TGS Photo - The Blog

Welcome to DaggersPics

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:43:00 +0000

» All About DaggersPics

DaggersPics is the only OFFICIAL online outlet for you to purchase Dagenham & Redbridge FC prints and photo gifts.

Images are printed on beautiful Fuji Crystal Archive paper and are available in two finishes:

Matt is very forgiving to fingerprints. Glare is significantly reduced with matt finish prints, making them ideal for exhibition use and display use behind glass.

Gloss gives very punchy colours on a strong good white base, great for those high impact shots. Gloss prints do need careful handling to avoid fingerprints.

Print prices start at £3.99 and postage from just £1.49. Please click here for details of delivery times.

» Editorial Use

If you are looking to license one of our images for editorial use in your newspaper or magazine, contact our official photographers TGS Photo: info@tgsphoto.co.uk

All editorial usage is subject to Football DataCo terms and conditions. Publications should hold the correct end-user licence.

'The Entertainer' wins Prizefighter

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Our congratulations go to Moroccan-born, Hackney-based boxer Yassine 'The Entertainer' El Maachi on his stunning victory in Tuesday night's Prizefighter 'The Welterweights II' competition.

York Hall was completely sold out for the latest in Barry Hearn's popular Prizefighter series. The home of boxing was rocking as all seven bouts delivered top class action.

El Maachi's path to the final commenced with a straightforward win over South London's Peter McDonagh, followed by a close Semi-Final triumph over Hornchurch's Colin Lynes, a bout that produced a split-decision from the judges.

El Maachi lined up against former WBC Light-Welterweight champion, Junior Witter, in the final and three solid rounds saw him collect the £32,000 prize money, completing a great night for the Hackney man and his many fans.

Here El Maachi savours his victory and kisses the trophy...

More images from the night are HERE and see the Hackney Gazette report along with our images HERE.

Roll on the next Prizefighter tournament!

Some More Winners...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:41:00 +0000

The happy players of Homerton Rangers FC 'B' team were still enjoying a celebratory drink in the bar when I arrived at Wadham Lodge last Sunday afternoon. Eugene Egan's lads had just won the East London Sunday League Dick Coppock Cup and the opportunity arose for a slightly unusual team photo with the silverware...

A few more images of the Homerton players can be seen HERE.

A couple of hours later and I was snapping the ecstatic Stratford Juniors FC players after their stunning 5-1 win over East Moore in the Jubilee Cup Final, complete with the Ugandan national flag...

To see the full gallery from the final, follow this LINK.

Less than 48 hours earlier at the same venue, Lapton FC got their hands on the Hackney & Leyton League's Dickie Davies Cup. Here are some jolly folk with the trophy and medals...

HERE are the rest of the images from the Dickie Davies Cup Final.

Thinking of making your first print or personal use download order? If you'd like a memento from your cup triumph, please enter the code TGSFIRST15 at the checkout to claim a 15% discount (excluding postage & packing).

It's Not Quite All Over...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:35:00 +0000

The domestic football season will trundle on until the end of May, what with play-offs and all. However, quite a bit of silverware has already been accumulated by a number of teams.

So, in no particular order, here's our roll call of glory.

Plaudits go to the players of East Thurrock United Football Club who topped the Ryman League Division One North. The title was clinched at Redbridge last Saturday and the trophy was presented after Easter Monday's match with Grays Athletic.

A TGS snapper was on hand to grab a few exclusive dressing room shots:

More images of the happy Rocks can be seen here: http://goo.gl/s3UUG

The two senior Essex FA Cup Finals were contested in early April.

First up was the Women's Final, contested at AFC Hornchurch by West Ham United Ladies and Hutton Ladies. The Hammers clinched their second Essex Women's Cup with an odd goal in three win over a spirited Hutton outfit.

Here the West Ham players celebrate with the cup:

Follow this link for more images from West Ham United Ladies vs Hutton Ladies: http://goo.gl/bE8Ji

Four days later and TGS landed at Thurrock FC for the Essex Senior Cup Final between Aveley and Billericay Town. The Blues got their hands on the magbificent County Cup for the first time since 1976 thanks to the two first half strikes from Adam Flanagan and Harrison Chatting.

Here the two happy goalscorers pose with the silverware after the game:

Browse more images from Aveley vs Billericay Town here: http://goo.gl/qkrY8

Sandwiched between the two Essex finals was the Hackney & Leyton Sunday League's Jack Morgan Cup Final.

Tottenham Phoenix clinched victory by a slender 1-0 margin over Chapel Old Boys in a game played at Wadham Lodge. Phoenix goalkeeper Christian Beaupierre was the hero with a stunning man of the match performance.

In traditional fashion, the champagne was uncorked shortly after the final whistle:

A further selection of images from the Jack Morgan Cup Final can be seen here: http://goo.gl/xEF7G

Looking back to Thursday 24th March, Barnet Ladies clinched the first major women's trophy of the season, winning the FA Women's Premier League Cup at Wycombe Wanderers FC.

Barnet's Sally Wade scored the winning spot-kick as the Bees beat Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties. The score had been 0-0 after extra-time and Barnet played the last hour of the game with only ten players, Stacey Sowden having been sent-off.

Barnet manager Tracey Kevins celebrates with the trophy:

More piccies from Barnet Ladies vs Nottingham Forest here: http://goo.gl/lu7Ad

The best of luck to all those teams who have finals and play-offs still to come! Check our SCHEDULE to see what games TGS snappers will be covering.

PhotoShelter Profiles

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:27:00 +0000

TGS is very chuffed indeed to be featured in the first wave of PhotoShelter Photographer Profiles!

In the words of our good friends at PhotoShelter: "Stop by this brand new section of our site to find out how your fellow community members are using PhotoShelter to showcase beautiful photography and power booming careers. We'll be updating with new profiles regularly, so check back often!"

Follow this here linkety-link to read our profile: http://www.photoshelter.com/about/profile/ellis

We've also taken great inspiration from reading the profiles of the other featured snappers, namely:

Bram Belloni (Editorial, Portrait), Laura Berman (Agriculture, Landscape), Mike Cavaroc (Nature, Wildlife), Carli Davidson (Pet Potraits), Gavin Gough (Travel), Jerry and Marcy Monkman (Conservation, Nature), Nico Morgan (Equestrian) and Adam Schallau (Landscape, Nature). Outstanding work all round folks!

It's really satisfying to find TGS in such esteemed company and we look forward to seeing more great profiles in the future.

I'd also like to thank our regular, top-notch contributing photographers - Rob Newell, Martin Dalton, George Phillipou, Dave Simpson, Anne-Marie Sanderson and Chris Royle - for the part they play in enhancing our ever-increasing archive.

If you've read this blog and fancy signing up for a PhotoShelter account to host your own images, you can obtain a nice discount by following this link: http://www.photoshelter.com/referral/TG3PH9XN84

Sunday Morning

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:57:00 +0000

Ouch! From time to time an image is recorded on the TGS memory card that makes me wince in sympathy. In this case, an FC Storm player has a painful encounter with a football boot on Hackney Marshes last Sunday Morning...

