Eamonn McCabe – a life in pictures

The award-winning photographer Eamonn McCabe, a former head of photography at the Guardian, has died at 74. He started off working for local papers before freelancing for the Guardian and Observer as well as other national titles. He won sports photographer of the year four times and in 1985 was named news photographer of the year for his work at the Heysel stadium disaster. McCabe became the Guardian’s head of photography in 1988 and was named picture editor of the year a record six times. From 2000 his work mainly focused on portraiture for the Guardian and Observer. In 2001 he returned to freelancing for the Guardian and other newspapers and magazines. Many of his portraits are held at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Eamonn McCabe looking at his negatives in the press room during the 1988 British Open Golf Championships in Lytham St Annes.

McCabe joined the Observer in 1976 as a sports photographer after briefly working in the music industry. He fell in love with sports photography, later recalling: “One Saturday they were short of a photographer for the Spurs game, my local heroes. Wasn’t Jimmy Greaves the best player ever? Much to their surprise, I got a decent picture of a rare Martin Chivers goal which was published in a couple of the Sunday papers the next day, and one in the next Spurs home programme. I was hooked. The excitement in photography was back.”

Phil Thompson and Phil Neal of Liverpool celebrate winning the European Cup in Paris in 1981 against Madrid.

Our sports photographer Tom Jenkins says: “When I think of Eamonn, one saying always comes to mind. It has been something of a mantra to me throughout my career as a sports photographer and one he told me countless times when he was my picture