section across the lane and through a field, which was actually part of someones garden!

Great appreciation must go to the owners for allowing the Club this access.

This extension came with a spectacular setting and was a picturesque backdrop to some of my photos.... equals a happy photog!!

I've uploaded my pics to a new Gallery. Click the link to view....
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 3 OF THE MTB GRAVITY SERIES

As I found my diary had a blank page on Saturday (a rarity for a weekend) I set out to find something to photograph.

A quick search found that the Guernsey Softball Association had several games taking place at Beau Sejour. As it was twelve months since the last time I covered this sport the decision was made.

I compromised/shared my time between the new garden I'm designing and the photography by completing a bit more planting in the morning - leaving the afternoon for the photography.

The friendly atmosphere at the game meant it was very enjoyable covering the action. A bright sunny day was also a help!

I photographed two games... Manor Farm Donkeys v Tomahawks and Manor Farm Misfits v Liberate Lions.

My pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST SOFTBALL PICS

With the Rugby Siam Cup games returning to Footes Lane last Saturday the local Men's and Women's teams faced Jersey for the second time in quick succession.

The previous games were held in Jersey and resulted in a decisive win for the Guernsey men but the women were just beaten.

So this set the scene for the return match and whilst the men were confident in another win it was the women who were really fired up to undo the previous result.

And I'm pleased to say that Guernsey Raiders took both the games. The men with a huge win - 52-0! The Guernsey Raiders Ladies also got their hands back on the trophy with a hard fought win - 13-12!

Fantastic work by everyone!

I photographed the women's game and those pics are now online. Sadly I had another event I had to go to so no pics of the men.
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 WOMENS SIAM CUP GALLERY

Talking as a photographer sometimes you are gifted just the right conditions.

Whilst weather... fog, rain, evening light, can all play a part in setting a scene for a photographer sadly we haven't really got any control of what we are given. At least that is the case if you photograph a 'timed' event - which sports are.

If you take pics of say landscapes then you can chose if you go out the front door after looking out at the sky and the weather forecast. If it doesn't look promising... well there is always tomorrow.

But if you photograph events then you have to turn up and make the best of what you are given.

Sometimes it is better than others and today was one of the good ones.

At Round two of the GVC MTB Enduro at La Pomare the light was really special so I made the best of it as who knows when I will be so lucky again?

Take a look at my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 2 OF THE GVC ENDURO SERIES

The Under 16's Upton was played for the John Leatt Memorial Trophy at St Peters on Sunday.

Sylvans hosted the Jersey visitors St Pauls.

It was the Jersey champions who showed greater skill and motivation and they never really looked under pressure... even after one of their team was injured needing a trip to A&E and also having a player sent off.

I popped up to St Peters to take a few pics of the game:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 U16's UPTON

I have previously commented that it is great that Sports are returning to their 'normal' fixture lists. The damage done by the Covid lock-down's is being undone. Fantastic!

I was at the Guernsey v Jersey Snooker Inter-Insular at the Gremlin Club and it was a case of normal service is resumed.

As the finals evening of matches was due to start at a time that conflicted with the FA Cup Final - Liverpool v Chelsea I half expected that there would be a delay... and I was right!

Once the football result was decided after penalties the action took to the baize. Sadly it was the Crapo's who took the overall team win.

As it was likely to be a late night I'd already left so I didn't witness the downfall of team Guernsey!

My pics of the event are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 SNOOKER INTER-INSULAR

The unusual conditions at Round-1 of the GVC Summer Crit series made for a contrasting gallery of pics.

As we know there has been a lack of rain for weeks and the soil is now parched dry. It was this that meant the large entry for this first MTB Crit of the year lifted a dusty haze along the dirt tracks.

I was quick to identify the photo opportunity and I managed to capture some of the back-lit sections. I was pleased with the results.

But as I moved around the circuit the conditions were quite different. The feature then became the low warm evening light.

So it was unusual to capture a selection of pics that were so different - but very enjoyable.

Follow this link to view the Gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE MTB CRIT

The latest update features pics of the Table Tennis Green Trophy Inter-Insular at Hougue du Pommier.

This event was another of the many that lost a couple of years due to Covid but the Guernsey and Jersey teams were right up to speed when they met for this years competition.