Eye-watering stuff indeed. Fortunately both the FC Storm player and the boot were unharmed. Thwack-tastic!

To view the full gallery of Hackney & Leyton League matches we covered last Sunday Morning, please follow this here linkety-link: http://goo.gl/ZzZxv

On the very same same Sunday Morning, top West Ham United snapper Rob Newell had a rather nice show in the Daily Star Sunday with images from the Hammers' away game at Everton. The long trip to Merseyside was rewarded with usage of Jonathan Spector's strike alongside Frederic Picquionne's second goal celebration...

Rob's images also made it into the Sunday Express & The People and well-deserved too. Tonight he travels to Birmingham City with the Hammers just ninety minutes away from a possible Wembley appearance in the Carling Cup.

You certainly can't beat a Sunday Morning!

Don't forget to visit our Facebook Fan Page where you can stay in touch with all of our gallery updates (please become a fan of our page). Plus you can now enjoy a small selection of our published workthere: http://goo.gl/7guVR

Before I go, it's time to look ahead a wee bit...

As we finally emerge from the diabolical winter weather conditions, here at TGS we simply can't wait for the forthcoming cricket and speedway seasons.

Lakeside Hammers commence their 2011 campaign with a home fixture against Swindon Robins on Friday 25th March and, just five days later, the players of Essex CCC take to the field for a friendly match with Worcestershire at The Ford County Ground. Hopefully the snow, rain, frost and hail will all stay away!

Watch out for our speedway and cricket previews which will appear here shortly!

In the meantime you can catch up with our bumper archives of Lakeside Hammers speedway images: http://goo.gl/dglaZ and Essex County Cricket Club images: http://goo.gl/Hf6YF.

Wha'ppen?

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:20:00 +0000

"Wha'ppen TGS?" I hear you ask! It's high time for a rapid roundup of recent snapping activities!

I mentioned in an earlier blog post - Back to the Marshes - that a brand new dressing room block was being built at Hackney Marshes. The South Marsh construction work forms part of the London 2012 redevelopment plan as part of the Marshes is handed over for use as a coach park for the Olympics.

Hackney & Leyton Sunday League players were able to use the changing facilities for the first time on Sunday 14th November. The new block certainly seems to be a big improvement over the building it replaced. It also means that teams will no longer have to change in the shipping containers that were being used as a stopgap solution!

Here's a general view of the entrance foyer as players make their inaugural visit...

Click HERE for a more comprehensive gallery of the new structure.

While on the subject of the Marshes, it won't have escaped your notice that the weather hasn't been too kind to outdoor sports recently. Winter has certainly come early to East London and other parts of the UK.

Here's how the South Marsh pitches were looking a couple of days ago. The layer of snow prevented any matches going ahead last yesterday (Sunday)...

Rumour has it that matches scheduled for Sunday 12th and Sunday 19th December may also be postponed. Stay in touch with the latest news via the Hackney & Leyton League Website or the TGS Twitter Feed.

In, er, 'Twitter News', we recently hit the landmark of ONE THOUSAND TWEETS! This has sparked a special offer. Here it is in less than 140 characters...

"In celebration of 1,000 TGS tweets get a huge 20% off print & download sales until December 7th 2010. Use the code TGSTWEET20 at checkout!"

Shortly before the big freeze hit the south of the UK, I took a trip out to Northampton to cover England's Under-19s Women's team as they took on France in a well-attended friendly.

England gained a modicum of revenge for their defeat by the same nation in the last European Championships Final with a thoroughly deserved 3-1 win. Everton's 16-year-old prolific goalscorer, Nikita Parris, made certain of victory with the powerful strike pictured below...

To see the rest of the images from this match, click HERE. Also, read the latest Women's Football news by visiting our good friends at SheKicks. Keep an eye out for our images in the next issue of SheKicks magazine which is due out early in the New Year.

One way of staying warm is to indulge in some indoor sports photography. Fortunately our clients demand boxing coverage from time and time and I've yet to encounter a frozen ring at York Hall.

The last televised show at the home of boxing was another very welcome installment of Barry Hearn's PrizeFighter series: The Super-Featherweights.

I was there to capture Cardiff's Gary Buckland picking up the coveted trophy after he sent Derry Mathews to the canvas for the second time midway through the round two of a frantic Final...

For a full gallery of the evening's fights, click HERE. Keep an eye out for our boxing images in the Boxing News, the national press and local newspapers in East London.

As sub-zero temperatures persist, I Confess that our TGS plans may well be subject to change over the next few weeks... but you can keep up to date with our whereabouts by visiting our online SCHEDULE and via our popular FACEBOOK PAGE.

As for the next blog post, yep, I'm going to Save It For Later!

A Winner, a Wave and a Wide One

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:08:00 +0000

A Winner!

Our recent competition to win two tickets to the Dagenham & Redbridge vs Hartlepool United match certainly attracted plenty of interest. The winner was Anthony Mercer who correctly identified Dagenham & Redbridge's home ground as 'The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium' and was then first out of the hat in the prize draw.

Anthony is a great football enthusiast and is well known in East London for his work with a number of clubs. He took his son, Elliot, to the game last Saturday and they witnessed a late equaliser for the visitors as the points were shared in a 1-1 draw.

Elliot had his picture taken with Daggers' manager John Still by top TGS snapper, Dave Simpson. Thanks to Anthony for allowing the use of the pic in this blog and a complimentary print is on its way to him right now...

A big thank you to everyone that entered and to Dagenham & Redbridge FC for supplying the tickets. Watch this space for more competitions in the near future!

A Wave!

Here at TGS, we always like to feel welcome when we cover a game.

Enfield 1893 manager, Kevin Lucas, certainly seemed pleased to see the TGS tog at last Saturday's match with Bethnal Green United.

Good to see you too Kevin and ta very much for the wave and smile!...

A Wide One!

With some additional computer processing power installed in the TGS Hub, we've dusted off our GigaPan panoramic head and are starting to use it in anger!

So, what's a GigaPan? GigaPan consists of three technological developments:

» A robotic camera mount for capturing very high-resolution panoramic images.
» Custom software for constructing gigapixel panoramas.
» A new type of website for exploring, sharing and commenting on gigapixel panoramas and the detail users will discover within them.

Here's a 1.48 gigapixel image of Hackney Marshes taken last Sunday (yep, that's gigapixel!). It consists of no less than 264 separate frames stitched together by specialist software. Feel free to explore at your leisure and please add some of your own snapshots...

If you would like to commission a GigaPan of your sporting venue, just let us know. It can certainly add a unique twist to your organisation's website and it is possible to produce stunning panoramic prints of the image.

Find out more about the TGS GigaPans here: http://tgsphoto.co.uk/gigapans.html

Another TGS Ticket Competition!

