Long-serving Durham Cricket PA Announcers John Wakefield, Alan Barker and Geoff Garrett have announced their retirement following the 2024 cricket season.
With over 70 years’ service between them, the trio have decided to step down after being long serving volunteers of the Club.
With over 7 decades between them of announcing player centuries, records and milestones, the trio have handed their microphones down for the final time.
Chief Operating Officer, Richard Dowson said: “John, Alan and Geoff have been fantastic long serving volunteers to the Club, and we are very thankful for their commitment for over 25 years. I wish them all the best and they are welcome back to Durham Cricket at any time.”
Geoff Garett said: “It’s been a tremendous enjoyment and a privilege to have been involved with the club as it’s grown from its early days and through all the achievements that we have covered over the years. My special memory of announcing was the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy Semi Final against Essex and it went right down to the wire and is a lasting memory of my announcing.”
John Wakefield added: “I have enjoyed everything about this role, it has been a pleasure, your perspective of the game is much more interesting, you take a different point of view on things, as you aren’t sitting in the ground just watching the game. There comes a time when everything comes to end but I have done 27 years and with that I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Alan Barker went on: “I have mixed emotions about retiring as a PA announcer, there has been times when it has been fun, but there have been times when I haven’t enjoyed it as much. We have made mistakes along the way but there has been plenty of good times. I will miss the humour, as there has been plenty of that over the years.”