Ash Donelon's Shots of the Season: Part Two
We asked club photographer Ash Donelon to take us through some of his favourite images from the 2023/24 season – enjoy!
PHOTO NO.6: HOJLUND HITTING HIS STRIDE
Image taken:
During the Champions League game with Galatasaray at Old Trafford on Tuesday 3 October.
Ash says:
“When photographing a football match there’s no such thing as an ideal position or perfect lens, because the subject is unpredictable and dynamic. For the second half I was positioned in the North West corner using a long telephoto lens to capture the ball in the United end, when suddenly Rasmus capitalised on an opponent’s slip and started charging towards the Galatasaray goal. His pace meant there was no time to switch to a wider lens, but thankfully I could still get all the essential elements in shot. The goalkeeper and defender slumped in the bottom corner of the frame, with the ball floating beyond them and the striker confidently striding away, helps tell the story of the goal.”
PHOTO NO.7: VIEW FROM THE SIR BOBBY CHARLTON STAND
Image taken:
Before the Champions League game with Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday 24 October.
Before the Champions League game with Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday 24 October.
Ash says:
“I saw an advert for the ‘Bobby Charlton Soccer School’ in Match magazine when I was 10 years old, and I begged my parents to let me join. Sir Bobby had retired from professional football before I was born so I wasn’t sure if he’d still be able to play, but I soon found out. When it was time for a shooting drill he said, ‘You’ve got to make the net bulge’ then proceeded to smash the ball into the goal from 40 yards and nearly broke the netting. To this day I’ve never seen anyone strike a football more ferociously, and I feel sorry for all the goalies who had to face his shots. Like the rest of the footballing world I was so saddened to hear the great man had passed away, and when I knew United would be paying tribute at our next home match, there was only one place I wanted to be – the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. For this photo I went right up to the top row so I could capture his name on the pitchside display boards above the players. Once the minute’s silence was over, the whole crowd sang, ‘There’s only one Bobby Charlton’ and it was a joyous tribute to an unforgettable person.”
“I saw an advert for the ‘Bobby Charlton Soccer School’ in Match magazine when I was 10 years old, and I begged my parents to let me join. Sir Bobby had retired from professional football before I was born so I wasn’t sure if he’d still be able to play, but I soon found out. When it was time for a shooting drill he said, ‘You’ve got to make the net bulge’ then proceeded to smash the ball into the goal from 40 yards and nearly broke the netting. To this day I’ve never seen anyone strike a football more ferociously, and I feel sorry for all the goalies who had to face his shots. Like the rest of the footballing world I was so saddened to hear the great man had passed away, and when I knew United would be paying tribute at our next home match, there was only one place I wanted to be – the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. For this photo I went right up to the top row so I could capture his name on the pitchside display boards above the players. Once the minute’s silence was over, the whole crowd sang, ‘There’s only one Bobby Charlton’ and it was a joyous tribute to an unforgettable person.”
PHOTO NO.8: FINDING THE ANGLE
Image taken:
During the Carabao Cup game with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday 26 September.
During the Carabao Cup game with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday 26 September.
Ash says:
“Just like scoring a goal, photography is all about finding the right angle. I’d spent the first half of the match up in the TV gantry capturing views from above, but moved down to the edge of the pitch for the second half to get a different perspective. This meant I was in the perfect spot to capture Anthony Martial’s clinical first-time finish. From my position it appeared as if the goalkeeper had the left side of the net covered, however Martial was undeterred and deftly guided the ball into a gap between the keeper and the goalpost.”
PHOTO NO.9: CELEBRATORY REDS INCOMING
Image taken:
During the Premier League game with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday 4 November.
During the Premier League game with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday 4 November.
Ash says:
“At most football stadiums, the match photographers are positioned behind digital advertising boards, but at Craven Cottage they can sit on the grass at the edge of the pitch, which is an incredible place to watch the game from. As there’s no physical barrier between you and the action, if players run your way to
“At most football stadiums, the match photographers are positioned behind digital advertising boards, but at Craven Cottage they can sit on the grass at the edge of the pitch, which is an incredible place to watch the game from. As there’s no physical barrier between you and the action, if players run your way to
celebrate a goal, things can quickly get chaotic. When Bruno scored in the final seconds of the match, the United players all raced towards the away fans, and within seconds I was completely engulfed in the celebrations. I’d been using a telephoto lens to capture the goal itself but this was now useless as the players were so close, so I quickly grabbed a second camera with a wider lens and stood up so I could get a better angle. This allowed me to capture this image of a relieved Bruno Fernandes being embraced by his jubilant team-mates, it’s my favourite photo I’ve taken this season and I’m hoping there’ll be plenty more happy moments like this to come.”
PHOTO NO.10: BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Image taken:
During the Premier League game with Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday 26 November.
During the Premier League game with Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday 26 November.
Ash says:
“Most Premier League stadiums have dedicated pitchside spaces for photographers, with stewards filling the gap in between them and the crowd. However, the supporters in the Gwladys Street end at Goodison Park are sat right next to the pitch, so my working position is in the stand itself where I’m surrounded by Everton fans. To avoid attention I didn’t wear any United colours, and I even brought a tent to shield my laptop screen so nobody could see I was taking photos for the enemy! The atmosphere at kick-off was incredibly hostile and the noise was deafening, but shortly afterwards a moment of genius from Alejandro Garnacho silenced everyone around me, and the only noise was coming from the pocket of jubilant away fans in the far corner. Sadly, my view of the goal itself was blocked by an Everton defender, but I managed to get this shot of Garnacho racing away to celebrate with an ice-cool expression on his face, leaving their goalkeeper slumped in the bottom-right of the frame.”
“Most Premier League stadiums have dedicated pitchside spaces for photographers, with stewards filling the gap in between them and the crowd. However, the supporters in the Gwladys Street end at Goodison Park are sat right next to the pitch, so my working position is in the stand itself where I’m surrounded by Everton fans. To avoid attention I didn’t wear any United colours, and I even brought a tent to shield my laptop screen so nobody could see I was taking photos for the enemy! The atmosphere at kick-off was incredibly hostile and the noise was deafening, but shortly afterwards a moment of genius from Alejandro Garnacho silenced everyone around me, and the only noise was coming from the pocket of jubilant away fans in the far corner. Sadly, my view of the goal itself was blocked by an Everton defender, but I managed to get this shot of Garnacho racing away to celebrate with an ice-cool expression on his face, leaving their goalkeeper slumped in the bottom-right of the frame.”
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