Steve Bacon - Theres Only One Stevie Bacon: My Life Watching West Ham Through a Camera Lens

SIR TREVOR BROOKING CBE

T he West Ham United supporters used to chant Theres only one Stevie Bacon, and I can certainly endorse the view that he is indeed a unique individual, one whose many qualities as a person and photographer have ensured a longevity that has established his face as an integral part of the club over the last thirty-five years or so.

The popularity of football, as Englands national game, has mushroomed incredibly since the mid-1970s, but even in those days it was important for somebody in Steves position to win the trust of a clubs management and players. Footballers didnt quite enjoy the celebrity and financial status that they do now, but there could still be a slight suspicion of outsiders who were allowed access behind the scenes. However, that was never the case with Steve Bacon.

There was a great spirit and sense of camaraderie in the West Ham camp under manager John Lyall when I was playing, and Steve was welcomed into the fold without any concerns because he was a friendly, affable character who immediately won our confidence. He joined us on the team bus to away games, stayed overnight with us in hotels, flew with us on our trips abroad and was always considered part of our small entourage. And when new players arrived at Upton Park in later years they immediately had faith in Steve because he was such an established figure at the club.

As the official club photographer, Steve had a way of working with players, encouraging and cajoling them rather than being pushy or dictatorial. He always seemed sensitive to the wishes of individuals and made them feel comfortable in his presence.

Its true to say that Steve was a larger-than-life character and the fact that he was a big lad certainly gave some of the players who enjoyed a bit of friendly mickey-taking if given half a chance the opportunity to wind him up. But Steve took all the banter very well and it all helped to cement his unique status. He was a one-off figure and, as he lumped his equipment around at games, you couldnt help but notice him. Once youd met Steve you couldnt fail to recognise or remember him, and he became a face that everybody associated with West Ham United.

The club enjoyed a reputation for having a friendly, family-orientated atmosphere and even fans of other clubs seemed to look upon us as their second-favourite team because of the entertaining style in which we played, something developed under the management of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall. The Hammers are renowned for cultivating their own players through their youth academy, but theres also a great unpredictability about the club. Its incredible how its fortunes seem to fluctuate and you simply couldnt make up some of the things that have happened over the years.

However, the fans remain as ardent and loyal as any you will find and they have stuck with the club throughout the highs and lows over the past few decades. The fact that West Ham continued to attract gates in excess of 30,000 in the 2011/12 season while in the Championship is evidence of the faith of their supporters. Once the club is in your blood it remains there forever and thats the case for both Steve and me, who will always be associated with the Hammers come what may.

There has been a lot of change at Upton Park over the years as there has been in football as a whole but Steve has remained a constant feature, even though he is a much trimmer figure nowadays than he was originally! People such as him have played a role in what has made West Ham so strong, and whenever former players returned to Upton Park in some capacity they would always make sure they said hello to Steve because he was part of the clubs infrastructure.

The quality of his work is first and foremost, but for Steve to have remained in a potentially sensitive position within the media at one club for such an extensive period of time is the greatest testimony to how well he has conducted himself throughout the years. I think its an incredible story.