Crystal Palace Stadium, for 50 years the home of British athletics, was last night subject to an emergency closure for safety reasons.
Falling down: the proud old stadium has looked neglected for many years
The whole of the National Sports Centre, including the sports hall and gyms, is closed this weekend.
There has been no official announcement about the track and infield area – often used in winter months for football – will be open again.
The announcement from operators GLL said that the concrete pillars at the base of the stadium’s floodlights were unsafe.
The stadium and the neighbouring sports hall and pools were built in the 1960s as the National Sports Centre.
But they have suffered from under-investment and inadequate maintenance in the past three decades. Although designated as an “Olympic legacy” venue to complement the new facilities built in east London for the 2012 Games, those promises have come to nothing.
The Crystal Palace 50-metre swimming pool and diving pool have been dry for more than two years, waiting for funding to pay for some major repairs to the facility.
The closure of the stadium will be a body blow for the coaches, sports clubs and centre users drawn from across south-east England, for whom the Palace has been a vital training base. Fears that the stadium site could be demolished will be raised once more.
Glory days: Steve Ovett beat Kenya’s Henry Rono over two miles in 1978 to set one on the stadium’s many world records
The GLL statement, posted on the operators’ website at 6pm last night, says, “Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has temporarily closed today (Friday 18 November) after some sections of the pillars supporting the floodlights at the stadium were deemed unsafe.
“It is likely the centre will remain closed this weekend so please check the website before visiting. Better members access has been increased to include surrounding Better leisure centres.
“GLL and the Greater London Authority (GLA) apologise for the inconvenience this closure may cause and are working closely to agree the next steps.”
Read more: When Cram and Ovett held court at a packed Crystal Palace
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