Monday 15 August 2016

Curbs complained about the music

Former pitch announcer 'Big Dave' Lockwood gets a double page spread in the Currant Bun today. He makes clear his dissatisfaction with the current regime at The Valley.

Looking back on his long service since 1993, Dave says, 'Alan Curbishley had me in his office when he was joint manager with Steve Gritt. He told me the music had to be more upbeat. So we changed it and the fans complained.'

Dave started off doing reserve team games and recalls, 'When I started we were in a Portacabin with a disco deck in the corner. The first match was a freezing night in March, so I played "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner as my first song.'

'Phil Parkinson asked me to give a goal to David Mooney because he was low on confidence. I couldn't, it was a blatant own goal, so Parky got the hump with me.' When there was an own goal in the play off semi-final against Swindon, Parky said 'You know what you have to do' and this time Dave obliged.

His best moment was yelling out 'Champions' when we won League One in 2012. His worst moment was trying to be upbeat after losing to Swindon on penalties in the 2011 play offs. His most embarrassing moment was when had to interview two actors who had pretended to have sex in the centre circle for a tacky video made by the club.

Dave notes that the club had a tradition of welcoming back former players, but he was told to stop after he did it for Yann Kermorgant who criticised Rolamd Duchatelet when he left.

The final straw for him was last March, when Roland claimed that protesting fans wanted the team to lose: 'The hardest thing was forcing myself to walk away. In the end I could not continue as a mouthpiece for those running the club. I don't know what Duchatelet's end plan is, but I don't think it would be good for Charlton.'

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