Fan in match day image with late dad and brother
- Published
A Stoke City fan has said it was "amazing" to have been identified in a picture alongside his late brother and father in a BBC online article.
Martin Wild said it had been "quite a shock" but also "fantastic" to see the image of the family attending a football match in 1992, when he was aged five.
His older brother Lee died of an aggressive brain tumour aged 36 in April 2020. Four days later he lost his father Andy, 57, following a diagnosis of motor neurone disease.
"It's the first time I've ever seen the picture so it was quite a shock and it brought back a lot of emotions," he said.
"But it's just a brilliant, brilliant picture to have seen," he added.
The photograph has been published in photo book Delilah - Stoke Lads 1990-1992 which documents match days at Stoke City's former Victoria Ground.
The 37-year-old said his brother was about eight when the picture was taken at the Port Vale derby.
"That was our childhood going down to Stoke in the afternoon," he explained.
"My dad used to have a few pints, we'd go for the brilliant atmosphere, so the picture brings back a lot of memories.
"Especially seeing a picture of us down at the match, you don't ever get to see them in those days really because no one really took pictures there.
"For someone to take a picture of you, you don't know about, and you get to see it 30 years later, is absolutely fantastic," he explained.
The match itself "was a bit of a blur," he added.
"I remember Vince Overson [playing] - he was my hero at the time. I can remember little snippets of things but not massively everything."
The image was taken by photographer Tony Davis, known for documenting British football culture as well as images of the rave scene around the Midlands.
He said the picture resonated "because this is me and my two sons as well, and lots of other dads and their sons taking them to football".
"I'm glad it's bought back some warm memories.
"The power of social media," he added.
Publishers Lower Block , externalsaid they would be delighted to gift a print of the image alongside a book to Mr Wild.
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- Published27 January