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Here we go again with another cracking competition!

We have a pair of tickets to give away for the nPower League One match between Dagenham & Redbridge and Hartlepool United on Saturday, 30th October 2010.

The lucky winner and their guest will have grandstand seats for this vital match. They will also have the opportunity to be photographed on the pitch at half-time with the Daggers' mascot. A complimentary A4 print will be provided by TGS.

To enter, all you need to do is answer the following question:

Where do Dagenham & Redbridge FC play their home matches?

A - The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium
B - Wembley Stadium
C - Stadio San Siro

Send your ANSWER (A, B or C) to info@tgsphoto.co.uk. The subject line of your e-mail must read 'TGS COMPETITION'.

It is important to include your NAME, a contact PHONE NUMBER and your GUEST'S NAME in your e-mail.

Before you enter, please be 100% sure that you can attend the game!

The competition will close to entries at 10.00pm on Monday, 25th October 2010. All the correct entries will then go into the prize draw with the lucky winner being notified on Tuesday, 26th October 2010.

The TGS judge's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the draw. If you do not wish your e-mail address to be added to the TGS mailing list, simply put NO MAIL at the bottom of your e-mail. We will not pass any of your details on to any third parties.

A big thank you to Dagenham & Redbridge FC for teaming up with TGS for this competition. More info on the Daggers here: http://www.daggers.co.uk/

Good luck with your entry!

Calling all Hackney & Leyton League Players and Officials!

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:57:00 +0000

Do you participate in the Hackney & Leyton Sunday League?

Here's your chance to win two free tickets to watch Dagenham & Redbridge vs Walsall on Saturday 16th October 2010. A great afternoon's entertainment is guaranteed!

This competition is run in association with www.tgsphoto.co.uk and www.daggers.co.uk!

To enter, just visit the official Hackney & Leyton League website: http://www.hackneyandleytonfootballleague.co.uk/

Good luck!

It's All Over Now

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:10:00 +0000

Sport. Let's face it, it's all about taking the rough with the smooth. This is never more true than when it comes to competing in the FA Cup.

The three sides we regularly cover for our local newspaper clients - namely Romford FC, AFC Hornchurch and Bethnal Green United FC - have all been playing in the Qualifying rounds of the world's oldest club football tournament.

Here at TGS, we LOVE the early rounds of the FA Cup. We get to savour the ups... and to experience the downs. Sadly, all of our teams are now out of the competition and, yep, TGS was present at all the exits to capture the pain of defeat.

Bethnal Green United took Harlow Town to a replay in the 1st Qualifying Round. A late, late equaliser at Barrow's Farm by BGU defender Ajibola Olatunbosun ensured that the teams met again at the Mile End Stadium two days later.

Despite a brave performance from the homesters, Harlow ran out winners by four goals to nil. BGU's goal hero from the first game reacts to defeat as the referee blows the final whistle in the background...

Romford FC made it through to the 2nd Qualifying Round and were rewarded with a home tie against Alan Devonshire's Hampton & Richmond Borough. The ex-West Ham man must have expected a tough game for his charges at Mill Field and would have been very pleased to secure a 4-0 win.

Romford matched their Conference South opponents for long periods but Hampton's clinical finishing was the difference. Here we see Ian Hodges slotting home the visitors' second goal from close range...

AFC Hornchurch and Brentwood Town failed to trouble the scorers on Saturday in a 0-0 draw at The Stadium. The teams met again last night at the Brentwood Centre to contest the 2nd Qualifying Round Replay.

In what can only be described as a drab affair, Brentwood snatched a last gasp winner to secure a home tie with Woking in the next round. Many of the large crowd were undoubtedly relieved to have been spared extra-time.

AFC Hornchurch's despair is summed up in this image as Tommy Black lies on the turf having had his shout for a penalty turned down...

Hopefully this trio of local outfits will enjoy better luck next season. As the cliché goes, they can all concentrate on the League now!

First and Last and Always

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:38:00 +0000

First... GOAL of the new Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League season!

Only two League matches were played last Sunday, both in beautiful Victoria Park. TGS was on hand to capture the action.

The opening onion-bag rippler of the 2009-10 campaign was scored by Albion Manor (below). Manor went on to defeat Bancroft United by the odd goal in five to snaffle up three valuable Premier Division points.

The season continues next Sunday with a full programme of fixtures. For full details follow this here linkety-link: http://www.hackneyandleytonfootballleague.co.uk/

Last... APPEARANCE for Grant Flower of Essex County Cricket Club!

All-rounder Flower leaves the county after 6 years to become Zimbabwe's batting coach. He has been quoted as having the main objective of helping them reach Test status once again.

TGS wishes him all the best in his new role which commences in October.

More archive images of Grant can be seen by clicking HERE.

Always... BUSY at TGS!

A couple of long but highly enjoyable evenings at the boxing last Friday and Saturday. Friday's show saw ShoBox: The New Generation team up with Hennessy Sports to promote a couple of international contests.

In the first of them, highly-rated Heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury outpointed Michigan-based opponent Rich Power in a fiercely contested bout. Here Fury lands a peachy straight left to Power's chin:

Stay up-to-date with TGS boxing coverage: http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/boxing.html.

Back to the Marshes

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:51:00 +0000

TGS is proud to be closely associated with the world famous Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League. This season TGS has its very own page on the League's excellent website...

A big, big thank you goes to Hackney & Leyton League webmaster, Dino Constantinu, for setting up our page. Dino is a top-notch web designer and runs his own business Flintstone Web Design. Check it out!

The TGS page will provide links to each Sunday's galleries plus details of our special discount which is available to players, officials and fans alike: 20% off all sales over £15.00 (excluding p&p). Just enter the code TGSHACKNEY20 at the checkout to claim the discount!

The new season on the Marshes is just over a week away with the first matches scheduled to kick-off at 10.30am on Sunday 12th September. Things will be a little different this year, however, as preparations for the 2012 Olympics have reduced the number of pitches available to the League on the East Marsh. The area will be turned over to coach park use for 2012 and, fingers firmly crossed, subsequently restored to playing fields.

This is the scene adjacent to East Marsh pitch number 10 as pictured in early August...

A new dressing room block is under construction on the South Marsh which should offer much improved facilities for the players...

...but it will be a bit of a trek for those teams playing on the East Marsh as the changing facilities there have been demolished. It will remain to be seen how the logistics of changing and playing will pan out during the 2010-11 campaign. Sunday 12th will certainly be an interesting day!

Looking back to the start of the 2009-10 season, here's a pic from the match between Lapton and Three Compasses. Lapton went on the win the Premier Division title...

To see even more images from our extensive Hackney & Leyton League archive, just follow this here linkety-link.

Also, here's some recommended viewing for those that would like more information about the Marshes and the 2012 Olympics...

...and the latest news courtesy of the Hackney & Leyton site: http://www.hackneyandleytonfootballleague.co.uk/#/the-olympic-bid-news/4540870006.

