For three decades, one voice has become synonymous with matchdays at Blundell Park. From welcoming supporters to the home of the Mariners to announcing every goal, substitution and important moment, Kev Rogers has been the voice of Grimsby Town for 30 years.
On Saturday, Kev was presented with a framed shirt by the Club to mark the remarkable milestone, celebrating three decades of service as the Mariners’ PA Announcer. While 30 years is an extraordinary achievement, Kev admits it doesn’t feel like anywhere near that long ago.
“It doesn’t feel like 30 years,” he said. “It feels about 10 minutes ago that I was first asked. I first came in, stood in the middle of the pitch as a supporter and there was one member of staff in each stand.
“So, four people in an empty stadium on a Wednesday afternoon and I said, ‘Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to Blundell Park.’ They all put the thumbs up and I got the job!
“I’ve said the same intro every game since. I always say the same thing every home game. That’s how I start everything.”
‘I think I got the job because I was the nearest!’
Kev’s route to the PA box began with a small advert in the Grimsby Telegraph – then known as the Evening Telegraph.
“I was actually reading an article in the Grimsby Telegraph and there was a little line at the bottom of the article that said if you’re interested in coming to do some work on the PA, if you think you can use your voice, please let us know,” he explained.
“I phoned Tony Richardson, who was the commercial manager at the time. I said, ‘I can come and do something if you want me to come and do something.’
“He said, ‘When can you get here?’ and I said, ‘Well, I can be here in about 15 minutes.’
“He said, ‘Good, because the other guy that’s interested is in Sheffield.’
“So, I think I got the job because I was the nearest!”
What started with a quick trip to Blundell Park has since become a role spanning more than 1,000 games and some of the most memorable moments in the Club’s history.
Kev’s first match came on 3rd February 1996, as Town welcomed Derby County to Blundell Park. “I can remember it,” he said. “Ivano Bonetti scored that day and Brian Laws was manager.”
His second game was arguably even more memorable. “The following game was the Valentine’s Day massacre against West Ham United. We won 3-0. That was the first two games.”
A Mariner through and through
While Kev’s role has made him a familiar figure around Blundell Park, his connection with the Club goes back much further. He has been a supporter since childhood, with his father taking him to his first game in 1968.
“My dad brought me in 1968 to my first game,” he said. “We sat up in the Main Stand. It was a 0-0 draw against Peterborough United. It was freezing cold, soaking wet. It was the best day out me and my dad ever had. I was hooked from that moment and it was absolutely fantastic.”
The following season brought one of the most significant periods in the Club’s history, with Lawrie McMenemy’s Mariners going from the bottom half of the Fourth Division to champions.
“That was the most incredible time,” Kev recalled. “That really was the most incredible time.”
That passion for the Club remains at the heart of everything he does. “I’m just a supporter like everyone else,” he said. “I never ever say anything other. I support the football club. And if my support means that I can come and do this and give them something, that’s me doing my thing for the football club. I love the football club. Always have done.”
From the biggest nights to the everyday games
Over 30 years, Kev has witnessed his fair share of unforgettable occasions from behind the microphone. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur feature among his favourite big-game memories, but for Kev, the role is about much more than the biggest fixtures.
“It’s the everyday, the run-of-the-mill league games, even in the non-league,” he explained. “It’s still a job that needs to be done and done properly. I think if you go about it in a professional way, as I try to do, you come across as being genuine. I’m trying to be genuine because I am genuine. I’m a proper supporter.”
One of the strangest periods of his time in the role came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Town played behind closed doors. “I was still doing the announcement – ‘goalscorer for Grimsby Town, number nine’ – and it was just an empty stadium,” he recalled. “There was just no reaction whatsoever and you think, ‘Is this really worth it?’ But then again, I got to see all the home games during that, which I was extremely lucky to be able to do. Extremely fortunate.”
A voice recognised by generations of Mariners
For many supporters, Kev’s voice is as much a part of a matchday at Blundell Park as the players walking out onto the pitch. After three decades, generations of Mariners have grown up hearing the same familiar welcome before every home game.
“I’ve got people in their 30s coming up to me and saying, ‘You’re the only voice we’ve ever heard at Blundell Park,’” Kev said. “That’s not worrying, but it comes as a bit of a shock and a bit of a surprise that you’ve been doing it for this long.”
His voice has even led to some unexpected encounters away from the football ground. “There’s been a couple of times when I’ve been stood in the bar and gone to order a pint at the bar and a bloke taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘You’re him, aren’t you?’” Kev laughs. “It’s a bit strange and you think, ‘What on earth are you talking about?’ But yeah, he recognised my voice.”
‘I’ll do it for as long as the football club want me to’
Despite the milestone, Kev remains remarkably humble about his contribution. He sees himself simply as a supporter who has been fortunate enough to combine his love of the Mariners with a role he continues to enjoy.
“I personally don’t look at it in that way,” he said when asked about the significance of his 30 years of service. “I come and do my bit because I enjoy doing it. I’ll do it for as long as the football club want me to do it. I just love doing it. I don’t think of it as being anything other than fun, enjoyment and for the football club.”
And while another 30 years might be ambitious, Kev isn’t quite ready to hang up the microphone just yet. “I don’t mind if you guys don’t,” he joked when congratulated on the milestone.
For 30 years, Kev Rogers has provided the soundtrack to countless Mariners memories, and as long as he has his microphone, that familiar voice will continue to welcome supporters to Blundell Park.
Thank you for everything, Kev, and congratulations on 30 remarkable years.
You can watch Kev’s full interview for Mariners TV here:
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