THE North East’s landscapes and architecture are what usually inspire Newcastle artist Roy Francis Kirton, but it was a sporting occasion that moved him earlier this year.
Roy, who cheerfully admits to having “some nice friends”, was invited to St James’ Park to see Newcastle United play Arsenal on Saturday, February 5.
Roy is not a season ticket holder but counts himself as a Newcastle fan, explaining: “I’ve been going since I was 15 and went with my dad, although my brother is a real fanatic. He’s been ‘managing’ Newcastle United for 40 years.”
Any of the 51,561 people who were in the stadium at kick-off time on that day will tell you that the first half amounted to a depressing drubbing as Arsenal went 4-0 up.
Rather fewer people, many already having walked out, will tell you that it turned into one of the most memorable matches ever seen at St James’ Park. In a rousing second-half performance, Newcastle snatched what seemed like a victory, even if it was actually an unlikely draw, from the jaws of defeat.
“I talked to a lot of people and they said it was one of the best games they’d ever seen,” says Roy.
“The final goal (a volley from Chieck Tiote) was incredible, real Roy of the Rovers stuff.”
In the atmospheric pubs around the ground, the mood turned from despair to jubilation. Where sorrows had been drowned, pints were suddenly being downed in celebration.
Roy, who had always fancied sketching the pubs, decided to commemorate the match with a triptych (three-part painting) featuring the crowd at Rosie’s Bar, The Strawberry and The Trent House.
It was in the latter pub that he actually took refreshment after the match, soaking up the spirit of jubilation and feasting his eyes on the fans who would be recreated in watercolours.
In the triptych, A Day to Remember, you will see all the Newcastle players recalled in replica shirts worn by fans.
The painting, reproduced as a print in a limited edition of 125, will be a highlight of Roy’s latest exhibition which opens this weekend at the Blagdon Gallery at the Milkhope Centre, Berwick Hill Road, Seaton Burn.
The exhibition features about 20 new pictures by Roy, who has a studio at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.
Several of them are triptychs featuring North East rural and urban scenes, including the Tyne bridges.
Roy plans to be in the gallery to talk about his work – and share memories of that match – on Monday from 11am to 5pm.