From Firefighter to Football Coach: Chris Lock's Unconventional Journey

"I'm responding to a house fire," Chris Lock recounts to Sky Sports. "I'm in charge of a crew of four on my fire engine. There's a fire raging downstairs, a person trapped upstairs at the window, and someone else screaming inside the property who I can't see. My priority is the safety of my crew." Lock uses this anecdote to illustrate the intense pressure he faced during his 19-year career as a firefighter. "You're constantly dealing with people on the worst day of their lives. I still feel pressure, of course I do. But I don't want to downplay football. It's still a game, after all." And it's a game filled with fascinating characters. But a conversation with Lock, Charlton's U21 boss, who also works with England's age-group teams, is not like talking to your average coach. When he says "tough decisions have never fazed me," it's clear why. "My experience in the fire service has served me well," he says. "It taught me to make difficult decisions and deal with the consequences. As a manager, you face that every day." Lock's path back to football is an intriguing one. He was once a promising young player, having worked his way up through Crystal Palace before earning a professional contract with Fulham. "I was quick and inquisitive about the game. I always wanted to know why." He has fond memories of his time at Fulham, where he learned from coaches like Paul Nevin, Steve Kean, Jean Tigana, and Christian Damiano. "I started to get interested in coaching. I was maybe too opinionated at the time," he chuckles. "The enthusiasm of youth." But a pelvic injury forced him to drift away from the game, and his football career fizzled out before it had really begun. "It was within reach. It always felt like unfinished business," he explains. Later, life got in the way of pursuing his dream too. Lock's uncle, Nathan, was a firefighter at the time, and he suggested Chris consider a career in the fire service. "I didn't want to work in an office and sit behind a desk," Chris says. What seemed like a tough decision at the time turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Football by another name. "It was like being in a changing room. There were older guys - the senior pros - and younger guys, the rookies. Then there was the watch manager. Instead of going out to play, you were responding to an emergency. That's how I framed it." Lock's return to football was a happy accident. His young sons started playing, and they were both good. "That's when I had the impetus to get back into football," he says. His children were playing for Peckham Town, and when their coach left, the chairman asked Chris to take over. Eventually, Chris started his own grassroots football club, Carpe Diem FC. "I was going to start with one team, but it soon grew to three," he says. With the help of colleagues, the club is still going strong today. "The idea was always to give kids of all abilities the opportunity to play football. It's about development, not elitism." Even so, Chris proved to be good at developing elite players. Reuell Walters went on to play for England at age-group level, and there are many more success stories. His own son, Paris, now plays for Charlton, and Chris is his coach. "I'm much tougher on him than anyone else," he insists. For a while, Chris found himself juggling shifts with the fire service, running Carpe Diem, working for Charlton, and coaching with England. "Family holidays weren't an option because I didn't have any leave left by the end of the year." As his football commitments increased, Chris decided to leave his firefighting career behind. "I put all my eggs in one basket," he says. Back in the crazy world of football, chasing his dream again, but this time as a coach. So far, it's paying off. Last year, Chris was part of the England coaching setup at the U17 World Cup. He's worked with talented players like Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha and Arsenal's Max Dowman, two of the breakout stars of this season's Premier League. "They're in a bracket where they'd succeed regardless of the coach. But it's helped me recognize what elite looks like, and I can push the Charlton lads in that direction." Those players have also helped Chris improve as a coach. "Players like that won't tolerate nonsense. They'll recognize if someone doesn't have the coaching detail they need. But I've always been good at building rapport. It's about fairness, integrity, and respect." Chris is eager to credit his colleagues at Charlton, such as Steve Avory, Tom Pell, and Rhys Williams, as well as others like Anthony Ferguson, Keith Boanas, and Warren Hackett, who have helped him with his coaching badges. He talks about conversations with Chris Ramsey, Kevin Nolan, Lee Carsley, John McDermott, and Tim Dittmer, and how his time assisting Michael Appleton with Charlton's first team convinced him he could be a manager. "It got my juices flowing." But what sets Chris apart is his unique background. "The fire service is always my anchor," he says. It might just be the reason he succeeds. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k! Enter for free.