Photographer dies after covering match

A freelance sports photographer collapsed and died minutes after covering a football match for the local paper.

Steve Bostock died last Tuesday after covering the League Two game between Rochdale and Bradford City for the Rochdale Observer.

The photographer, who was aged just 45, suffered a suspected heart attack and died outside Spotland Stadium just minutes after the end the match which Rochdale lost 3-1.

Mr Bostock, who had two children and four step-children, had worked freelance for the Rochdale Observer and several of its sister papers, including the Heywood Advertiser, Middleton Guardian and Oldham Advertiser, for the past five years.

An ex-Army man who previously worked in computing, Mr Bostock took up photography after being given a camera for his 40th birthday and soon became a regular contributor to the papers.

The Observer's sports editor Richard Partington was so impressed with his pictures he not only gave him work on the paper - he also used him to take his wedding photographs.
Mr Partington said: "It was always a pleasure working with Steve, such was his love of the job. Whenever we needed a freelancer to cover a job, Steve was top of the list - dependable, keen and accurate in his work.

"Working for the the Observer on a freelance basis gave him an outlet for his passion for photography and the paper benefited greatly from that."

Mr Bostock had been due to celebrate his second wedding anniversary with his wife Paula in May.

She said: "Photography was his absolute passion. I'm just glad he was doing something he loved at the time. He loved working for the paper."

Mr Bostock is survived by Paula, children Alex and Amanda and his four step children.

His funeral is due to take place at Rochdale crematorium at 1pm this Wednesday.