The spectator

The football season at all levels is just about to get underway here again after its summer break and in our local park this evening, one of the local junior league teams was working hard in a training session. I was watching a bounce match and taking the occasional blip when the trainer (the wee guy, just right of centre) came over to me and started to ask very pointed questions as to why I was taking pictures of his team.

It would of course have been within my rights to point out that it was none of his business, this was a public park, etc. but I decided discretion was probably the better part of valour so I gave him my best winning smile and some innocuous answer. I could tell he still didn't entirely trust me and after skulking back to the touchline, he kept watching me over his shoulder for the next quarter of an hour.

I never understand why people get so defensive/paranoid at the sight of a camera in public, particularly when it was not a professional rig (I was using my Nikon compact) and hardly a sensitive setting. I could understand it more if his team were kids but they were guys in their 20s and none of them exactly shrinking violets.

Maybe it was because he used to be Barry Ferguson's pr advisor...