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25th November 2002
Keith Cave Retires
After
an illustrious career as Captain, Manager, 1st XI
Player, Lightweight Drinker, winner of the 1990s Most
Valuable Player award and "Carshalton member most
likely to be mistaken for Benito Mussolini", one of
Carshalton Football Club’s favourite sons, Keith Cave, has
hung up his boots. The
difficult decision was made by Keith last Saturday, despite
scoring 3 of the most spectacular goals of this season for
the 1st XI. Unfortunately Keith’s work commitments and his growing
family have meant that it was no longer possible for him to
commit the time required to give to the 1st XI.
Given that he is still playing for the 1st
XI this season, Keith goes out at the top.
Anyone who knows Keith will know that this must have been a very hard decision for him to take. The 1st XI dressing room will be a very different place without his unique brand of piss-taking humour. His enthusiasm for the game often spilled over into over-exuberance and he was on first name terms with just about every AFA referee! He doesn’t have a nasty bone in him, but for some reason, when he stepped onto the pitch, he was like a man possessed, giving 110% as Big Ron Atkinson would say.
Keith joined the Club in 1981 as a youth team player and served his time in the lower sides (including the legendary Jim Finn 6th XI of the 1980s) before breaking though into the 2nd XI, which he skippered for 2 years.
Keith goes down in history as the longest serving skipper of the Carshalton 1st XI with a tenancy of 4 and a half years. He took over the running of the 1st XI after a disastrous start to the 1997/98 season. This was probably his greatest achievement, which is described in the Carshalton Story as “The Great Escape”. With the 1st XI languishing in last place of Division 1 at the end of February with only 2 points, Keith’s bold decisions to remould the team paid dividends as the team went unbeaten for the rest of the season, securing their division 1 status with a remarkable 17 out of 22 points in the run in. As Keith himself said “One day they will put a statue of me up on the bridge coming into Beddington Park” Benefiting personally from Keith’s selection policy, I can say that this was the most enjoyable footballing time of my 15 year association with Carshalton FC.
Always
popular with opposition teams (certainly in the bar, if not
actually on the pitch), Keith has become known simply as Mr
Carshalton to so many people.
He stands for everything that Carshalton FC is about
– give your all and play hard on the pitch, then socialise
with your team-mates and opposition alike.
Fortunately he will continue to come down for a beer or two on Saturdays, so we won't miss his wit, repartee and immaculate sense of fashion. Keith is captured left in typical pose - "I'll just have a half. Nice shirt mate. Your missus been collecting for Oxfam again, Dungey / Buzz / Griggsy / Rod / Terry?"
The 1st XI changing room will be a quieter and much less scandalous place without him and I’m sure everyone who has played with or against Keith will thank him for the experience.
We love you Keith.
Buzz