Games took place spread over a couple of days with a tally being kept for the overall winning team.... and Guernsey took the crown!

I popped down for the men's Green Trophy finals and I've added a gallery featuring the action here:
CLICK TOP VIEW THE TABLE TENNIS GREEN TROPHY

Gravity is pretty important for everything on earth and yet we take it for granted.

It can also be a useful tool when you sit on an MTB at the top of a hill.

This natural force of nature was used to good effect by riders taking part in Round 1 of the 2022 GVC MTB Gravity Series at Pleinmont.

I was there capturing some of the action on a very dry and slippery course that caught out many competitors.

But as always there were plenty of smiles and I even overheard one of the junior riders complaining that he wanted another run. Oh to be young again!

My pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 1 OF THE 2022 GRAVITY SERIES

I thought I'd just make a quick update to let those people who have been waiting for the Inter-Insular Volleyball pics know they are online (at least for the Ladies).

Sorry for the delay but I've been a bit stacked with work. However the first Gallery is now online and it features Guernsey Women v Jersey Women... with a win for the Guern's, NICE!

EDIT: The Men's pics are now online too. Click the links to view the latest updates:
CLICK TO VIEW THE WOMENS 2022 VOLLEYBALL INTER-INSULAR
CLICK TO VIEW THE MENS 2022 VOLLEYBALL INTER-INSULAR

It always pains me deeply to have to record that Guernsey was beaten by Jersey in any form of sport and competition.

But I'll bite my tongue and add the news that our Under 16's football team went down 3-0 to the Jersey youngsters at the Corbet Field when the Junior Muratti took place yesterday.

Sadly, for a Guern, Jersey deserved to win the Nigel Gavey Memorial Trophy as they were clearly the better side.

We keep our fingers crossed for a better result next year.

My pics of the game are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE UNDER 16's MURATTI PICS

A very quick note to advize you that the pics of the National Two South Rugby game between Guernsey Raiders and Canterbury RFC are now online.

You can view the Gallery by following this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF GUERNSEY RAIDERS v CANTERBURY RFC

It was great to see another sport back and busy after shaking off two years of disruption.

I was been sent along to the Rohais Badminton Halls to photograph the Easter Open Tournament. I think it is ten years since I last photographed this popular tournament but it was somehow familiar territory for me.

The match play is near non-stop with a stream of players taking to the courts competing in various categories. I made two visits to try and do justice to the amount of activity but I have probably failed miserably!

However I hope my Gallery of pics will give some idea of the game play.

Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 BADMINTON OPEN TOURNAMENT

A spot of Isthmian South Central league football photography on a mild spring evening under floodlights... what's not to like?

I was at Footes Lane for clash between the GFC and Chipstead. The night was notable for teenager Tim Ap Sion who scored on his debut for GFC. The goal meant that GFC held the visiting side to a 3-3 scoreline.

Maybe GFC could be disappointed with the result as they had given away a 2-1 lead.

But we can still look ahead knowing that GFC are nurturing new young talent for the future.

My pics under floodlights can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GFC v CHIPSTEAD

Duathlon's have a habit of starting early. This must sometimes be a challenge for competitors... it certainly is for this photographer!

However sometimes the effort to be at the start line is rewarded with a lovely crisp spring morning. And when the setting for the event is the reservoir I was a happy chappy!

The 2022 Duathlon/Triathon season kicked off with the Reservoir Duathlon on Sunday. I was there capturing some of the action.

I hope you enjoy my pics in this gallery....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE RESERVOIR DUATHLON

One more update has seen an end of the weekends edits. Phew, job done!

The first couple of days of every week is normally busy with the edit of the shots taken on Saturday and Sunday.

This week started as normal. However last weekend was a particularly full couple of days featuring Sand Racing, GFC Football, Guernsey Raiders Rugby and two days of Trials bikes.

The chasing around between venues was great fun... helped by the bright sun and comfortable weather and I felt very lucky to call photography 'my job'!

Of course the edit is inevitable and the least enjoyable part of the work, especially when I have a list of to-do's on my desk. But by keeping my nose to the monitor I've cleared the backlog... at least for a couple of days!

