Manchester United Third Kit Launch at Salford Lads & Girls Club
I recently photographed the launch of the new Manchester United third kit at Salford Lads & Girls Club, working for TOL Events on behalf of adidas. The event brought together Manchester United supporters, former players and one of Salford's most recognisable buildings for an afternoon centred around the new 2026/27 shirt.
Photographing the Manchester United Third Kit Launch
The new adidas third kit takes its inspiration from the youth and community culture of Greater Manchester, with details drawn from Salford Lads & Girls Club. The Lancashire rose artwork found on the Club's famous entrance sign subtly runs across the design, while the green elements reference the building's distinctive doors. The roses and special sign-off on the back of the shirt also echo details from the Club itself.
I photographed the event from the arrival of supporters and the queues outside through to the presentations, former players and interactions with fans.
Inside Salford Lads & Girls Club
It was also my first opportunity to photograph inside Salford Lads & Girls Club. Despite living only a short distance away, I'd never actually been inside the building.
It is one of those places that feels familiar before you've visited it, partly because of its distinctive exterior and the photographs associated with it. Seeing what was behind the famous frontage was one of the highlights of the assignment.
The Smiths and The Queen Is Dead
The building's most recognisable cultural connection is The Smiths. In 1985, photographer Stephen Wright photographed the band outside the Club, an image that was subsequently used on the inner sleeve of their third album, The Queen Is Dead.
The photograph helped make the building and its distinctive green doors an internationally recognised image of Manchester. Inside, however, there is much more to the Club than that famous exterior.
A Salford Institution
Founded in 1903, Salford Lads & Girls Club has provided a place for local young people for more than a century and remains a working community organisation.
Its interior reflects that history, with sporting facilities, social rooms, a stage and theatre space, a snooker room and a boxing gym. These spaces also provided some of the most interesting locations to photograph during the event.
Manchester United and Salford
Manchester United has its own long history in Salford. The Cliff, in Broughton, was the club's main training ground from 1938 for more than 60 years.
I've photographed at The Cliff myself, when I was commissioned by ESPN to photograph former professional footballer Joe Thompson for a feature about life after football. Thompson was shown around the site by Manchester United staff, including the indoor sports hall where he had played as a child.
Coming back to Salford for this assignment therefore had a nice personal connection for me. The Cliff and Salford Lads & Girls Club are very different places, but both form part of the area's long association with Manchester United.
Wes Brown and Gary Pallister
Former Manchester United players Wes Brown and Gary Pallister were there to meet supporters, answer questions and sign shirts and merchandise.
They also took part in a tour of the Club, including the room associated with The Smiths. I photographed the formal parts of the programme alongside the conversations and quieter interactions with supporters.
Photographing Manchester United Supporters
The supporters were central to the afternoon, from those queuing outside to fans meeting the former players and exploring the Club.
After two supporters bought the new shirt, I was able to take them upstairs into areas that weren't open to the general public and make a series of portraits using the building's different spaces.
Portraits in the Boxing Ring and Snooker Room
We moved through the upstairs rooms, photographing on the stage, around the snooker table and inside the boxing ring.
The different settings gave the portraits their character and allowed the supporters to become part of the building rather than simply being photographed wearing the new shirt. These were some of my favourite photographs from the assignment.
A Shirt with a Sense of Place
The setting made sense beyond its visual appeal. The shirt itself had been inspired by Salford Lads & Girls Club, while Manchester United's history is closely connected with Salford through The Cliff.
The result brought together football, music, youth culture and local history in a way that felt specific to the place rather than simply using it as an event venue.
Event Photography in Manchester
For me, the assignment was a good example of the variety of event photography in Manchester. It moved from documenting supporters outside the Club and the main programme to photographing former players and making portraits in spaces I'd never previously seen.
It was also a chance to photograph somewhere I'd lived near for years but had never properly explored.
Photographing the Event
Working for TOL Events on behalf of adidas, I was there to capture the people and atmosphere around the new Manchester United third kit.
Salford Lads & Girls Club gave the photographs a setting with its own history, character and connections to both Manchester's cultural life and the football club.
If you're looking for a Manchester photographer for an event, campaign or editorial assignment, you can see more of my work in the portfolio or get in touch.
