Ricky Adam is a documentary photographer from the North of Ireland. This particular series of work was created when Ricky relocated to Leeds. The series documents the love and passion for street football within the diverse communities of the Hyde Park area of Leeds from 2006 to 2021.
Ricky: “I moved to the northern city of Leeds from the north of Ireland in 2003. During this period, I went out and snapped photos in and around the areas close to where I lived. There was no real agenda, just exploring the city with a camera and an open mind. In 2020, during the pandemic, I started going through the thousands of photos I had taken in Leeds over the last 16+ years; I began to separate all of the football-related images.”
"And there it was, hiding in plain sight. No politics, no offside rule, just the pure simplicity and joy of a football being kicked up and down back streets all over the city. Football is everywhere, interwoven into the very fabric of society. Occupying spaces around us where you least expect it. Revealing itself the very moment you realise it’s there."
- Ricky Adam
Collection published 14th February, 2023. © Ricky Adam / British Culture Archive. All rights reserved.
All images © Ricky Adam, all rights reserved. No usage or reproduction of any kind without prior permission of the copyright holder.
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