Early days, early joy...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:38:00 +0000

Yep, early days indeed for the new football season. However, we've already been lucky enough to capture notable successes for a couple of our local teams.

Justin Gardner's Bethnal Green United team took to the field for their very first game in the FA Cup on Saturday 14th August at the Mile End Stadium. Here's skipper Ainsley Gasper leading the lads out for the historic Extra-Preliminary Round tie...

Bethnal Green sealed their progress into the next round with a fine 4-0 win, including a brace of goals from Michael Begg (pictured on the right below). A trip to Kentish Town awaits the East Londoners next Saturday...

Romford FC started their new Ryman League campaign last Saturday with a 'home' tussle against Cheshunt. Paul Martin's Boro team had a more than satisfactory season in 2009-10 and are hopeful of even better things this time round.

Matt Toms proved to be the match-winner with a second-half, near-post header from a corner as Boro took all three points with a 2-1 win...

Let's hope this winning trend continues!

Coverage this week takes TGS up to Lowestoft in (hopefully) sunny Suffolk to cover AFC Hornchurch's first away League game of the season.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:53:00 +0000

Bringing you up-to-date with some behind-the-scenes activity over the last couple of weeks...

We've made some subtle changes to the website as we strive to improve the user experience. It's also been a chance to lay the foundations for future upgrades, writing some cleaner code and simplifying the site layout.

Firstly, all the 'Client Area' functions are now handily grouped on the new top bar (below), making it even easier to find your purchases, gallery invitations and lightboxes:

We've also added a thumbnail view to the bottom of the home page slideshow (below), making navigation through the images that little bit easier. Also, it's worth noting that when you hover your mouse over any of our slideshows, 'next' and 'previous' arrows magically appear so you can skip through the images at your own pace:

You'll find a Facebook 'Share' button (left) on all of our galleries and images. So if you find a pic of yourself in our archives, you can share it on your wall with just a couple of clickety-clicks!

Our new social networking toolbar (right) brings together the links to our feeds, streams, tweets and buzzes! The toolbar is fixed to the right hand side of your browser window, making it available no matter where you are on the site.

A keyword search is now that little bit easier. All the keywords associated with a given images are now in a simple comma separated list (below).

That means just one click on a keyword is required to find associated piccies. We've also made the keywords a bit easier to find as they float in a box under each image...

Each gallery has a 'View Slideshow' option. The slideshow is now housed within a TGS customised page (below) to keep everything neat and tidy...

We mentioned our Flickr Photostream earlier on. Our local football and cricket photos are being exported to the popular photo-sharing site to make them even easier to find and view...

More changes are on the way. Much cross-browser testing has taken place but feedback, as always, is welcome!

Crikey!

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:08:00 +0000

Crikey indeed! It's been a particularly busy month at TGS towers, but it's time to blog again.

Here are a few highlights of the last few weeks and it's certainly been a time for winners...

The famous Hackney & Leyton Sunday League stages no less than FIVE Cup Finals at the end of each season. The games are traditionally held at Leyton Football Club and TGS was on hand to cover all of them. Here's a roll call of this season's winners:

Jack Morgan Cup - Midfield FC
Albert Daniels Senior Cup - Real Romania FC
Dickie Davies Cup - Lapton FC
Jack Walpole Cup - Clapton Rangers FC (pictured below)
Hackney Gazette Cup - Bancroft United FC

Click HERE for more Hackney & Leyton Cup Final images!

However, the season ended with some sadness for the players and officials of the League. The unique dressing room block at the East Marsh of Hackney Marshes is to be demolished as preparations continue for the 2012 Olympics. The main Olympic site is only a couple of hundred yards from the East Marsh which is to be used as a coach park for the duration of the games.

So, on Sunday 2nd May 2010, the block was used for the last time. Here a Black Meteors players makes his way to the pitches, passing one of the dressing rooms on the way...

Click HERE for more images of the East Marsh dressing rooms!

It's been a fantastic debut season in senior football for Justin Gardner's Bethnal Green United Football Club. The team entered the Essex Senior League for the 2009/10 season, moving up from the Middlesex County League, and claimed no less than two trophies.

The Gordon Brasted memorial Trophy was secured in early April and, just under a month later, the Essex Senior League Cup was won (below) with a comfortable 4-0 win over Burnham Ramblers...

Click HERE for more images of the successful Bethnal Green United FC!

Another team that has flourished in a new League is Romford FC's reserve XI. The Essex Olympian League Division Two championship was secured on the very last day of the season with a comeback victory over Runwell Hospital.

Trailing to an early penalty, two late goals ensured that Boro finished level on points with Hospital, but pipped them to the title on goal difference by just one solitary goal...

Click HERE for more images of Romford FC's second string!

We've been busy with cricket too. TGS is a regular fixture at the Ford County Ground to cover Essex CCC and was on hand when Lancashire came to Chelmsford for an LV County Championship game.

England star Jimmy Anderson was in the Lancashire line-up and proved to be the match-winner with outstanding figures of 9 for 93 from 42.5 overs...

Click HERE for more images from Essex CCC vs Lancashire CCC!

Grant Flower continues to prove his value to Essex in the one day form of the game. He was on the losing side despite scoring a century against Yorkshire Carnegie at the end of April. However, a couple of weeks later, another top-notch ton helped the Eagles to a valuable victory over the Gladiators from Gloucestershire...

Click HERE for more images of Grant Flower!

In the same game, a remarkable performance by Gloucester bowler David Payne almost went unnoticed. The teenage paceman took four wickets in four balls as he cleaned up the Essex tail. His final figures were an impressive 7 for 29 from six overs.

Below Payne claims the last wicket of his fabulous 'four in four', that of Jaik Mickleburgh...

Click HERE for more images from Essex Eagles vs Gloucestershire Gladiators!

Alongside the First Class game, TGS covers a wide variety of other cricket, including the Victoria Park Community Cricket League in the heart of East London. The VPCCL is an eight-a-side competition with matches consisting of 16 overs each.

Our 2010 coverage started on Wednesday, 28th April and (below) the bails are soon in the air as Contenders CC claim a Best Nationals CC wicket...

Click HERE for more images from the Victoria Park Community Cricket League!

There's a huge amount of club cricket played in Essex with many teams fielding several XIs. The T. Rippon Mid-Essex League has no less than ELEVEN divisions...

...and, yep, here's some action from Division 11. Newcomers St Andrew's CC ran riot as they collated 331 runs from 45 overs away to Havering-atte-Bower 4th XI. Star man was batsman Varghese (below) who single-handedly smashed 181 runs. Havering made a brave reply but could only muster 175-9...

Click HERE for more Essex Club Cricket images!

The 2010 British Under-21 Speedway Final was held at Arena Essex on Friday, 16th April. This annual event is an opportunity for the up-and-coming stars of the sport to show off their riding skills.

TGS snapper Rob Newell was on hand to capture Joe Haines of Wolverhampton Wolves on his way to victory...

