Gary Weightman is the club’s official photographer and welfare officer, and has been involved in a voluntary capacity with FC Isle of Man since its inception. Cedar Developments have very kindly sponsored Gary to enable him to travel to away games, where he fulfils a number of roles, but chiefly to provide the exceptional images and photos of the players and games that form an integral part of the club’s media presence.
You’ve been inextricably linked with FCIOM since its inception. What have been the highlights for
you so far?
There have been so many highlights in such a short period of time. The first training session (15 July 2020), the first game and Frank Jones scoring the first league goal, the play-off semi-finals and final, and cup final in front of 3,000 + crowds at the Bowl, Luke Murray’s overhead kick at the West Didsbury, the list goes on. THE highlight though is the commitment and stamina of the players and staff to training, travel and the sheer number of games.
We know of the travel & timing demands on the players for games, how are you able to manage
your time to attend the games? (Do you have an understanding employer?)
I have been very lucky in that my present and immediate past employer have allowed me the time to traveland attend all the away games so far. These days it’s a little easier in that I work 3 days a week and can take my “off” days to suit the FC IOM schedule.
What is your usual home matchday routine?
Saturdays at home are pretty chilled to be honest. There always a work party at Marown Bowls Club in the morning (tea and toast mostly), lunch in Spill The Beans and then watch a local game in the afternoon. (Occasionally I’ll photograph a local game if it has an early kick off) I get to the Bowl around 4.30ish and do whatever is needed – head shots, sponsors shots, photos of the warm up and the match. After the game it’s usually straight home to get 10/15 photos online, the Man of the Match photo to the social media team and then to process the rest of the photos.
Are you able to watch the game not through the camera lens, or are you concerned you might miss
“that” special photo?
I see a different game to everyone else in the ground. I’m pretty much concentrating on where the ball is 90% of the time and watch the game in “close up”. There is a special dread of missing when something extraordinary happens.
From the many shots you’ve taken of FCIOM, do you have a favourite?
What kit do you usually take to away games with to capture the images? And how do you go about
storing, sharing and selecting the images for the Club to use?
If we are flying to a game, I take the absolute bare minimum I can take, one camera, one lens plus all my
weatherproof clothing (you can’t predict when it’s going to rain despite what weather forecasters might say). Plus of course my monopod and collapsible stool On the boat Ill take a 2 or 3 cameras and maybe 3 lenses to capture more of what’s going on around the game
Tell us about your role as welfare officer and what that entails?
The Club Welfare Officer (CWO) is a crucial role in ensuring that the welfare and safeguarding of all members, particularly children and vulnerable adults, are prioritised and upheld within the club.
As a key point of contact for all members, the CWO works closely with the club committee, coaches, players, parents, and volunteers to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all.
The CWO plays an active role in the recruitment and training of club volunteers and ensures that everyone understands their responsibilities and obligations regarding safeguarding and welfare.
The CWO also acts as a liaison with external organisations, such as the English FA and IOMFA, to ensure that the club is up to date with current legislation and best practices in this area.
The CWO will provide guidance and support to anyone who has personal concerns or about incidents of poor practice or safeguarding issues within the club and ensure that these are dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner.
