A View through the Lens
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Having recently made the trip to
Cortina for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics pre-qualifying tournament,
Team GB’s official photographer Colin Lawson took the time to reveal his
thoughts, feelings and experiences of the trip as he captured the sport through
the lens.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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How long have you been Team GB’s
official photographer and how did you become part of the team?
I’ve been the official photographer for
Team GB for the past four years. Although I’ve covered
the sport from grass roots level, Club, Conference, National and International
games over a thirteen-year period, I was first asked to photograph the EIHA
Conference Tournament in 2008, together with a good friend, Ian Hanlon. We built up a reputation of being able to
provide high quality images from major tournaments and, when IHUK hosted the 2012
IIHF Women’s World Championships Division 1 Group B at
Hull, I was approached to provide the tournament photography for the IIHF on
behalf of IHUK. Building on the
reputation of being able to provide great images within very tight timescales
for the IIHF, IHUK & EIHA, the media is really what has led me to the privileged
title of Team GB’s official photographer and I now photograph all of the Teams that play under the
GB programme, GB Men, GB Under 20’s and Under 18’s Men as well as the GB Women
and GB Under 18’s Women.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Who has been the best player you’ve
seen ice in a GB jersey?
This
is quite a difficult one to answer as all of the players are good and have
different strengths. I never photographed the two ‘greats’ in a GB shirt, Tony
Hand or David Longstaff. However, if pushed, I would say that there are two
that share it for me today, Jonathan Weaver and Ben O’Connor.
What has been your most memorable
moment with Team GB?
The
most memorable moment has to be Ben O’Connor’s penalty shot in game eight of
the 2015 IIHF World Championship’s in
Eindhoven against Korea. Late in the third period, with the score line at 2-2,
Korea were penalised for throwing the stick on a Russell Cowley breakaway. Ben was to take the penalty shot and, as he
approached the goal he turned his back, lifted the puck between his legs into
the top corner.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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You have travelled quite a bit
with the team. Which trip has been your favourite/worst and why?
My
favourite has to be the most recent, the 2018 Winter Olympics IIHF Pre Qualification Tournament
in Cortina, Italy and the reasons aren’t hockey; it was the scenery. Simply
stunning. I love the mountains and hills at home but this was something else, snowcapped
‘proper’ mountains and I recall tweeting that I would love to wake up to this
every morning! The worst was last year’s World Championships. Needing only a
point in our last game against Lithuania to claim gold and promotion, we lost
the game 3-2. The whole team from
players, coaches, staff and the media team were absolutely gutted, not to
mention the fantastic travelling fans from the GB Supporters Club, with dreams
of playing in Division 1A shattered.
There must be many highs and lows in
both your role as photographer and working alongside the national team. Is
there any that immediately spring to mind?
The highs, quite simply by having
the honour and privilege to photograph the national team in the sport I love. Not
quite the boyhood dream, but as near as damn it. The lows, having to get the
team to pose for a team photo in front of the fantastic travelling fans; they
all do it without a single sign of dissent in their lowest moments and this
shows the respect the players have for their fans.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Do you have an all-time favourite
photograph or one that you are particularly proud of?
Let me think for a nanosecond…Ben
O’Connor’s penalty shot, it captured the moment perfectly. It was to have been
the cover photo of the Ice Hockey Annual until someone called Tony Hand decided
to retire from the sport!
As ice hockey is a fast sport, you’re
an expert at keeping up with the game but is it ever difficult to capture or
follow from behind the lens of a camera?
You never feel as if you have seen a
game. Watching it almost completely through the lens, you miss so much of the
action. You can be focused on one player
and something happen just a few feet away, and be as naive as to what’s gone on
as someone sitting at home. I often ask one of the players nearby “what
happened there?” In photographing the
Warriors games [for those who don’t know, Colin is also photographer for Whitley
Warriors in the NIHL], I almost always photograph centre ice from between the benches;
the main reason being that I favour a ‘long lens’ and as a result, capturing
some of the play right in front of the goal is occasionally difficult with
players and officials getting between us.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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In your opinion, what do Head Coach
Pete Russell and assistant coach Tom Watkins bring to the team and how do they
differ from previous coaching duo Doug Christiansen and Corey Neilson?
Pete Russell and Tom Watkins, in my
opinion are much better in touch with the players than Doug Christiansen and
Corey Neilson. They don’t have quite the level of experience as coaches but I
think that they know how to get the best out of the team. I recall Pete’s
closing comments before the Italy game in Cortina which I found to be very
inspirational – “You can either line up at the end of the game and sing your
hearts out at our National Anthem or stand and listen to theirs, its up to you
boys.” Pete, being Pete, as anyone who knows him, would know he had a few extra
words in there but it wasn’t just the words that came out, it was the passion
that they were spoken with. I can’t recall either Doug or Corey being as openly
passionate; perhaps it’s down to heritage, who knows?
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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You travelled with the team to Cortina,
Italy. What can you tell us about the
town?