Click HERE for more images from the 2010 British Under-21 Speedway Championship!

Lakeside Hammers recently welcomed back top rider Lee Richardson. He took up the No. 1 position for the first time in 2010 at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday, 13th May as the Hammers took on the Ipswich Witches.

The travelling fans couldn't have asked for a better start from Richardson as he rode to victory in the very first heat of the night (below). He contributed 11+1 points in a 50-43 win for the Hammers...

Click HERE for more images of speedway rider Lee Richardson!

Boxing came to a famous venue in East London last Saturday when a much-hyped fight between Kevin Mitchell and Michael Katsidis took place at Upton Park, home of West Ham United FC.

Mitchell sadly lost his fight to the powerful Australian. On the same night, Heavyweight stalwart Danny Williams lost his British title to Derek Chisora in round two and is now widely expected to retire.

Rob Newell was on hand for TGS to capture what may well be the end of Williams' fifteen year pro career...

Click HERE for more images from the boxing show at West Ham United FC!

The previous evening at Goresbrook had seen another Heavyweight contender make his mark. Hackney pugilist Larry Olubamiwo won his first belt, the Southern Area title, with a first round demolition of Colin Kenna.

Here 'The War Machine' shows his delight at the end of the fight...

Click HERE for more images of boxer Larry Olubamiwo!

Some rugby to finish. Barking RFC have enjoyed a successful 2009/10 campaign, culminating in the National League Division Two South Championship.

Barking clinched the title with a 96-14 win over Lydney at Goresbrook on Saturday, 17th April...

Click HERE for more images of Barking RFC vs Lydney RFC!

Looking to the future, here's a taste of what's coming up over the next few weeks...

22-05-10 - Essex Club Cricket
22-05-10 - Harold Wood Athletic vs Frenford Senior
23-05-10 - Essex CCC Women vs Worcestershire CCC Women
24-05-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Wolverhampton Wolves
25-05-10 - Victoria Park Community Cricket League
28-05-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Peterborough Panthers
29-05-10 - Essex Club Cricket
29-05-10 - Coca Cola League One Play-Off Final
30-05-10 - Coca Cola League Two Play-Off Final
31-05-10 - Essex CCC 2nd XI vs Kent CCC 2nd XI
01-06-10 - Victoria Park Community Cricket League
02-06-10 - Essex Eagles vs Kent Spitfires T20
03-06-10 - Peterborough Panthers vs Lakeside Hammers
04-06-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Eastbourne Eagles
05-06-10 - Essex Club Cricket

All this and more at http://tgsphoto.co.uk

Cricket's Back...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Dateline: Wednesday, 31st March 2010 and David Masters bowls the first over of the new season at the Ford County Ground as Essex entertain Worcestershire in a friendly tussle....

The weather was predictably poor and spectators didn't turn out in, er, huge numbers. However, it was good to see some youngsters popping over to watch their County heroes in early season action. I think we may see the seats somewhat more populated when the Twenty 20 bandwagon rolls into Chelmsford in June...

A week on: Wednesday, 7th April 2010 and I'm not long back from the annual Press Day and Photo Call. There was a bumper turnout of snappers and scribes as Essex CCC prepare for their return to the top flight of the County Championship.

Spirits were high amongst the assembled players, not least James Foster who was clearly raring to go...

As is the norm nowadays, several team photos are the order of the day - different kits are required for the various disciplines of the game. I won't pretend to be a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist, but I really do like to see the lads in their whites for a squad line-up pic...

If you've got a few minutes to spare, there's a slideshow of the images from the shoot playing below... and, of course, the usual gallery can be seen HERE.

Also, don't forget to visit our sister site, CRICPICS, for even more coverage of the first class game!

My Favourite Things

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:30:00 +0000

"When the snow falls,
When the wind stings,
When I'm feeling soggy,
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so lousy!"

So, using my very poor product photography skills and in no particular order, here's an illustrated list of my current top 10 fave items...

1. The Pelican 1514 Case (aka the 1510 case with dividers)

This wonderful box not only protects my gear in transit and is fully waterproof, but also acts as a handy seat when I'm covering sporting events. Yep, the wheels seem to have been designed by The Flintstones but I wouldn't be parted from my Peli!...

More info: http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1510

2. The Gitzo 1588 Monopod

Long glass needs a sturdy support and the Gitzo 1588 'pod does the job. With a hefty girth and all the benefits of carbon fibre construction, a heavy lens sits sweetly and steadily atop this pole...

More info: http://www.gitzo.com/cms/site/gitzo/cache/offonce/home/products/monopods

3. The Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 Rain Cover

It's been one of the wettest periods I can remember and my Think Tank Hydrophobia has seen unrelenting action! I used to swear by Aquatech covers but the Think Tank is far, far easier to deploy in a hurry and just as protective.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this beautifully designed rain cover to any snappers who want to keep their sensitive bits from getty soggy...

More info: http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/hydrophobia-300-600-rain-cover.aspx

4. The Op/Tech Pro Camera Strap

Straps can be a pain. They get tangled up when you least want them to. They cut into your neck when you're carrying a heavy camera and lens. They slip off your shoulder when you don't want them to.

The Op/Tech strap solves most if not all of these problems. You can simply take off the padded shoulder part of the strap and leave it in your bag so you don't have to contest with a long dangly bit. The soft neoprene padding seems to take a few ounces off of the load and the nobbly bits underneath add some grip to reduce slippage...

More info: http://www.optechusa.com/product/detail/?PRODUCT_ID=23&PRODUCT_SUB_ID=&CATEGORY_ID=4

5. The Ansmann Energy 16 Battery Charger

Rechargeable AA batteries are a staple fodder for those of us that use a fair bit of on-camera flash. Charging them four at a time is in the past! The Ansmann refreshes and recharges no less than twelve in one go and lights up like a Christmas tree while doing so! Peachy...

More info: http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/Ansmann_Energy_16.html

6. The Apple MacBook Black

I used to be a bit of a PC man but I suffered with far too many problems when working 'live' in the field. Along came the jolly old 13" MacBook...

More info: http://www.apple.com/uk/macbook/

7. The Griff Gear Laptop Screen Shade

It folds flat and it slips neatly into the gadget bag. Then, when you're editing and wiring, it pops up, slips on and keeps the nasty sun from spoiling your view of the laptop screen. Hand-made by a nice bloke from down-under and totally indispensable...

More info: http://www.griffgear.com/pages/screenshades.htm

8. The Apple iPhone

I've never been a big fan of mobile phones. Annoying things really. Sadly, I am now addicted to the iPhone. Not so much for making phone calls, but for the internet access and the weather apps...

More info: http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/

9. The Camera Bits Photo Mechanic Software Application

This is the best piece of software ever created. Simple as. It streamlines the workflow on location and automates many of the mundane captioning tasks. Jubbly...

