Sports Commentary Team
Football from St Mary's Stadium
Southampton Hospital Radio was formed in 1952 and its very first broadcast was from The Dell when Saints played Doncaster Rovers on 18th October 1952.
Leslie Arthur Sullivan (Sully) was the commentator (and founder of our station) and he was joined in the commentary box by Frank Le Druillenec and 'Inky' Bean.
Inky left the group in 1960 and Ken Flood, who had previously been the technical engineer took over the vacated microphone. In 1971 Frank moved away and the third seat was then shared between Bryan Dowding and Ken Fielder - until 1977 when Sully eventually retired.
This left Ken Flood, Bryan Dowding and Ken Fielder in command and this (young) trio remained on duty for every home game for over 25 years, untill just a few years ago when Ken Flood retired from 'service' after working for 42 years as an active member on the hospital radio team.
The third seat then vacated by Ken is now shared between three 'young supporters:' Martin Ingoe, Chris Hutchings and Neil Harvey.
The commentary from St Marys is relayed direct to our studio through an ISDN digital connection and then onwards around the hospitals via our rooftop FM radio transmitter.
The commentary team are also connected to two induction loop circuits around two sections of seats inside the stadium whereby the hard of hearing and visually impaired supporters (both home and away) can sit - and with the aid of an earpiece supplied by the stewards - they can tune in and listen to our live running commentary.
The Team
Cricket from the Rose Bowl
Our team of cricket commentators have hundreds of years of cricketing experience. Not all those years actively playing of course, but our elite team of enthusiasts who are all mostly 'of an age' bring a mature perspective to their commentaries and an attitude to the sport that you would never expect to hear on a Radio 1 programme. The year 2007 is our 40th consecutive season of providing patients in Southampton hospitals with a ball-by-ball commentary on every home match.
Initally from the old ground in Northland Road where the hospital radio team were privileged to occupy their own commentary box, in the year 2000, to the purpose built and beautifully designed and landscaped grounds constructed out of a hillside in the West End area of Southampton.
Known as 'The Rose Bowl' this new venue also brought about a complete change in the Club's management style. With the financial and commercial support of the new club chairman Rod Bransgrove the business of Cricket in Southampton took on a new lease of life.
The new Media Centre, looking straight down the wicket and facing the main Pavilion, has a rather special view for the television cameras and to aid the world wide press reporters. We were offered 'occasional use' of this building, but would have been excluded for all International Games. However the Rose Bowl management kindly granted us the permanent use of a Portacabin of our own, which is located half way between the Pavilion and the Media Centre in 'the middle of the wicket.'
Whilst the thrills of the bowling experts achievements cannot best be seen from this angle, the comfort and facilities of having our own permanent Portacabin all year round and able to commentate on every home game, is a distinct privilege. To be provided with such amenities free of charge in this commercial world is very much appreciated.
Southampton is the only hospital radio service in the country that has the resources both technical and human to broadcast the all day ball-by-ball commentaries. It goes without saying that the enthusiasm of our commentary team is also unique across the whole of the UK and the organising abilities of John Young the team leader to muster up his crew keeps his home telephone line very busy during the summer season.
The Team
