The New David Kelly...


By 4two
November 13 2002

The New Pitch Side announcer at the Bescot David Kelly has taken time out to talk to talk with TheSaddlersFC about the challenges ahead. Dave has the task of revamping the pre match schedule at the Bescot. So Dave

TheSaddlersFC has secured the first interview with David Kelly, the new pitch side announcer who will be working along side current announcer Dave Bathurst.  Dave will be involved in the pre match build up against Gillingham, when the new Purple Stand is opened. 

So Dave, lets get the boring stuff out the way ! How old are you and where are you from....

I am currently 31 years old (32 in December), I was born in Bloxwich in what was the maternity home opposite ASDA (Now a mental home I believe, so insert your own gag here !!!)

Are you a Saddlers Fan? and if so, how did it come about....

Historically my family are Villa supporters but my first ever games were viewed at "fella's" park as I could go straight from school (in Great Wyrley) and catch the bus directly into Walsall. I joined the RAF in 1988 and got posted all over the place, but never anywhere near the midlands so I became a long distance Saddlers and Villa fan and followed their fortunes from afar.

What kind of background do you have in the field...

In 1993 I got posted to RAF Stornoway in the outer isles of Scotland and one drunken night (of which there were many) I agreed to host a regular Thursday night spot on the local radio station, ISLES FM (Poptastic Mate) from there I decided to move into the mobile disco world catering for weddings, birthdays etc and I even catered for a funeral (Yes a funeral !!??!!) and so the very useful skill of making a pr@t of myself in front of lots of people has grown from there (and for some reason people still want to watch / listen).

What is your current occupation, and does this job mean you are quitting?

I currently run my own technology consultancy based out of Wolverhampton which keeps me very occupied.

How did you land the job?, were you head hunted? Did you have to apply?

A strange story here and one that I will try to keep short and to the point. One of my clients is the marketing company responsible for putting together the sponsorship deal for Purple Loans and they are only too aware of my exploits at the working end of a microphone. I was asked out of the blue if I would like to take on the task of hosting the launch on the 23rd. Subsequent meetings with various people meant that I was able to persuade them to let me stay on longer than 1 match……..so in effect, I talked myself into a job that didn’t really exist at that point in time.

Do you think it is important that a Saddler got this job?

That’s a difficult one. I think its helps greatly if a Saddlers fan is working at the saddlers as there is already an affinity with the club. However, the most important thing for me is that the fans who pay good money for their tickets see the inclusion of a pitch side announcer as an enhancement to their trip to Bescot. In summary, yes I think it adds to the whole picture but no I don’t think its important or essential to the job itself.

What are you hoping to achieve at the Bescot...

Obviously I want to improve the atmosphere and the entertainment value at the Bescot so I need ideas and comments from Saddlers fans wherever they are. I could just get up there and wing it but I would much prefer to get everyone involved right at the start so that we can make a night at the Bescot something that people look forward to and remember afterwards whatever the result. Its not all going to happen day one, I see things progressing match after match. There are so many good ideas flowing from within and outside of the club, if we used them all at one match we would need to keep everyone there for a week !!!

I want to be able to add to the fans match experience and get the everyone behind the team.

Lets get the Bescot Buzzing !!!!

So, can we expect a change in the music at the Bescot.

It all depends on what you mean by a change. There is already a good variety of music played at the Bescot and many fans have expressed a wish for the continuance of many of the songs that are already played. However, the new music and PA system will help as the quality and depth of the music can be enhanced. There will of course be some changes and we will try out some new ideas, you may like them or you may not but you can be assured that your opinions will be listened to using whatever forums I can find.

Have you met Dave Bathurst, the voice of Bescot? and how do you think you will get on?

I have met David and the team and we get on very well. Obviously David has been the voice of Bescot for many years and has done a fantastic job. I am there to help David and to add another dimension. Besides, he got the round in after the Stoke game so he gets my vote every time !!!!

What kind of reaction do you expect to get from the fans?

In a word, Mixed……… Lets be realistic here, we will be trying to entertain and inform around 7000 individuals each with different tastes. What some people like, others won’t. I dare say that some people will say the music is too quiet, others will say its too loud. However, so long as I combine my best efforts with my best intentions I can do no more….

What kind of "pre match entertainment" can we expect? ( A typical programme ?)

The Gills match will be a little different as most of the entertainment will be covered by the launch…….. so we will not really have put the first real one together until the Grimsby Game on the 7th December. All I can say is watch this space and pass on any suggestions of what you would like to see…….

The Keep off the Fence Challenge....

Bescot or Fellows Park  - Bescot

Graydon or Lee  - Both excellent managers

Jorge or Junior - Junior

Sitting or Standing - Standing

Programme or Fanzine - Both- lets get all of the views we can.

Official Site or FanSites – Both- lets get all of the views we can.

Purple or Alsop – Purple – they have given the club a huge wedge and pledged lots more support.

2nd Favourite Side - Villa

Most Hated Club – None, there are teams I like more or less then other teams but if Wolves were playing in Europe, I would be hoping that Wolves would win (Unless they were playing us of course !!!). I guess it goes like this ; Midlands Clubs – English Clubs – UK Clubs ; if you are a football supporter, you will support football……… we all jumped for joy when Beckham scored against the Argies in Japan but when the domestic games are on the go…….. who wants united to win ??? You see my point ??

Favourite Player – George Best on the pitch, David Beckham off the pitch.

Favourite Walsall Player………Dave Kelly of course !!!!!

After reading this you may well be impressed that the club and sponsors have managed to bring in a Saddlers fan  to help shape the future of pre-match entertainment . The appointment of Dave follows a continuing trend of ensuring that fans fill vital roles at the club. We all know that Andy Poole was a Saddlers fanatic before he got the job as programme editor, and that both Bonsor and Whalley are not just at the club because they want to make a few bob, the fact is that they all love the club and have followed it for ages. In this modern age you could say it is unique for  a club to have people in such important positions that are fans as well as employees.

We would like to thank  David Kelly for taking time out to speak with us. He comes across as being enthusiastic about the challenge. The club is currently experiencing some revolutionary changes, and Dave is going to play an important part in them.

Dave is interested in your views, just leave a message in Bescot Central and he is sure to take note of them.

 

 

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