More info: http://www.camerabits.com/site/

10. The PhotoShelter Online Image Archive

For Photoshelter, please refer to my earlier blog post: Archive or Schmarchive. It's crucial...

More info: http://www.photoshelter.com/index/c

Lakeside Hammers Press & Practice!

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:51:00 +0000

Rob and I spent a most enjoyable afternoon at the Arena Essex raceway on Wednesday for the Lakeside Hammers official Press & Practice Session.

It was great to see the whole team assembled in their new kevlars, complete with Royal Navy sponsorship for the 2010 season. The boys posed for team and individual pictures and also took to the track for some vital practice laps prior to tonight's first home meeting against the Ipswich Witches. Speedway is back and the TGS team is ready for tapes up!

Here's a slideshow of Wednesday's images:

Also, it's particularly peachy to see that the Hammers feature prominently on the front cover of this week's Speedway Star magazine after announcing the prestigious sponsorship deal with the Royal Navy.

"Sponsorship deals of this calibre are a rare entity in British Speedway, but this will pave a way forward for all speedway clubs in the UK," said Hammers owner, Stuart Douglas.

"If a brand as magnificent as The Royal Navy can exhibit this kind of confidence in us, then it is demonstrable evidence of the marketability of our sport. I hope this will provide inspiration for us all."

...and here's the slideshow from the exclusive HMS Kent shoot:

Read more about the Lakeside Hammers' preparations for the new campaign HERE.

Coming up...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0000

A few highlights from our planned coverage over the next couple of weeks...

Sunday, 14th March - Arsenal Ladies vs FCR 2001 Duisburg. The Gunners are 2-1 down from the first-leg of the Women's Champions League Quarter-Final so this looks set to be a real humdinger.

Wednesday, 17th March - Lakeside Hammers riders take to the Arena Essex track for pre-season practice after some team and individual photos.

Friday, 19th March - The Lakeside Hammers speedway season gets underway with the visit of Ipswich Witches for the first installment of a two-legged challenge. Shale-tastic!

Thursday, 25th March - The England women's team continue their FIFA 2011 World Cup qualifying campaign with a home game against Austria. Loftus Road is the venue for this vital international fixture.

Monday, 29th March - TGS heads to Dagenham & Redbridge FC for the final of the Essex Senior Cup. AFC Hornchurch and Colchester United will lock horns for the coveted county trophy.

Wednesday, 31st March - Cricket is back and the long lens will make an appearance at the Ford County Ground in Chelmsford for Essex CCC's home friendly against Worcestershire. Hopefully the rain will stay away!

Here's a provisional list of what else in store...

13-03-10 - Chelsea vs West Ham United
13-03-10 - Dagenham & Redbridge vs Rotherham United
13-03-10 - Millwall vs Charlton Athletic
13-03-10 - Doncaster Rovers vs Derby County
13-03-10 - Leyton Orient vs Walsall
13-03-10 - Thurrock HC 3rd XI vs Romford HC 3rd XI
13-03-10 - AFC Hornchurch vs Horsham
14-03-10 - Hackney & Leyton League
14-03-10 - Arsenal Ladies vs FCR 2001 Duisburg
16-03-10 - Romford vs Great Wakering Rovers
16-03-10 - Lincoln City vs Dagenham & Redbridge
17-03-10 - Lakeside Hammers Press Day
19-03-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Ipswich Witches
20-03-10 - Dagenham & Redbridge vs Macclesfield Town
20-03-10 - Arsenal vs West Ham United
20-03-10 - Havering HC vs Ipswich HC
20-03-10 - Upminster RFC vs Dagenham RFC
21-03-10 - Hackney & Leyton League
21-03-10 - Boxing York Hall
21-03-10 - Blackburn Rovers vs Chelsea
22-03-10 - Wolverhampton Wolves vs Lakeside Hammers
23-03-10 - Romford vs Enfield Town
23-03-10 - West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
24-03-10 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham
24-03-10 - Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City
25-03-10 - England Women vs Austria
26-03-10 - Boxing Goresbrook Leisure Centre
26-03-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Wolverhampton Wolves
27-03-10 - West Ham United vs Stoke City
27-03-10 - Bradford City vs Dagenham & Redbridge
28-03-10 - Hackney & Leyton League
28-03-10 - Carlisle United vs Southampton
28-03-10 - Burnley vs Blackburn Rovers
29-03-10 - AFC Hornchurch vs Colchester United
31-03-10 - Essex CCC vs Worcestershire CCC
01-04-10 - Essex CCC vs Worcestershire CCC
01-04-10 - England Women vs Spain
02-04-10 - Lakeside Hammers vs Eastbourne Eagles
02-04-10 - Eastbourne Eagles vs Lakeside Hammers

All this and much more at http://tgsphoto.co.uk.

PhotoShelter Discount

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:15:00 +0000

TGS uses PhotoShelter to handle online sales, high resolution file distribution, Search Engine Optimisation, image archiving, gallery organisation, website customization and a whole lot more.

PhotoShelter is a great way to attract new customers, show your images professionally and do business with your clients online. Various subscription plans are available to fit a wide range of needs and pockets.

CLICK HERE to save money on sign-up. TGS gets an account credit too so it's a win-win situation!

Your discount code is: TG3PH9XN84

From the PhotoShelter Site: UK Sports & Editorial Photographer Gavin Ellis of TGS Photo says "PhotoShelter is the power behind the TGS web presence and my subscription consistently proves to be the best money I spend every month."

For the full guided tour of PhotoShelter, click on this here linkety-link: http://www.photoshelter.com/tour

Archive or Schmarchive?

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Folk often ask me what is the point of maintaining a large archive of images. Why don't I just keep the most recent stuff and consign the older piccies to the recycle bin? All that selecting, editing, captioning, organising and uploading must be a real pain in the posterior. Surely it's a pointless exercise?

My answer is always the same:

"Thar's value in them thar photos!"

Latent value. Just waiting to be released.

PhotoShelter is the power behind the TGS web presence and my subscription consistently proves to be the best money I spend every month. Furthermore, PhotoShelter plays a fundamental and crucial role in enabling me to make sales to clients.

I see a regular churn of stock downloads but, from time to time, some more notable usages pop up that make me even more motivated to maintain 'that thar' archive.

With the help of Hackney & Leyton Sunday League Press Officer, Tom McEvoy, I became involved with "Love Equals Football" earlier this year. Puma and Sky had teamed up to launch a Sunday League football promotion and were seeking some images to kick-start their campaign. Tom pointed them in the direction of the TGS repository and, fortunately, they were pleased with what they found lurking in the dusty depths of the PhotoShelter galleries.

As most of my work is in the editorial field, model releases were going to be an 'interesting' challenge. However, the benefits of spending every Sunday morning on the Marshes soon became clear. Four images were selected and a combination of goodwill and good contacts made it possible to secure the vital releases. These pics had not previously seen the light of day in published form.

So, here they are, both in their original form and as seen in the current (March) edition of Four Four Two magazine. You may also encounter them on the web and in some related TV advertising.