The final update features National Two South Rugby at Footes Lane - Guernsey Raiders v Esher. This is a link to the Gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF GUERNSEY RAIDERS v ESHER

Our well supported GFC are finding the Isthmian South Central league a tough place to be.

It's certainly not due to lack of effort by our local team but the challenge of playing against visitors who are often full-time sportsmen is hard.

Guernsey Football Club has to travel off island for half their fixtures and this certainly puts a strain on all the team... players and staff. It must be hard to keep up momentum and high spirits when you also have a full-time job and family to support.

I believe that GFC are doing well to hold a place near the middle of their league and we all need to remember and occasionally look back to the times when local football stars had very little opportunity to play at a higher level.

It can't be doubted that the local game has benefited from widening the experience of our best players.

The latest home game against Ashford Town ended with the visitors going home with a 2-1 win. That is a frustrating result for the GFC but they should enjoy and be proud of the continuing support of the crowd at Footes Lane.

I was pitch-side for the game and my pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GFC v ASHFORD TOWN

All sports photography makes special demands on a photographer.

The challenges may take different forms with so many sports available but there is always a similar thread running through the photographic work.

Unlike filming sports action (digital video nowadays) a photographer has to rely on capturing a 'peak' moment of action telling the story of the activity in a single frame.

What isn't perhaps obvious to those who don't spend their days photographing sport is that to capture the pics that a photog wants there is often a lot of work beforehand to create the 'luck' to reliably come home with the pics!

Getting the shot needs the photographer to be in the right place at the right time and to be ready with a camera all set... exposure settings, correct lens, positioned to give the most dynamic angle for what is about to happen... then to maintain attention during the boring moments to be poised and ready when the action kicks off as it is usually over in fractions of a second!

Luckily, like most skills, practice really does help.


This ramble comes after I've just photographed a two day Trials Bike event. I only had limited time to spend at the event so I really needed to work hard to get the pics that I planned.

I like to make use of the setting that trials bike sections are laid out in as realistically many of the riders will not offer me the dynamic action that I know they think they perform. My job is to make the competitors look amazing and a bit of help from the background can help!

However there are always a few elite riders who really provide an opportunity to get great shots. But even capturing those is a problem as Trials sections are spread over a wide area (miles apart) and it is all too easy to miss them completely whilst moving around.

I'd studied the various sections (you make your own luck) and I had earmarked one steep granite rock climb as the most promising for the 'shot of the day'. I now had to hope that I would be in place when the elite riders came to the obstacle.

Luck was with me (just) as with just minutes left before I needed to get to the next assignment the top guns turned up. All the planning came together, I was in the right place, the lens was correct, the settings all dialed in, I just needed the action to happen as I hoped.

And it did! I got the planned shot and there wasn't really any luck involved! I love it when a plan comes together!

I've added a gallery featuring all my 2-Day trials pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 GMC&CC 2-DAY TRIALS PICS

Whilst St Martin were securing the FNB Priaulx League at St Peter's GFC managed to earn themselves a worthy draw against Uxbridge.

The visitors took a leaf out of GFC's book by starting at a fast pace. They looked dangerous a couple of times before they scored after just seven minutes.

The GFC now had a battle on their hands. Whilst keeping up their spirits the local side struggled to dominate the game and none of the pressure could break down the Uxbridge defense.

It was the bench that was able to influence the result by substitutions made with about twenty minutes to go and GFC scored a deserving goal to end the game at 1-1.

I was at Footes Lane capturing the action and my Gallery can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW GFC v UXBRIDGE

You'd think that a Downhill MTB race would be a bit of a doddle, wouldn't you?

Basically you sit on a mountain bike at the top of a hill, let go of the brake and before you know it you're at the bottom... easy peasy!

Well maybe I have that wrong? I think today's GVC MTB Downhill race held on the slopes at Pleinmont did a good job of proving that I know nothing about the effort needed to descend the slopes at speed... it is a race after all!

All this became clear as I listened to the moans and groans of the riders as they passed me whilst I took pics of their grimacing faces, ha ha.

I imagine that they were rewarded with muscle burn and a sense of achievement once their two runs were over. I have to say well done to all of them. I hope my pics of their racing remind them of the pain. Only joking!!

Follow this link if you want to view my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MTB DOWNHILL PICS