For Bradford City AFC, one of England’s oldest professional football clubs, keeping fans, players and officials safe in and around their 25,000 capacity stadium is paramount.
On match days, it’s crucial for clubs like Bradford City to guide supporters and visiting club fans efficiently into and out of their stadium in a safe and orderly manner. Professional Mobile Radio (or two-way radio) systems facilitate smoother stadium operations by allowing staff to stay informed and updated on real-time situations through group calling, enhancing their ability to collaborate effectively. However, their legacy system had several limitations including coverage across the entire site, voice clarity, and system capacity.
Digitall Comms Limited, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of push-to-talk communication and body-worn camera solutions, have been proudly supplying Bradford City AFC with their match day communications since 2014. Based in Bradford themselves, the partnership is particularly close to the heart of the entire Digitall Team, including Sales and Account Manager Karla Fisher.
Digltall recommended Bradford City AFC use a Hytera digital two-way radio (DMR) system for matchday staff at Valley Parade. Hytera DMR systems provide highly reliable, always-available instant PTT voice and messaging services. This connectivity ensures that key teams at the stadium, including safety stewards, medical responders, and car park attendants, can communicate quickly and effectively at the touch of a button. This capability is vital for ensuring the safety of everyone at the stadium, both on a daily basis and during emergencies.
Given the noisy environment of football stadiums, clear and loud communication is essential. Therefore, Digitall recommended the Hytera PD405 digital radio, which delivers excellent audio quality thanks to Hytera’s advanced audio processing technology and built-in loudspeaker. Additionally, the radios offer a long battery life of approximately 16 hours in digital mode, ensuring reliable performance throughout the day.
With their Hytera system, Bradford City’s matchday staff are organized into specific call groups with dedicated radio channels, so only relevant roles, such as safety stewards or medical personnel, receive messages pertinent to their duties. Effective security management and prompt response to any issues are critical for stadium managers. Two-way radios enable staff to be quickly informed of problems and coordinate appropriate responses efficiently.
Bradford’s solution also consists of several PD985 hand-portables and MD785 fixed mobiles, allowing the club to maintain safety and operational efficiency both inside and outside the stadium, keeping key stakeholders including stewards, Police, paramedics and fire attendants in the loop at all times.
If you are interested in how to improve team communication in stadiums and arenas, contact us today to learn more!
