For a number of years Radio Broadgreen has been the hub for hospital sports commentaries from Anfield and Goodison Park….but the commentaries started a very long time ago.

In 1951 the Walton Hospital League of Friends was asked if it could provide broadcast commentaries on Everton and Liverpool football matches to the tubercular patients at Walton Hospital, as there was no local radio coverage (Radio Merseyside started broadcasting in 1967 and Radio City in 1974). One of the early champions of the Network was Jack Worthington MBE who guided it through its early stages onto a firm footing.

The Merseyside Hospitals’ Radio Network was formed and commenced broadcasting on Saturday 18th October 1952 with live division 1 coverage from Anfield of Liverpool versus Aston Villa to Walton Hospital with the late Alan Clarke of the BBC at the mic. The game finished with a two nil win for the visitors. The following Saturday, coverage from Goodison Park began with Everton v West Ham United in League 2 – Everton winning two nil. On 5th December 1953, the network was enlarged to cover 21 hospitals on Merseyside via landline.

On 23rd August 1956, the Network began broadcasting Music Request Programmes from a studio at the GPO’s Lancaster House Telephone Exchange in Liverpool city centre. By 30th June 1958, two programmes per week were being relayed to 37 hospitals in Liverpool, Wrexham, Chester, Ormskirk, Heswall, Rainhill, Wallasey, Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port and Bebington.

Although the Network covered the whole of Merseyside and parts of North Wales, Walton Hospital League of Friends remained the organizing committee with Ken Martin and Cyril Richardson being appointed to control and produce the sports and request programmes respectively. Apart from Walton, the Merseyside Hospitals Council financed the £1,300 per annum needed to pay for the GPO landlines to the 37 hospitals.

The Network also covered local boxing tournaments from the Liverpool Stadium.

On 26th August 1954, the first Boxing commentary was made by the Rev. David Bevan who was a big boxing fan. He soon became known as the “Pugilistic Vicar”!

When he step down some years later, Ken Martin, Joe Palmer and Ken Head continued the commentaries. One of the finest nights covered was on Saturday 5th March 1977, when Liverpool’s John Conteh retained his Light Heavyweight World Title by beating Len Hutchins after 1 min 5 sec of the third round. Commentaries continued up to 1985, then shortly after, the Stadium was closed down and demolished.

Besides providing commentaries to hospital patients, the network was also invited to provide its service to the blind and visually impaired supporters at the ground. In the 1980s Radio Broadgreen became the hub connecting to the commentary teams and re-broadcasting it to other hospitals around Merseyside, Lancashire and North Wales.

Sunday 18th May 2025, 73 years from the very first commentary of an Everton fixture to hospital patients, Radio Broadgreen broadcast its final commentary from Goodison Park.

Image: Goodison Park 2025 (c)Ian Kettle/Radio Broadgreen

Thanks to the following for the contribution over the past 70 + years:

Everton FC, Liverpool FC, The late Jack Worthington MBE, The late Alan Clarke, Ken Martin, Cyril Richardson, Rev. David Bevan, The brother’s Tony and Ralph Ferrigno who commentated at both grounds, along with boxing at Liverpool Stadium. Joe Palmer a past Chairman of the Network. Football Commentator at both Everton and Liverpool and a Boxing Commentator at the old Liverpool Stadium, along with presentation on the Network Request Shows. Geoff Malone who assisted Joe Palmer on the Network Request Shows.

Ken Head a past Chairman of the Network, who worked on the Network for over 40 years and was a Football Commentator at both Everton and Liverpool and, a Boxing Commentator at the old Liverpool Stadium. The late Ann Head. A past Treasurer of the Network during the 1990’s.

Alan Jackson of BBC Radio Merseyside who commentated on Liverpool games during his spare time in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The late Bob Azurdia of BBC Radio Merseyside who commentated on Liverpool games for the Network during his spare time during the 1990’s.

Brian Keating, ex of Marcher Sound and Arrowesound, commentated on Liverpool games from 1988 to 1993. The late Hal Kerr. Commentator and summarizer at Liverpool FC during the late 90’s/early 2000 onwards. Billy Flanagan worked as a summarizer at Everton FC and presented the “Merseyside Match” from Radio Broadgreen from 2001 to 2003. The late Alan Myers former Chairman of the Network and a constant at Goodison Park.

The many members of Radio Broadgreen that produced the sports radio shows and fed the commentaries from the hub and those that helped the team… Keith Gunson, Chris Orme, Andy Foy, Ian Kettle, Rob Bevan, Steve Lord, Steve Hunter, Gilly Myers, Chris Carter, Gavin Buckland, Chris Byrne, Danny Jamieson and Paul Watters.

And thank you for listening…..