From the publisher:
Going to the match is a journey through rural pitches, forgotten stadiums, but also huge football arenas. It is a world full of emotions, dedication, depression and frustration.
For many years Niciejewski has been recording the phenomenon of being a supporter with a camera in his hand. Most of the photos taken by him were taken in Poland, Germany and England, where in recent years he visited hundreds of stadiums but did not see most of the goals that were scored then. Concentrated on the stands, because only then could he use photos to describe the world of a fan in the most objective way possible.
It's a two-hour wait for a Banksy mural in Bristol for a shot. It is a return to Cologne in the hope of finding a fan watching his Fortuna match from outside the stadium. This is also a last-minute photo taken at Anfield, just before the dramatic change in the neighborhood landscape. It happened that the match of a local team was watched by one spectator, as fanatically involved in its affairs as a Madrid or Barcelona fan.
It is also a portrait of people measuring time with the help of a football schedule. People who thoughtlessly repeat well-established rituals. The way to the stadium itself becomes a ceremony as essential as the match itself. Same path, same pub or match program vendor. It is a specific map of all the landmarks that are important for a fan and that are all enclosed in single shots. Niciejewski sneaks into this world with the camera and captures the emotions accompanying this beautiful game in the frame.
The album contains over 120 color photos. The whole is supplemented by 20 quotations that accurately describe the state of mind of the average football fan. The title of the album refers to the painting by L.S. Lowry depicting Bolton Wanderers fans on his way to a match of the popular “Noodles.” For Niciejewski, this image inspired him to photograph football fans, but also to try to find an answer to the question about the meaning of cheering.
The author:
Przemek Niciejewski is a photographer of fan culture. His works have been published in several dozen magazines all over the world including The Blizzard, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and 11Freunde.
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