News

Charlton name press room in honour of reporter

Patrick Collins, the SJA President, at the opening of Charlton's Colin Cameron Media Suite together with Peacock and the family of
Patrick Collins, the SJA President, right, at the opening of Charlton Athletic’s Colin Cameron Media Suite together with Keith Peacock and members of the Cameron family. Photo Tony Mitchell/www.facestudios.net

Patrick Collins, the Sports Journalists’ Association President, was an honoured guest at a ceremony at the Charlton Athletic Media Suite to witness it named after Colin Cameron, a former colleague who covered the club for four decades.

Friends, family and colleagues of Colin Cameron – who died on Christmas Day 2012, aged 76 – gathered at the Championship club’s stadium to pay tribute to the former club historian.

Collins, a proud, lifelong Charlton fan, was accompanied by Keith Peacock, the club’s ex-assistant manager and highest outfield appearance-maker, to unveil a plaque commemorating the contribution to the Addicks made by Cameron.

“Charlton really was Colin’s life and we are thrilled that the club has honoured Colin by renaming the media suite after him,” said Cameron’s niece, Pauline Williams, who was present fr the ceremony. “It is a great honour and we know that Colin would have been proud and delighted.”

Cameron worked for national news agency Extel, acting as the managing editor of a number of taxation publications for 20 years, and also covered Charlton and Millwall home games for 40 years.

Colin Cameron: stalwart Charlton reporter. Pic by Tom Morris
Colin Cameron: stalwart Charlton reporter. Pic by Tom Morris

Williams said: “Colin was a huge part of our lives and we saw first hand the time and dedication he gave to Charlton. For years match reports were typed and read through to the family every Sunday before hand delivery to the Press Association with one of us in tow.”

Cameron gave up reporting in 1998 to enable him to better enjoy following Charlton after the club’s first promotion to the Premier League.

He first visited The Valley to see the Addicks beat Preston North End 2-1 in an FA Cup quarter-final in March 1947, when Charlton went on to lift the trophy at Wembley.

In May 2012 he was presented with a special lifetime achievement award to mark his longstanding contribution to the club. His funeral was attended by a host of former Charlton managers, players and staff and, the day after his death, almost 20,000 supporters paid tribute by holding a minute’s applause before a match against Ipswich Town.

It was fitting recognition for a man who, as the prime source of knowledge and information concerning the club’s history for generations of local and national journalists, contributed much more to Charlton than many of the players whose careers he documented.

The author of The Valiant 500, and Home and Away with Charlton Athletic (the latter arguably the most comprehensive publication of any club’s matches ever produced), Cameron also wrote regularly for the club’s matchday programme.

The plaque dedicating the Colin Cameron Media Suite is located at the entrance to Charlton’s press room in the north-west corner of The Valley.

  • The SJA is the largest member organisation of sports media professionals in the world. Join us: Click here for more details
  • This year, the SJA’s nominated good cause is The Journalists’ Charity. To find out more and how you can donate on a one-off or regular basis, go to www.journalistscharity.org.uk

UPCOMING SJA EVENTS

Mon Sep 14: SJA Autumn Golf Day, Muswell Hill Golf Club

Tue Sep 15: SJA/BT Sport Rugby World Cup media reception, Twickenham

Tue Oct 6: Entry forms for 2015 SJA British Sports Journalism Awards published

Thu Dec 17: SJA British Sports Awards, sponsored by The National Lottery

2016

Mon Feb 22: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards dinner, sponsored by BT Sport