Stadium voice Pete Pavey to hang
up his mike
By Adam Summers
Saturdsay 21st January 2012
PETE Pavey will forever be known as the voice of Weymouth
FC but after 25 years of manning the PA system he is now set
to step away.
The loyal volunteer and staunch Terras’ supporter became
the non-League outfit’s match-day announcer in 1987 and
since then has revelled in the highs and suffered in the lows
of what has been the most turbulent period in the club’s
history.
Many people have come and gone during that time but Pavey
still remains and will continue to show his support even after
he steps down from his role at the end of this season at the
age of 65.
He told Echosport: “By the time I call my final game
against Hitchin Town on April 21, I will have been doing this
role for 25 years.
“Arthur Dyke was the man that asked me to do it back
in 1987 when he was chairman of the supporters’ club.
He did a lot for the club and was a great bloke, and I have
been doing it ever since.
“I have been supporting the club since the 1950s both
home and away, and in total I have been to over 160 grounds
watching the team.
“I also did the Terras’ Soccer Line for a few years
and a quiz with Ray Parker from 1987-2003, which proved very
popular until Martyn Harrison pulled the plug because we could
not use the Wessex Lounge anymore.
“It is funny how things have changed over the years.
“Many people have come and gone, and a lot of volunteers
have walked away.
“There have also been many times when I have had to
bite my tongue but I have also made sure I have always enjoyed
the good times because like a lot of other things it tends
to go in peaks and troths.”
When asked about his fondest memories in the role, Pavey
added: “I would like to say a big thank you to Dave Higson,
Mick Archer, Terry Bennett and Terry Northover for when they
used to allow me to go away on the team coach. I particularly
loved the era when the likes of David Laws, Mark Robinson,
John Waldock, Ian Hutchinson and the Browne brothers were
all playing because it was like a family then.
“I will also never forget the 1997-98 season when Fred
Davies was manager. We won the last 15 games of that campaign,
which started with victory at Newport Isle of Wight and ended
with us winning the Southern Premier League.
“The year we got back into the Conference was also fantastic
when we had the likes of York City, Exeter City and Torquay
United coming down here.
“We were getting crowds of 3-4,000 at that stage under
the management of Garry Hill and Kevin Hales and the ownership
of Martyn Harrison, who was bankrolling the side, but we knew
it would not last.
“They were still good times though and hopefully there
are even better ones ahead.
“Although I will not be on the PA anymore after this
season I will still be going to the games.
“The reason I have decided to step aside is because
I retired from work in December and I want to go on a few
more holidays.
“My son Matt has been doing a bit in my absence recently
but he is due to become a father soon so the club is now looking
for someone new.
“Anyone interested should contact Nigel Biddlecombe
on 07880508240.”
On his hopes for the future of the club, Pavey went on to
say: “A lot of credit needs to go Brendon King and Matt
Groves this season as they have done a great job on the field.
“I am confident we can go on and finish in the top half
this season.
“Players like Sam Malsom, Craig Duff and Sam Poole have
come in and been fantastic this year so there are certainly
plenty of encouraging signs and with a bit of luck it would
be nice to think we can go onwards and upwards from here.”
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