John Dalziel is stepping down after 25 years as Coventry's matchday announcer, and his farewell carries more weight than a routine staff change. He is also leaving Coventry Blaze after 23 years, and he has accepted a radio job in the United Arab Emirates, leaving for Dubai on Thursday on a one-way ticket.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Dalziel said: "I just want to thank the city for the opportunities, giving me, an Aldermoor kid who just wanted to be on a microphone, the chance to do it in so many ways – I will be forever grateful."
He added: "Thank you if you have ever given me your ears on the radio, at the football or at the ice hockey, because I have loved every single minute, I will never forget my 30 years on radio in Coventry, my 25 years at the football club and my 23 years at the Blaze."
Coventry's farewell for Dalziel
The scale of the exit is clear in the numbers. Twenty-five years at Coventry, 23 at Coventry Blaze and 30 years on radio in the city is a long run by any measure, and the move to Dubai closes three separate chapters at once.
Dalziel said the role was one of the privileges of his life, and that lines up with the reaction around his departure. One fan, Gail, told him: "Don't forget your home is always Coventry. Go and shine in Dubai."
A final night against Aston Villa
His last match as stadium announcer will be Wednesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa, which gives the goodbye a neat loop. Dalziel said his first chance on the mic came at Highfield Road against Villa in 2001, when he was sent on as the kid who ran onto the pitch and shouted, "Come on you Sky Blues".
The symmetry is hard to miss, even if the bigger point is the same either way: this is a proper local farewell, not a quick exit. The final whistle on his Coventry run comes on Wednesday night, and then he heads for Dubai on Thursday.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
