Ian Hughes’ photographs of floodlights illuminating football stadia have an ethereal, magical quality. The luminous air fizzes with electricity and garlands of white-yellow energy. Life is split between the shadow evidencing the glorious light. Like a planet in the inky black solar system, the football pitch glistens in the darkness.
Crystal Palace 2 Leicester City 1
Selhurst Park 2009
Hughes’ fascination with football and the intense beauty of an evening fixture was triggered by going to night games at Everton. He explains:
I like the way the light transforms the whole environment…
The sight of a floodlit football ground lighting up the surrounding streets at night – like a beacon drawing you in – is something that excites me. As photographers, we love to see the way that light falls on our subjects. A non-descript suburban cul-de-sac or a nearby farmer’s field can be transformed – lit up like Hollywood film sets – by the beams of artificial light spilling over from the local football ground. That’s why I enjoy photographing small local league grounds so much. Within 10 minutes of the ref blowing the final whistle, the lights go off one by one and everything is non-descript again (and quite dark).
This is an ongoing project in which I have photographed over 60 grounds mostly around South East England.
Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 0
Highbury 2005
Worthing United 2 Selsey 1
The Robert Albon Memorial Ground 2008
Arundel 3 Rye United 3
Mill Road 2011, Attendance 53
Bexhill United 3 Rye United 2
The Polegrove, Hastings Senior Cup Round One, Attendance 78.
Lewes 0 Bromley 0
The Dripping Pan 2011
Eastbourne United AFC 1 Peacehaven & Telscombe 0
The Oval 2011, Sussex League Division One, Attendance 57.
Sidley United 2 Peacehaven & Telscombe 2
Glovers Lane 2008
Eastbourne Borough 1 Eastleigh 1
Priory Lane 2014, Conference South, Attendance 454.
Havant & Waterlooville 4 Swansea City 2
West Leigh Park 2008
Woking 1 Chelmsford City 1
Kingfield Stadium 2011, Conference South, Attendance 1,558.
Littlehampton Town 1 East Preston 2
St Flora Sportsfield 2011, Brighton Charity Cup Round One, Attendance 41.
Queens Park Rangers 1 Birmingham City 0
Loftus Road 2008
Mile Oak 1 St Francis Rangers 0
Mile Oak Rec Ground 2013, Attendance 41.
Mile Oak 1 St Francis Rangers 0
Mile Oak Rec Ground 2013, Attendance 41.
Queens Park Rangers 1 Birmingham City 0
Loftus Road 2008
Littlehampton Town 1 East Preston 2
St Flora Sportsfield 2011, Brighton Charity Cup Round One, Attendance 41.
Woking 1 Chelmsford City 1
Kingfield Stadium 2011, Conference South, Attendance 1,558.
Havant & Waterlooville 4 Swansea City 2
West Leigh Park 2008
Eastbourne Borough 1 Eastleigh 1
Priory Lane 2014, Conference South, Attendance 454.
Sidley United 2 Peacehaven & Telscombe 2
Glovers Lane 2008
Eastbourne United AFC 1 Peacehaven & Telscombe 0
The Oval 2011, Sussex League Division One, Attendance 57.
Lewes 0 Bromley 0
The Dripping Pan 2011
Bexhill United 3 Rye United 2
The Polegrove, Hastings Senior Cup Round One, Attendance 78.
Arundel 3 Rye United 3
Mill Road 2011, Attendance 53
Worthing United 2 Selsey 1
The Robert Albon Memorial Ground 2008
Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 0
Highbury 2005
Crystal Palace 2 Leicester City 1
Selhurst Park 2009
You can buy Ian’s book here.