Hackney Marshes in London, established in 1946 and built with Blitz rubble as its subsurface, has become a spiritual home for Sunday League football. The grounds, which consist of 73 pitches and have hosted thousands of amateur footballers, are maintained by referees.
Tom Harrison, a photographer who previously worked with Sony, Ford, and McDonald’s to correct this oversight, has now turned his lens on the referees at Hackney Marshes. These portraits, captured in a cinematic way, show the characters in an entirely new and respectful light as they prepare to play another match to maintain order.
Tom finds it a mystery why referees receive so little attention. Tom tells Creative Boom that referees are essential to grassroots football games. He says that without referees, there would be chaos because of the energy, passion and competitiveness.
They wake up early in the mornings and head out, whatever the weather.
This criticism is, unfortunately, a part of the job. Tom says that football is always competitive, and tensions are bound to rise. “The referee will always be the target of any frustration with the result.” Even worse, the hostility seems to be increasing.
A recent Radio 5 Live survey, which collected feedback from more than 900 officials, revealed that 293 of them had experienced physical abuse by players, coaches, or managers. Tom says that some people believe there’s a connection between the way professional players treat referees and how they behave at the grassroots.
Tom’s portraits of the Hackney Marshes officials are meant to combat abuse. They show them in a positive, respectful light. They’re not just stern judges of justice; they are real people with a variety of emotions who do their best to keep matches from becoming chaotic.
Tom says, “I’ve always been impressed by the refs in the sport I love. I played Sunday league football since I was nine years old.” “I have always wondered why people who are interested in football choose to become referees and why they risk their lives every weekend.
“I photographed more than 20 referees as part of the project. One thing that I noticed about them all was their calm authority. This is something which, in my opinion, comes across in the photographs.”
Tom was very specific when he took these photos. He wanted to make sure that the referees were captured just before they entered the field. He says that he also wanted to give the portraits a cinematic look. Each image, therefore, required some planning and preparation.
“I contacted The Football Association, and I was connected to Michael Cole, the Football Officer for Hackney. Michael is the life and soul of Hackney’s grassroots football. He was so kind to introduce me to various referees that wanted to take part in the project.”
The result is an inspiring series of portraits that will hopefully help to reduce abuse among grassroots players. All the photos are currently displayed at the Homerton Library next to Hackney Marshes.