Czech Republic, Matthew
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: Czech Republic | Tags: Czech Republic, fans, football, jersey, Montreal, photography, portrait, soccer, sports, street Leave a comment »
Czech Republic. Matthew. Sherbrooke/Harward, Montreal, 2013
Why Czech? I asked.
“My parents come form Czech Republic.”
Matthew is very busy, so our conversation was very brief, but he was kind enough to stop for a moment so I could take a photograph. Ne doesn’t follow soccer much, he said, but major tournaments catch his attention. Finally, I got to meet someone wearing a jersey of a team (club or national) from Eastern Europe.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, OLIVIER and NOAH
Posted: May 12, 2013 Filed under: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club | Tags: fans, football, jersey, Montreal, Paris Saint-Germain, photography, portrait, soccer, sports, street 1 Comment »
Paris Saint-Germain. Olivier. St. Catherine/McGill College, Montreal, 2013
Why PSG? I asked.
“That’s my home team.”
Olivier came from Paris just a few days ago to spend some time with his cousin Nicolas, and his nephew Noah. I asked if he is considering staying in Montreal and he replied, with a grin, how Nicolas is trying to talk him into it. The family dress code is obvious and Noah looks awesome in his PSG shirt. I don’t take photographs of children for this blog but, after I took photos of both Nicolas and Olivier, Noah simply stepped away from them and made it clear he expected his photo taken. I could not resist, who could?
Paris Saint-Germain. Noah. St. Catherine/McGill College, Montreal, 2013
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, NICOLAS
Posted: May 9, 2013 Filed under: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club | Tags: fans, football, jersey, Montreal, Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain, Pauleta, photography, portrait, soccer, sports, street 2 Comments »
Paris Saint-Germain. Nicolas. St. Catherine/McGill College, Montreal, 2013
Why PSG? I asked.
“That’s where I come from.”
What a thrill to run into a group of people, on a busy Montreal street, all wearing Paris Saint-Germain shirts as if they are going to the game to Parc des Princes. Only Parc des Princes is a few thousand kilometers away. Nicolas came to live in Montreal in 1995 but has never lost his sentiments for his team and the game. His jersey is signed by Pauleta, he told me while pointing at the signature.
Here I was standing in front of him, his son Noah and his cousin Olivier (close-up of him in the the next post) who just came to visit from France. As I was taking photos of them (in my Liverpool jersey), on a busiest street in the city, I was aware of all the strange looks from the crowd. We are strange, I though, we deserve it.
Paris Saint-Germain. Nicolas, Noah & Olivier. St. Catherine/McGill, Montreal, 2013
GREMIO, OTAVIO
Posted: May 8, 2013 Filed under: Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense | Tags: Brasil, fans, football, Gremio, jersey, Montreal, photography, portrait, soccer, sports, street 1 Comment »
Gremio. Otavio. St. Catherine/Aylmer, Montreal, 2013
Why Gremio? I asked.
“That’s my home team.”
Today I got to face my first rejection. It was from a young man wearing Arsenal shirt. We actually had a nice chat, talked about today’s news and Sir Alex Ferguson retiring, but he would not want me to photograph him. Some future Arsenal fans, that I’ll meet, better make it up for this guy. Refusing to participate in this project brings a bad, bad luck on your club. Don’t be surprised if Arsenal doesn’t qualify for the Champions League.
Rejected, I continued my walk and as I was passing by a footwear store, I spotted a guy in a jersey shopping inside. I waited on the curb and it took a while before Otavio, and a friend (girlfriend, wife, sister… I’ll never know since I never asked), came out of the store. Conversation was brief but he was happy to stand before the camera. They are visiting from Brazil, only a couple of days to spend in Montreal, and I’m happy I was there to meet them. Here I welcome the very first Brazilian club shirt on this blog.
CHELSEA & MONTREAL IMPACT, NICK
Posted: April 30, 2013 Filed under: Chelsea Football Club, Montreal Impact/Impact de Montréal | Tags: Chelsea, fans, football, jersey, Montreal, Montreal Impact, photography, portrait, soccer, sports, street 2 Comments »
Chelsea & Montreal Impact. Nick. Sherbrooke/Melrose, Montreal, 2013
Why Chelsea? I asked.
“My uncle lived in England in the 80′s and became a fan. So it’s in the family now.”
Agonizingly long winter is finally over and the time has come for football/soccer fans to come out in their jerseys. So today I walked my dog, the camera in my bag, wearing my LFC shirt only. I was walking by a group of young man when one of them, wearing Impact shirt, gestured ‘thumbs down’ towards me. He was obviously commenting on my jersey so I approached him to see how could I help the poor soul. Only when I came closer I noticed he is also wearing Chelsea shorts. That explains it, I though, no help.
Born in Montreal, Nick is Chelsea fan by chance (his uncle could have fallen in love with any other club while in England) but he likes Montreal Impact too. Football identities on this continent are complicated. He went to watch Impact game, live, only once, but ‘now that they are in MLS’ he plans to go more often.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, FABRICE
Posted: September 12, 2012 Filed under: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club | Tags: fans, football, jersey, Montreal, Paris Saint-Germain, photography, portrait, Safet Susic, soccer, sports, street, Zlatan Ibrahimovic 1 Comment »
Paris Saint-Germain. Fabrice. St. Catherine/Saint Marc, Montreal, 2012
Why PSG? I asked.
“That’s my heart club. I come from Paris.”
When I moved to Montreal 13 years ago one of the first people I met was my neighbour who came from Toulouse. After I had told him that I come from Sarajevo he started screaming “Safet Susic, Safet Susic!!!” and dribbling an imaginary ball. Only then I realized how big of a player ‘Pape’ was in France and the mark he left in Paris Saint-Germain. So much that in 2010 he was voted PSG’s best player of all time by French sport magazine France Football ’s readers. Fabrice, just like my neighbour, came from France. He studies Fashion Marketing and he looks like he does. He loves another player whose roots are (partially) from Bosnia and Herzegovina and who’s just joined PSG, Zlatan Ibrahimović. ‘Ibra’ started the season well but I’m not sure he has what it takes to shadow Pape’s reputation among PSG fans.
Paris Saint-Germain. Fabrice. St. Catherine/Saint Marc, Montreal, 2012
Brazil, Darren
Posted: September 10, 2012 Filed under: Brasil | Tags: Brasil, fans, football, jersey, Montreal, photography, portrait, soccer, soccer shirt, sports, street 2 Comments »
Brasil. Darren. St. Catherine/Guy, Montreal, 2012
Why Brasil? I asked.
“I have the shirt for a long time and just decided to wear it today.”
I saw him at the ATM inside the bank and waited patiently outside. Darren, just like every other person in a soccer shirt, was happy to have his photograph taken. He came from Ontario to study in Montreal. He told me how he bought the jersey during the 2004 World Cup but doesn’t wear it often. Neither is he a huge soccer follower. Darren would like to find Trinidad jersey though, since that’s where his parents come from, but no luck yet. Or maybe he’s not looking hard enough.
