PAN reader Matt Lidbury has been working hard on a personal photo magazine project over the last couple of years that’s building nicely and we love it!
Lower Block by the ex UK news desk photo editor delves into the fan culture of football – Matt sent us a few copies to view so we asked him to tell us about the project:
PAN: Matt, please introduce Lower Block in a sentence.
ML: At its core, Lower Block is all about documenting, curating and celebrating football culture and lifestyle through great photography. As the name suggests, it’s a nod to proper football fans, and much of the focus tends to be on British football culture, identity and heritage.
PAN: What’s your favourite football era or season.
ML: I’m born in the mid 80s, so the 90s for me is where most of my earliest and favourite memories exist. Everything from Italia 90 to the inception of the premier league and all the razzmatazz that came with it. It’s easy to look back now and realise what a great time the 90s really were, but also how football and culture changed significantly during that period.
PAN: Why and when did you start LB?
ML: I am fortunate to have a had a brilliant career working in newspapers as a picture editor across both print and digital, and got to work with and for some fantastic people. By the time I hit my mid to late 30s, I was eager to try something different and have something of my own… Lower Block simply allowed me to combine all the industry experience I had, with something that I was truly passionate about – football. I initially started with digital photo features back in 2021 before starting to print small-run, limited edition photo zines towards the end of 2022. The next edition will be the 45th in the series. We’ve all had to embrace digital media in different ways, but I always loved print – both newspapers and magazines – photographs being really well used, and of course, seeing great photos printed out in any format is better that just looking at them on a screen. With all the content that now exists digitally, especially across social media, I wanted to offer something more curated and tangible. I’m not naive, so I didn’t expect to simply sell tens of thousands of copies, but I felt (and so too did many of the photographers that I’ve worked with), that its important for great photographic work to be brought to life and exist in print, not just sit in a digital archive or be scrolled past on social media. For me, it’s not simply about making money, but I’m proud of the fact that 50% of all profit goes directly back to the photographer.
PAN: How can we get our hands on a copy?
ML: You grab a copy directly via Lower Block, and they are also stocked at various independent mag shops throughout the country (and some copies have even made their way into the Tate shop and The Photographer’s Gallery shop). You can also search for different clubs and eras via the Lower Block website and check out other photo features, projects or products that we rate.
PAN: Are you open to more content or do you generally find what catches your eye and then make an approach?
ML: I’m absolutely open to more content – and it can vary. If I see something out there, I’ll make an approach, but more often than not – photographers are sitting on great sets of photos (often something they shot way back for a personal project for college or something), and when they come across Lower Block they pitch to me. I’d love to have something both in print and digitally on every British club, and for Lower Block to grow as an accessible vehicle that can be widely used for helping to curate and bring to life great football culture-related photography.
We tested the Lower Block impact on our office neighbour Stuart Messham, a Liverpool supporter and the Senior Copywriter at advertising agency Gravity Global, who told us: “I could stare at these for hours. They’re a really diverting insight into matchdays beyond the stadium: an unfiltered window into what football feels like at street level – the scowls and the scarves, the trends and the tat.
This isn’t the polished, high-def world of Premier League TV, Lower Block is the true heart of football, captured in brilliantly candid snapshots from every corner of the country.
Grouped by years, regions, and clubs, each photo tells its own story – a collage of culture, passion and the beautiful, messy reality of life as a fan. It’s a fanzine to get lost in, cut up, tape to your wall or pass around in the pub. Brilliant, nostalgic and full of real life.”