The story of Selhurst's Croydon Hospital Broadcasts

This season is a special one for both myself (Roger Dickson) and Chris Winter, as we celebrate 40 continuous years of commentating from Selhurst Park – and, in my case, also from many grounds around the country.

It was in August 1962, with Palace’s season-opening match against Halifax Town, when broadcasts began from Selhurst Park to hospital patients at Croydon’s Mayday Hospital, now named Croydon University Hospital.

At this time, they were known as “Croydon Hospital Broadcasts”, made by four commentators: Roy Preston, Roy Topp, Steve Stuart and John Henty.

From a few seats at the back of the Main Stand in 1962, then later in 1965 to a new hut on top of the Park Road terracing, and organised by Dick Graham, commentaries were sent via Post Office landlines to Croydon General, Queens Park and Mayday Hospitals.

With promotion in 1969 and the construction of the new Arthur Wait Stand, the then-Chairman himself provided a purpose-built commentary box situated in the back corner of the stand at the Whitehorse Lane end.

Over the course of the following decade, Croydon Hospital Broadcasts became part of Radio Mayday, the seven-day-a-week broadcasting service at Mayday Hospital.

From 1984, Chris and I took over the running of the commentary service. Using high-quality ISDN lines, links were developed to other Hospital Radio Stations over the country, enabling patients to follow matches when Palace played away, and also for supporters of teams playing at Selhurst Park to receive the commentaries in their own local hospitals across England.

The service continued to grow and in the 1990s, with the support of Selhurst Park’s groundsman, Bill Harrison, blind and partially sighted supporters were invited to attend home matches.

Technical staff from Radio Mayday installed receivers and headsets on 12 seats in front of the commentary box, which were kindly provided free of charge by the club. At this time, links were developed with Redhill School for the blind.

Through this service, Selhurst was also able to accommodate blind supporters from visiting teams, many of whom became regular visitors each season when their teams played away.