On the 30th March 2022 at the Camp Nou, one of football’s great amphitheatres, Barcelona defeated their eternal foes, but new rivals in the women’s game, Real Madrid 5–2 in the second leg of their Women’s Champions League Quarter Final in front of a modern record crowd of 91,553. To capture a little bit of history I loaded up a cheap one-shot 35mm camera with some black and white film and got clicking.
Here’s a selection of some of the shots taken across the evening with a couple of bloopers at the end because having just one shot at it means that sometimes the stories the eyes see and the pictures the camera take can be very different.
Camera: Reto Ultrawide // Film: Ilford HP5 Plus 35mm
Fans gather on the steps outside the Camp Nou over an hour before kick off. A mix of faces young and old, established cules to girls with Alexia splashed across their shoulders experiencing FC Barcelona for the very first time. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022)
Fans spill out from bars onto the Travesera De Los Corts, the street that runs from the heart of the city to under the shadows of the Camp Nou. A scene that would not look out of place on a La Liga matchday has arrived for the Women’s Champions League (Casa Pin, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The sky-reaching curves of Camp Nou welcome fans as the flags of Spain, Catalonia and the UEFA Champions League flutter in the early spring breeze. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The aptly named Jardins de Bacardi awash with student-aged cules drinking from bottles and cans with the beer shelves in the shops around the ground emptied. (Jardins de Bacardi, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The colours of red, blue and yellow are the ones you want to wrap around your neck. Catalan pride is the order of the day and on a match day these gazebos of wonder await. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The world’s media gather beneath Camp Nou’s sole canopy. From glass fronted cabin’s they will watch on as history is made, fingers aflame they will type out the tweets and match reports that the 91,533 in attendance and those watching at home and bars across the globe will feast upon for the days to come. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
A fan captures their own moment of history as the players of Real Madrid and Barcelona finish their warm-ups. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The atmosphere builds as the fans, well those that were able to arrive on time at least, belt out El Canto del Barça. There is a new verse dedicated to women’s football written on the back of each A3 plastic card. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The anthems are over, the line up is complete. The action is about to begin. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
As the offices and shops around the city close for the day the stands in Camp Nou begin to fill as the game commences at a frantic pace. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
A modern record crown are treated to a storming contest as Barcelona led by Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and a galaxy of stars run out 5–2 winners to progress to the semi-finals as they hope to defend their title. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
91,533 (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
On a night for everyone a Barcelona fan and her Real Madrid supporting girlfriend laugh and cuddle together as they watch history unfold. (Camp Nou, Barcelona, March 30th 2022).
The modern record set that evening would be broken just a few weeks later. The venue would be the same. The manner of victory for Barcelona, this time against German side Wolfsburg, would be just as emphatic, a 5–1 victory setting the table for a 5–3 aggregate victory that would take them to the final.
There were 91,600 fans on April 23rd 2022. As women’s football continues to flourish the records will continue to tumble.
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Thanks for reading, stay safe and be back soon and as promised here’s a couple of extras just to say thank you for sticking with me to the end.
