The Crystal Palace and Park have a 170-year history. They were opened in 1856 following the construction of the original Crystal Palace, which was relocated and enlarged following the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. The magnificent glass and iron construction was destroyed by fire in 1936, leading to the steady decay of the park designed by Sir Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace Company.

Major sporting events kept the park alive. Grand Prix Motor Racing commenced in 1937 and the hilly, narrow circuit remained in use until 1972. The course is still present and is in use every Saturday morning for the Crystal Palace parkrun!

Between 1895 and 1914, the stadium hosted the FA Cup final. In 1971, the first Women's FA Cup Final was played there. Crystal Palace was the venue for the biggest international athletics events of the year from the mid-1950s until 2012, when the London Olympic Stadium assumed the mantle.

Your reporter has fond memories of running road relays on the GP circuit and cross country races in the park, as well as racing in the stadium where he witnessed numerous world records in exciting athletics meetings like the Coca-Cola International. Less thrilling was the hour-long traffic jam to exit the car park at midnight on a Friday night!

Sadly, another phase of neglect has seen the once glorious National Sports Centre in South London fall into disuse. The main 50m swimming pool has been closed since 2020 and the athletics track surface was only recently repaired after several holes appeared.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has recently appointed Morgan Sindall Construction, with Ben Woods as project manager, tasked with a total refurbishment of the indoor and outdoor facilities. Due for completion in 2028, the £130million project could see the return of major athletics events like the Diamond League to the famous old venue.

Initial plans and computer-generated images (see above) indicate the renewed stadium may be surrounded by an all-weather jogging trail, an outdoor 200m running track and an indoor 100m sprint straight for public training and warming up for top events.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is an historic and much-loved sporting and community facility, where many UK sporting stars have started their careers and trained, but which needs major investment and refurbishment. I am committed to this once-in-a-generation redevelopment of the site which will secure its future for decades to come. With short-term improvements already delivered and Morgan Sindall Construction now appointed to deliver the design and build of the centre, we look forward to working closely with partners and the local community to create an outstanding sporting venue as we work together to build a better, healthy London for all.”

Photo courtesy of Morgan Sindall Construction