Charlton Athletic are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of much-loved journalist and former Press Officer Peter ‘Scoop’ Burrowes at the age of 87, following a short battle with cancer.
Peter was a stalwart of The Valley’s pressroom having first started to cover the club during the 1960s with the Kentish Independent, where he held positions as both Sports Editor and Political Editor.
After 15 years with the Kentish Independent, he joined Charlton as Press Officer, working particularly closely with Lennie Lawrence’s successful Addicks side during the 1980s, during which time he affectionately became known by the Charlton family as ‘Scoop’ due to his prodigious self-proclaimed ability of “always being first with the news!”
His voice became well known to Addicks supporters thanks to his work with LBC Radio and was also a regular voice on the end of the line for Charlton’s ClubCall service, before moving into a part-time role with the club during the 1990s.
A short spell as Press Officer with Gillingham followed in 1998, but Peter returned home to The Valley in 1999 before retiring - yet he would remain a mainstay in the pressroom for decades to come.
For the past 13 years, ’Scoop’ took on a voluntary role on matchdays, supporting the Communications team by being the welcoming face for visiting journalists, broadcasters and photographers, handing out media passes and teamsheets, as well as managing the pressbox during games.
Peter was also a regular contributor to Valley Review, the club’s official matchday programme, providing copy and helping with proofreading right up until the final edition of the 2025/26 season, while also assisting the academy for home U21 fixtures at Princes Park and Sparrows Lane.
As well as his love for Charlton, he had a great passion for sport and was also a much-loved figure at Kent Cricket across many decades – providing match reports for Kent’s Second XI Men’s team, weekly roundups from the Kent Cricket League, and a part of the team that edited the Kent Cricket Annual for many years.
Meanwhile, during his time at the Kentish Independent and LBC, he was able to cover a range of sports outside of football and cricket, such as snooker and boxing, with some of his career highlights including covering Lennox Lewis’ heavyweight bouts, including a memorable trip to New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1996.
‘Scoop’ laid the foundations for the generations of club Communications teams which followed and he was a dear friend and colleague to so many who have passed through The Valley’s doors over the last six decades.
A Charlton legend in his own right and a key member of the Charlton family, he will be dearly missed.