1. This frame was taken on the East Marsh of Hackney Marshes way back on Sunday, 13th May 2007. Lapton FC players celebrate a vital goal in an end of season play-off game for the title against Santos...

...and here it is in the magazine version...

2. This pic is unique in the sense that I didn't even leave the car to take it! The morning of Sunday, 4th February 2007 was cold and foggy. Conditions were so bad that I decided to stay in the comfort of the vehicle until the last possible moment before commencing my match coverage. I'd just assembled my gear on the passenger seat when I spotted a London Aprilia player walking across the East Marsh, wheeling his bike and chatting on his mobile. It was one of those 'must-snap' moments...

...and here's how it looks in the mag...

3. I can't say that I'm often in pain when taking a pic, but this image saw me suffer (a bit) for my art. Hailstones fell on the South Marsh on Sunday, 22nd November 2009. Chunky, rock-hard hailstones in a near gale-force wind slamming against the back of my head. Many players ran for cover but these guys tried to take shelter under a brolley which was being shredded by the wind and icy downpour...

...and here's how the pic was finally used...

4. Those Lapton boys again. Rather different weather conditions this time round on the South Marsh! It was Sunday, 11th May 2008 and pleasantly warm and sunny. Lapton had won the League and were well up for an end of season celebration image...

...resulting in this magazine version...

As I mentioned above, PhotoShelter provides the hosting for TGS's image library. Without this fantastic facility, I would struggle to maintain the ever-burgeoning archive (now at 70,000+ pics). Then there's the excellent fotoQuote pricing module (that's built into PhotoShelter folks!) which enabled me to price up this particular usage quickly and professionally.

PhotoShelter also made it possible for the Sky and Puma creatives to search the archive, download preview images and create collaborative lightboxes. A really big thumbs up to PS! Nice work guys. Also, a massive thank you to Sky and Puma for their passion and interest in the work of TGS.

It certainly ain't no schmarchive!

Clickety-clicks: PhotoShelter, TGS Hackney & Leyton League Pics and the TGS Sunday Football Archive.

Forget the snow! Cricket's coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:16:00 +0000

With snow still falling in parts of South East England, the domestic cricket season feels a long way off... but, a glance at the calendar shows that it's only 36 days before Essex take to the field for the opening friendly match of the 2010 season against their counterparts from Worcestershire.

The gentle thwack of leather on willow will resume at the Ford County Ground at 11.00am on Wednesday, 31st March - weather permitting of course!

By way of a diversion from the dreary winter weather, I thought I'd take a quick look (via the medium of some previously unpublished images) at the players that will be taking the field for my home county during the forthcoming summer.

Essex CCC skipper Mark Pettini steered his team back into the top flight of the County Championship after six years in the lower division. Pettini has also inspired his men to significant success in the shorter versions of the game in recent years...

James Foster has been in a rich vein of form over the last few seasons, both with the bat and the wicket-keeping gloves. Many believe that he should feature far more frequently behind the stumps for his country...

Former Zimbambwe player Grant Flower has posted numerous invaluable performances in one-day games for the Eagles. He is set to leave Essex at the end of the season to take up the role of batting coach to his home country...

Experienced paceman David Masters has shown great consistency in opening the bowling attack. Masters arrived at Chelmsford for the start of the 2008 season after making the move from Leicestershire...

Danish Kaneria is a firm favourite with the Essex faithful, taking 108 wickets in all competitions in 2009. He also recently became Pakistan's leading Test spinner of all-time...

Graham Napier's 152 not out from just 58 balls against Sussex Sharks in the Twenty 20 Cup in June 2008 will live long in the memory. He also made his mark in the County Championship in 2009 with some sterling showings to propel Essex towards promotion...

Matt Walker boasted an exemplary batting record at Kent before joining Essex at the start of last season. He collated no less than 933 County Championship runs in his inaugural Chelmsford campaign...

Tim Phillips has been dogged by injury over recent seasons but he will be pushing for more first team action in 2010 on the back of some excellent NatWest Pro40 performances...

Batsman Ravi Bopara featured in four of the five Ashes Test matches in 2009. He returned to his county to score a stunning 201 against Surrey at Colchester in August...

Firmly established as an integral part of the current England set-up, Alastair Cook still contributed 493 runs at an average of 35.21 to his county's Championship campaign in 2009...

All-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate continues to be a crucial member of the Essex team. His 108 from 59 balls in the final game of last season at Derbyshire proved to be the match-winning and promotion-clinching innings...

Tony Palladino experienced injury problems in 2009 but he still remains a significant part of the county's plans in 2010...

Pace bowler Maurice Chambers made five County Championship starts in 2009. He will be looking for even more first string appearances in 2010...

Promising young batsman Jaik Mickleburgh was called up to the England Performance squad over the winter of 2009/10 and will be one to watch in 2010...

John Maunders constructed an excellent century on his home Championship debut for Essex against Warwickshire in September 2009. The left-handed batsman will undoubtedly seek to cement a first team spot in 2010...

Mervyn Westfield finished 2009 as the County's leading wicket-taker in 2nd XI cricket. An injury-free 2010 may well see him pushing hard for first team action...

Tom Westley illustrated his great potential with two vital innings at Derbyshire when promotion was secured in the last game of 2009...

Adam Wheater took advantage of James Fosters' call-up to England's World Twenty20 squad in 2009, making several first team appearances...

A series of outstanding performances with the ball and bat in 2009 saw Chris Wright seal his spot as a first team regular. More success surely beckons in 2010...

Bowler Max Osborne has graduated from the Essex Academy to sign a two-year pro deal...

Batsman Billy Godleman is seen here playing for his former county Middlesex at Chelmsford in May 2008. He moved to Essex CCC at the end of last season...

All-rounder Michael Comber will be looking to put injury problems behind him to make an impact in 2010...

Essex CCC coach Paul Grayson has overseen recent success in all disciplines of the game and will certainly be very optimistic about the forthcoming campaign...

Click HERE for a full list of Essex CCC fixtures for 2010. TGS Photo's cricket coverage can be found HERE.

Here's to a spectacular summer!

Fans, Daggers and Hooks

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:26:00 +0000

Firstly, a very big THANK YOU to everyone that has registered as a fan of TGS on Facebook. Your support is very, very welcome and much, much appreciated.

We've hit 200 fans now and, in celebration, TGS is running a promotion until the end of February...

10% OFF ALL PRINT SALES

Simply enter the code 200FB10 at checkout to claim your discount. This offer is valid until 28th February 2010. The code will also work with our 'Personal Use Downloads' should you wish to enhance your own Facebook pages or your computer desktop with a digital image of yourself in action!

If you would like to pay a visit to our Facebook Fan Page, please follow this here linkety-link: http://tgsphoto.co.uk/facebook. The more fans the merrier!

