'Being There' - images of Dundee United in the 1970s

Some of my own photographs of that changing time from football in the early and mid1970s.- this was Dundee United

Dear All,

Most of the photographs I have posted to you were taken under the gaint floodlights and the light that shone from them. Those floodlights have witnessed many events, dramas, offisides, goals and baas oot tha groond. Also they were the ears collecting the sounds of so much happiness, joy and sadness - screams and groans. They shone so bright that night when I filmed 'Little Gaints' in '87.

When Eddie Thompson died I walked to the ground to pay respect. I walked along the Cleppie and down Fleming Gardens - like I always did - with or without a camera to the United games. As I walked through that green space the separate the two grounds - I looked up to those same floodlights - they were like old friends to me. as I looked up i saw a glint of light on one of the lamps. I took out my camera before the image went! Snapped it - and it was gone.

It was my tribute to Mr Thompson.

I sent the photo with the title 'Bow in respect' to 'The Sun'. They printed my photograph ( my only ever photograph to be published!) covering the entire back page - under the title 'United's Shining Light'.

During my time taking those B&W photos all those years ago - I would rush home and develop my film and print my prints in a small box room that served as makeshift darkroom. The projector was handed down from my grandfather. In the darkroom I could not move nor barely turn around. It was there that i saw all those images magically appear blacks and greys from red white paper and chemicals. To get the maximum from the winter light given from the floodlights I had to upgrade 400ASA film by processing as a a 1600ASA film. That way I could snap those famous figures at 250th of a second and freeze them for eternity in time.

to their memory,

Graham Duncan



Seesm right to make this video slide show in the year of Dundee United's Centenary

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Dundee
• United
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• Uefa
• fifia
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• United's
• Centenary

[solefthanded2]

Not many "were there", were they?

[negba]

@solefthanded2 that was the old no man's land between fans!

[steviebeat]

unwatchable, melodramatic, manage to turn possibly good stuff into rubbish as per.

you have some good stuff mate but you ruin it.

why would you want to cry looking at football pictures? Where is the joy? Bizarre..

[negba]

Would love to have the sound of the crowd along with the pictures - but in 1973when i bought my pracktica camera - the technology did not allow me to record sound. Filmmaking in that position is about creating a different drama - football is drama - it is not always joy. A still picture has no sound anyway. The sound that passes that instant captured is gone. Any sound added is false - happy or sad. Try watching it with the sound down and imagine the crowd and the sounds of fooball playing...

[negba]

...I do not see joy in faces - I see concentration in both players and fans. Looking back the sound represents silent instants the way I saw those instants. The music has a balance of joy and sadness - rolling from one sense to another - similar to the waves of change during a game - one with full sound.

[Capeesh]

Quality footage again Graham !!!

[negba]

..enjoyed reading your comments and research from the lads on 'Dundee United Mad'.

The photographer (me!) as a young boy was once standing next to the players tunnel at Dens for a Celtic game - think the reserves. Big Tam Gem was playing was playing - he mis- kicked a clearance and hit me plum in the face - it knocked me over and was only caught from hitting the concrete - by the safe hands of Ally Donaldson. I saw stars for days - later I saw only photos! No wonder Big T was in the reserves!

[BillDFC]

The good old days,when we could sing "United's won *** all,United's won **** all"!

[marcelmarcin]

bravo j'aime beaucoup

marcel

[xBIGHARRYx]

Excellent stuff, would bring a tear to a glass eye.

[sehturday83]

that's the biz!!