A sports photographer who spent more than three decades taking pictures of his beloved football club, Norwich City, has died aged 86.
Tributes have poured in for Roger Harris, a man known for having an eye for capturing the perfect shot as well as taking people under his wing.
Roger Charles Harris was born in 1936 in Great Yarmouth, a town that gave him one of his first great loves - the sea.
Despite this, his mother refused to let him learn to swim as she feared he might meet the same fate as her brother, who drowned while working at sea as a fisherman.
One of his earliest memories was from 1941 when he had to be evacuated after his neighbour’s garden was bombed. Mr Harris recalled sitting in the town hall wrapped in a blanket.
The family had to move in with relatives in Hellesdon, Norwich, and here he attended the secondary modern school before leaving in 1951, aged 15. He began working at Marston Caravans before the company was liquidated the following year.
In 1953, met his future wife Greta at Hellesdon Youth Club, who already knew of him after attending the same school and hearing tales such as Mr Harris throwing chalk and blackboard dusters across the classroom.
He took Greta fishing on their first date at Costessey Mill. It was the moment she knew she would marry him.
The couple wed on June 1, 1957, and would go on to have two daughters: Debra (1959) and Julia (1962).
Around the same time, Mr Harris started an apprenticeship with Norwich Electrical where he stayed until he joined the forces in 1957 as electrical mechanical ground crew at RAF Coltishall.
During his time in the air force, he was chosen to shoot for his station at Bisley and won a cup for his abilities.
When he left the RAF in 1959, he returned to Norwich Electrical and worked at Norwich landmarks including the old swimming pool, the library, and the Stationery Office. He then went on to Taylor Woodrow and RG Carters, joining in 1964.
His final job as an electrician was at Colman’s of Norwich as an electrical engineer, where he joined in 1973.
He made many friends throughout his work life, including co-workers at RG Carters who he went sea fishing with in the 1970s catching cod, skate and dabs which would be cooked for the family.
Along with sea fishing, he loved freshwater fishing and captained several teams in Norfolk in competition.
He was also a member of many clubs over the decades, notably at Barford, Lenwade and Reepham.
He was a very generous man with his knowledge and taught many newcomers how to fish and passed on many tips and secrets – although likely not all of them.
Unsurprisingly, he was keen on sport himself and played football for Gorleston, North Walsham, and Drayton, before he was forced to stop after breaking his collarbone in a road accident aged 26.
He also played darts for a number of teams in Drayton and Hellesdon and met many darts players when he photographed events.
During the 1970s, he developed his skills as a photographer following training at Barrett & Coe as a wedding photographer.
While at Colman’s he was able to split his work role there as the company's photographer and electrical engineer, covering Norfolk Showground events, visiting farms and other activities linked to the firm.
He took early redundancy in 1993, a move that would go on to define a large part of his later life.
At this time, he became involved with photography at Norwich City after helping a friend who was taking pictures of matches at Carrow Road. The rest, as they say, is history.
He captured notable images from the European campaign in 1993/4, and travelled as the club’s official photographer to Vitesse Arnheim, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan games.
One of the most memorable set of images come from his photographs on the day that Norwich City beat Liverpool at Anfield with the old Kop stand in the background.
The club was a big part of his life and through his photography, he went on to take many academy players under his wing to show them what the county had to offer, especially in terms of fishing and horse racing.
He saw many of them grow up and went from teaching them how to fish to capturing their weddings and family photos.
Former player Darren Eadie gave a tribute in a recent match day programme, writing: “Roger was far more than a photographer – he was a great friend.
“He was almost a father figure to a lot of players.”
Mr Harris was a great supporter of many local and national charities, and the academy at NCFC was one that he dedicated time to through supporter groups to help raise more than £300,000.
He ended his photographic career taking pictures of Great Yarmouth and Fakenham races until he was 82.
Several famous faces were also captured by him, among them the Royal Family, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Bobby Charlton.
Mrs Harris said of her husband: “He was the life and soul of the party. He loved being with people.”
Mr Harris died on Friday, August 12.
- To pay tribute to a loved one email norfolktributes@archant.co.uk
- To read more obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
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