Artist set to unveil 140 portraits of York City fans as club prepares for play-off finals and a centenary year

Sue Clayton was chatting to Michael Miles, who at that time was a stranger, and the conversation turned to how he was a York City fan and how passionate he was about it.

While Ms Clayton couldn’t profess to being a sports fan, as an artist, she knows that passion creates the best portraits and when Mr Miles mentioned the football club was set to celebrate its centenary year, it sparked an idea.

She decided to create 10 portraits, one for each year, and ask fans to send their photograph along with a story about what Bootham Crescent, York City’s home for nearly 90 years until they moved out last year, and being a supporter of the football club, means to them.

However, those 10 portraits turned into quite a lot more.

“My absolute passion lies within portrait and good stories. Some of the stories are about people who are no longer with us, one that hit me really hard was following a fan who lived in the Ukraine and got out but left friends there. The updates to that were heart-breaking stories. Then you have got births and it is the full plethora of life.”

The pictures will be unveiled for the first time all together at a York City Fans Centenary Art Exhibition tomorrow at the Cliffe Village Institute near Selby.

Some ex-players are also going to be in attendance, with some even lending their pictures and stories as subject material for the project.

The images are 30cm square and in a variety of materials from oil, acrylic, water-colour and charcoal.

Ms Clayton, of Wiggington, said: “I would never do anything like this again. It has been all consuming because of the time it takes. There have been many 3am finishes. Art is my life and I have had to fit it in around my groups and commissions.” She has also had to fit in something else that she never expected.

“I had been to a couple of games to support my son, James, who has Downs Syndrome and plays for a group, so I have been to Bootham Crescent. I grew up in a football hating family, never watched football and we were the least sporting family going.

“I said I would come along to a game for the project - but got hooked. Now my son and I are season ticket holders - it has been quite an unexpected journey. From where it started to where it has led, I am proud to be part of the celebrations.