Ian Beesley's 'Nowt Without' book celebrates Bantams fans

Ian Beesley has released 'Nowt Without', a book of some of his images from when he followed City behind the scenes during their two seasons in the Premier League; 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

The black and white images of City fans in the crowd at both Valley Parade and away grounds are a reminder of the importance of supporters with games currently played before empty crowds due to the pandemic.

The book, with a limited print run of 100 copies, sees each black and white photograph accompanied by a quotes from a famous face on football fans, ranging from former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, ex-Bradford City player and boss-turned pundit Chris Kamara and former South African president Nelson Mandela.

It also features Bantams chants including 'City 'Til I Die' and 'Take Me Home' and includes a poem specially written for the project by poet Ian McMillan.

Mr Beesley’s pictures go from fans celebrating the club’s promotion to the Premier League in May 1999 to the confirmation of the club’s survival 12 months later.

He was appointed by then club chairman Geoffrey Richmond as its artist in residence and asked to chronicle the Bantams' two-year stint in the Premier League.

Mr Beesley, who has been a City fan since the early 1980s, was tasked with taking pictures of the supporters at games, rather than the action on the pitch.

He said: "One of the things I have really missed over the last year is going to the football.

"Watching it online at home does not replace watching your own hometown team. Bradford City have turned the corner lately too.

"I have thousands of pictures and I kept looking through all of my work with Bradford City. When I did it, I focused more on the crowd rather than what the players were doing.

"Football is all about the fans. There is that little element missing in a lot of people's lives.

"The book is about nostalgia, pride and looking forward.

"There are some really good quotes about football fans that I have included. If you're from Bradford, you would say football is nowt without fans.

"The book came from there. I just put it together.

"We will be back watching football at the ground at some point. The book is a reminder of what we have got, not what we had.

"It's all about memories. When I go to the City games I see a lot of people I went to school with. I take my partner's dad who is 93.

"Sooner rather than later we will be back."

The 50-page book ends with the phrase 'We'll Be Back.

A total of 50p from each book sold, priced £5 plus postage and packaging, will go to the Sporting Memories charity.

For more information on buying a copy of the book, which will be out next week, go to ianbeesley.com/nowt-without

Who is Ian Beesley?

He was born in Bradford in 1954 and after leaving school in 1972 worked in a mill, a foundry before going to work at Esholt Sewage works, where he was part of the railway gang.

Encouraged by his workmates to go to college and find a career, he took up photography and eventually was accepted to study at Bradford Art College, after which he went to Bournemouth & Poole College of Art.

On graduating he was awarded a Kodak Scholarship for Social Documentation and started to document the demise of industry particularly in Bradford and West Yorkshire.

His work is held in the collections of Bradford City Art galleries and museums, the National Media Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Photographic Society, the V & A London, the National Coal Mining Museum for England and The Smithsonian Museum Washington USA. He has published 40 books.

In 2012 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and in 2019 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bradford for his outstanding contribution to the art and culture and the social and economic development of the city of Bradford.

He is currently artist in residence for the Bradford Institute for Health Research, Gallery Oldham and Yorkshire Water.