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Running a radio station – in this case the community radio station Phoenix FM, based in Brentwood, Essex – my day-to-day work decisions tend to revolve around balance and neutrality, and giving due prominence to people from all walks of life.

As a lifelong Hammer, this means that it’s probably best that I don’t put myself in charge of the sports output, as I would hate to subconsciously give some teams more or less coverage than I should! I usually leave the sports presenting to our more competent staff (including our new sports talk presenter, a certain snooker-playing Mr O’Sullivan).

One of our station’s projects this year involved setting up a radio station at Quilters Junior School in Billericay and it was there I met Tony Carr – and I couldn’t pass an opportunity to invite him in to our own station for an interview.

 
Tony was very happy to chat to some of the other presenters and volunteers on the station, at least two of whom had come up to Tony to tell him that he had coached them as a school player many decades ago, which makes you wonder exactly how many other people have the same story.

It was a delight to invite Tony into the studio and he lived up to his reputation as a gentleman who had all the time in the world to chat and was more than willing to let others share the credit for the Academy’s success.

In the interview for radio broadcast Tony talks about his early memories as a West Ham supporter and youth player and then onto his career at the Academy. While his story is well known and documented within the West Ham community, I hope it gives the neutral supporter some insight into some of the loyal characters who made football what it was in years gone by.