“The Audio Descriptive Commentary team was set up by Portsmouth Football club in 2015/16. The team provide a service to aid visually impaired fans, supporters with restricted views or those who want to add to their match day experience with immediate live action commentary at every home game.
The AD team are trained to provide up-to-the-second reports on the match, focusing on the action rather than opinions or transfer stories.
As things happen on the pitch the listener hears exactly what is going on, with as much detail as possible to help create the action in the listener’s mind.
Working in the press box at the back of the South Stand headset microphones are used to commentate live on the game.
Commentary is transmitted immediately to handsets and earphones given out free to listeners on match days. There is no delay from transmission to listeners as with ‘live’ local radio.
The handsets can be obtained from the ticket offices, just ask when you attend the game.
comment below by Richard Coates
I tried out the system as a paying spectator and was issued with a headset after I purchased the ticket. The sound system is loud and clear and commentary can be heard through the headset even over the ‘Fratton Park chimes’. As someone who can never work out which player has the ball, given the distance you can be away from the pitch, or unable to remember the names and with the speed the ball is passed, it was great to be able to actually know who was who without keep looking at the programme.
I would recommend the free AD Commentary system to anyone attending at Fratton Park to enhance their experience of the match- Play up Pompey”.