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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The town of Cortina, or to give it its
Sunday name of Cortina d'Ampezzo
is
most famous for having hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics – a good year that was
although the games preceded me by seven months so I can only use the history books
for facts of the games! It sits at 1,224m (4,016 ft.), almost the same height as Ben Nevis, and
is dwarfed by the massive summits of the Dolomites, which were all covered in
snow. There are photographs and mementoes of the games all around local
streets. The Stadio del Ghiaccio (Ice Stadium), built for the Olympics, now
sports a roof and outside still has the Olympic logo and a basin for the
Olympic flame. Together, with the rest of the media team, we climbed into the
roof (with permission) and prepared an introduction to the final game in front
of them. We all felt very privileged to be so close to a part of the Olympic
history. Most of the time it was bright and sunny, with temperatures getting
down to -25c through the night and there was the obligatory snow that goes with
the time of year. Although it was cold, it didn’t feel too bad, apart from when
you’ve been in the ice rink from 9:30am until 2am the next morning! The facilities
are excellent, skiing and walking is huge there and the Italians know how to
look after the tourist. Anyone going must take a trip up to both Col Drusciè
(1778m) where I took a team photograph and Rifugio Ra Valles (2475m); the vista
is breath taking.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Away from ice hockey, you climbed Mount
Tofana on the Freccia nel cielo Cablecar to Col Drusciè and on to Ra Valles at a
height of 2500m (8200 ft) with Team GB. What was that experience like?
One word, AWESOME.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Moving on to the tournament, you photographed Team GB’s victory over the
Netherlands. How did you think the team performed in their first game?
I think they started the game slowly
and nervously but so did the Netherlands. The team showed character coming from
behind and then never let their spirits drop in what was a GB score,
Netherlands score, type of game.
Which of GB’s goals was your favourite?
Mark Richardson’s winning goal when he
put away his own rebound at 55:48 to take the victory for GB.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Which players stood out?
For me, Matthew Myers who seemed to be
forever screening the goalie.
What were the main highlights of the game?
The
highlights, GB scoring as many goals in a game. Yes, they conceded as well but
scoring more than the odd goal in a game has been GB’s Achilles in the past.
GB
outshot Serbia to win 6-2. Was this game the best you’d seen GB play in the tournament?
It
was. They outshot them 52-16 which is an incredible statistic at international
level. Goals came from a number of
different players, including two firsts for Matty Davies and Jonathan Boxill,
with a further 2 goals by an ex-Newcastle Jesters player David Clarke.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Stevie Lyle earned his seventy sixth
cap in this game. As the more experienced netminder, how does he differ from Ben
Bowns?
I
think that Stevie Lyle has an old style of play in that he he’s a stand up
goalie whilst Ben plays a lot of butterfly style. Whilst Stevie, in my opinion is the best GB
goalie of all time (not taking goalies who only play one or perhaps two
tournaments into account) to date gaining his seventy sixth International cap,
I think that Ben will continue to go from strength to strength.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Colin Shields became GB’s second
all-time leading goal scorer. How much of an achievement is that at this level
of the game?
To
be the second highest goal scorer for your club is a great accolade but to be
so for your country is something special indeed. To score thirty three international goals in a team which is
often criticised for its lack of goal scoring is brilliant. Oh, by the way, he
was another ex-Newcastle player, this time it was for the Vipers.
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Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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The
tables were turned on GB as the side lost 6-2 to Italy in their final game of
the tournament, placing qualification for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018 out
of reach. Italy appeared strong opposition in their previous fixtures.
What do you think gave Italy the edge?
A few things; six of their players
play for the same team (Bolzano Foxes) and obviously have a chemistry that comes
from playing regularly together, two of them were brothers and have their own
chemistry, they had a longer training camp and, finally, but probably the most
crucial, they trained at altitude for their camp which I believe was for 10
days. Meanwhile, GB had a one day camp followed by a twelve hour journey to
Cortina and then after a meal, straight into their first altitude practice. The
game against Italy was GB’s third and by this time the altitude almost
certainly caused fatigue in the players which, had they had more time to
acclimatise, would not have been so influential.
How did penalty calls impact on the
game?
Penalties certainly played their part.
The early double minor on Craig Peacock for high sticks led to two goals from
Italy and probably killed the game. Penalties cost GB but Italy were without
doubt the better team and deserved the win.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Where do Team GB go from here?
To the World Championships in
Zagreb, Croatia, 14-20th April, using the Olympic Tournament as a platform to
build upon.
Team GB have International Challenge
matches against Poland in Nottingham and Coventry before a World Championship
campaign mid-April. Will you be making the trip?
This is the same weekend as the NIHL
Playoffs which I have already committed to prior to the dates being released,
so it’s a very difficult one for me, club or country? Depending upon timings of the Playoff games,
I may try to fit them all in.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Some interesting facts from Colin:
My two boys, Richie & Alex have both had the privilege
to put on the GB shirt, Richie for GB Universities & Alex for GB
U18’s. I’m an exceptionally proud Dad
but perhaps their biggest critic.
My photography roots lie in underwater photography &
videography, where my underwater video camera and quick reactions almost
certainly saved my life when I used it to fend off an attack by a 3 ½ meter
Oceanic White Tip shark. This was some years ago now but it was at exactly the same
time as the second of the Twin Towers fell, so I will remember forever what I
was doing at 9/11.
Thank you to Colin Lawson
for taking the time to be interviewed by NIHL Northern Trio.
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