While I'm passing through blog-land, it's time to catch up with some recent usages. Dagenham & Redbridge gained a vital win last Saturday over AFC Bournemouth at Victoria Road. Dave Simpson's image of Mark Arber's winning goal from the penalty spot made the Mail on Sunday and, below, Monday's edition of The Sun...

The recent inclement weather has certainly made a right old mess of the TGS diary. Far too many matches have been postponed but we're still trying to plan ahead. Here's what (should) be in store over the next few weeks...

16-02-10 AFC Hornchurch vs Tonbridge Angels
17-02-10 Bethnal Green United vs Barkingside
20-02-10 Rochdale vs Dagenham & Redbridge
20-02-10 West Ham United vs Hull City
20-02-10 Grimsby Town vs Lincoln City
20-02-10 Upminster HC 5th XI vs Romford HC 3rd XI
20-02-10 VCD Athletic vs Romford
21-02-10 Hackney & Leyton League
23-02-10 Aldershot Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge
23-02-10 AFC Hornchurch vs Canvey Island
24-02-10 Tottenham Hotspur vs Bolton Wanderers
24-02-10 Tottenham Hotspur Ladies vs Arsenal Ladies
26-02-10 Boxing at York Hall
27-02-10 Dagenham & Redbridge vs Grimsby Town
28-02-10 Hackney & Leyton League
02-03-10 Torquay United vs Dagenham & Redbridge
06-03-10 West Ham United vs Bolton Wanderers
06-03-10 Bury vs Dagenham & Redbridge
07-03-10 Hackney & Leyton League
08-03-10 Colchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion
09-03-10 Dagenham & Redbridge vs Colchester United
13-03-10 Chelsea vs West Ham United
13-03-10 Dagenham & Redbridge vs Rotherham United
14-03-10 Hackney & Leyton League
14-03-10 Arsenal Ladies vs FCR 2001 Duisburg

We're always aiming to add additional coverage so keep an eye on our HOMEPAGE to keep fully up-to-date. Don't hesitate to CONTACT US to commission images from your event.

Before I go, here's a recent pic that I was quite pleased with. The exposure isn't perfect but the moment of impact of Steve Williams' right hook to the head of Michael Grant tells a story in itself. Williams went on to win the win the English Light-Welterweight Title at York Hall last Friday...

More from the excellent Matchroom boxing show can be seen here: http://bit.ly/aCSBaG

TTFN!

Did you get the goal?

noreply@blogger.com (TGSPhoto) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:48:00 +0000

Five very short words to send a chill down any snapper's spine: "Did you get the goal?"

I've covered a fair few matches involving Romford Football Club this season and I've been asked this very question on numerous occasions!

"Did you get the goal?" Romford's first competitive match of the season was a momentous one. Having watched their team win promotion to the Ryman League Division One North, Boro fans travelled in goodly numbers to Theobalds Lane to watch their team's first outing at the new level.

The first goal of the campaign arrived courtesy of Paul Kavanagh who scored with his left foot from close range. From my position, this lined up reasonably well with scorer, goalkeeper and ball all present and correct in the frame. So, yep, I reckon I 'got' this one...

"Did you get the goal?" Jimmy Noakes gave Boro a 2-1 lead shortly after half-time. Fortunately the key moment happened pretty much right in front of me as Noakes fired a snap shot on the turn into the net.

In these situations, it's quite easy to end up with no ball in the frame - it's only there for a split second. Fortunately I'd woken up from my half-time slumbers and managed to squeeze the shutter at the opportune moment...

"Did you get the goal?" This time round, the answer was very nearly a resounding "No!"

The ball was cleared to the edge of the penalty area and Danny Jones fired his shot through a crowd of players. I was slow to react and struggled to get a clear view of Jones with the handheld camera. Instinctively I felt that a goal was coming so I held down the shutter button regardless. This, in turn, triggered the remote camera lurking behind the goal. Here's the result - a view of what turned out to be the match-winning strike. Only you can decide if I actually 'got' it though...

"Did you get the goal?" This time, "Yes, twice!"

Boro's second match on the 2009/10 FA Cup trail brought Concord Rangers to Mill Field in the 1st Qualifying Round. The homesters fell a goal behind but Jimmy Noakes took the tie to a replay with a beautifully struck, right foot volley. Here's the view from the handheld camera. If you look closely, you can see my fellow snapper, Tony Fowles of the Essex Enquirer, in the background...

...and here's the same moment in time from the remote device behind the goal net. Doubly bubbly...

"Did you get the goal?" You do need luck in this game. You need to have a clear view of the scorer and a little bit of time to anticipate what is about to happen.

So, which side of the goal to sit? It can be an arbitrary decision, a real 50/50 shout. Sometimes the direction of the light and what's in the background influence the choice. No room for a remote camera behind the goal at Leyton's hemmed in Hare & Hounds home - so no second chances!

Sometimes fortune smiles on the lonely snapper. Paul Burnett's bullet header opened Boro's account...

"Did you get the goal?" At least with a penalty, you know where the shot is coming from! Photographing the dead ball kick from 12 yards just comes down to timing. Snap too early and the player hasn't struck the ball. The image just doesn't look quite right. Press too late and the ball is long gone. I should have moved a yard or two to improve the background in this one but I guess the ball is just about in the optimum position as Paul Kavanagh makes it 2-0...

"Did you get the goal?" It's peachy when the onion bag bulges as it receives the ball.

Martin Heed headed Romford's third unanswered goal at Leyton from very close range and, luckily for me, he was on the 'right' side of the goal. Had I been on the other side of the net, this may not have made much of a pic...

"Did you get the goal?" Here's a trio of examples of where it all went (very) wrong!

Jerry Lyons scored Boro's equalising goal when he pounced on a loose ball during a home friendly match with Thurrock. It would have made a nice image... had I been sitting five yards closer to the goal post. Doh!...

Paul Clayton scored a memorable winning goal away at Maldon Town back in late August. It was the only goal of the game. I struggled to locate Clayton through the goalmouth mêlée (you can just about make out his captain's armband). Sigh...

Aaaaaargh! Fortunately for me, this Chris Thomas effort only turned out to be a consolation goal against Ware, but my timing was way off as you can see. Just the merest hint of ball remains...

"Did you get the goal?" I'll finish with a couple that did line up sweetly.

Romford romped to a 4-1 win away win at Waltham Forest last Saturday. Kurt Smith bagged half the visitors' goals and his second strike made for a particularly satisfying snap. The goaly trinity of goalscorer, ball and goalkeeper all making an appearance...

"Did you get the goal?" Ditto the fourth and final Boro strike. Chris Thomas drives the ball past the Stags goalie. It's also quite handy that there are a few travelling supporters on the terrace in the background...

For those that would like to see a few more images of Romford FC's progress this season, click HERE.

For more information on Romford FC, visit their website at http://www.romfordfc.com/ and their new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=287382147814&ref=ts

I just can't wait for the next time I hear those words: "Did you get the goal?" ... or maybe I can! ;-)