We had a chat with local radio disc jockey and avid Palace fan Andreas G Wood who shares with us his passion for both the club and music along with how he got the bug for both.
Q. So let us begin with the most obvious question for you, why Crystal Palace?
My association with Palace is a strange one. I was never really in to football in my youth. I was not particularly good at the game and played for a pretty awful Sunday league side which further compounded my indifference towards the sport. My main preoccupation was music. In my teens, I was either going to gigs or obsessively trawling record shops for rarities and bands that were generally ignored by the mainstream.
Fast forward to 2005 and my good friend Chris dragged me to Selhurst Park to watch Palace play. I almost did not go. I cannot remember the game or who we played but what I do remember is falling completely head over heels (not literally!) in love with the atmosphere, the fans and the ground itself. After the match, Chris introduced me to a group of guys who were all my age that were as passionate about music as I was but also wanted to introduce a more European ‘Ultra’ vibe to Selhurst Park which really appealed to me. They called themselves the ‘Holmesdale Fanatics’ (HF). From that day, I realised that there was more to football than just the game. It was about friendship, camaraderie and being a palpable force that lifts your side in victory and defeat.
Almost a decade later, I am still very good friends with those lads and am very much still in love with Crystal Palace Football Club.
Q. Who is your favourite ever Palace player and why?
Of all the players that I have seen playing live for Palace, my hands down favourite is Jose Fonte. Both on and off the pitch, he was a fantastic ambassador for the club and his work ethic was second to none. He quietly took care of business at the back without fuss and when asked, was a credible threat as a striker too.
I was genuinely disappointed when he left in 2010 but as we were in administration and looking like going out of business, I feel he had no choice. It is great to see him doing as well as he is doing at Southampton and fantastic that the Portuguese national team are finally giving him a shot internationally.
Q. What has been your highlight in your time supporting Palace?
To be honest, all of it has been pretty amazing. Getting the chance to travel around the country and Europe with the HF, the buzz of arriving at a new stadium and being a vocal force that are the envy of many a fan.
If I have to pinpoint one true highlight, it would have to be Southampton away in 2007. I failed to secure a ticket for the away end so sat with the home fans. Big mistake! We went on to win 4-1 and James Scowcroft scored a hat-trick. I had to sit on my hands while the goals when in. I got found out in the end but rather than getting a hiding, I went for a good couple of beers with some Southampton fans. Turned into quite the boozy evening!
Q. How would you assess the last five years at the club?
Unsettled, would be the best way to describe the last five years at Palace. The resurgence of the club under CPFC2010 has been remarkable. Having a chairman with a head for figures is all well and good plus the financial rewards of being a ‘top flight’ club are great, but some stability on the pitch would be great. Eleven managers in the space of four years do not make a stable club.
Q. Are you against modern football and if so, why?
I could compose a very long and wordy essay as to why I am against modern football, but I really do not want to bore you. In short, especially in this country, the treatment of fans as commodities and genuine supporters being shoved aside in favour of day-trippers is completely deplorable. Modern football creates sterile, lifeless stadia where ‘fans’ are happy to scoff £10 hotdogs and sit in silence, taking the occasional selfie, whilst watching mercenaries who quite frankly could not care less about the club let alone the fans. The connection between a fan and their club has been completely eroded to the point where local kids walk around in Manchester City shirts and that is deemed as acceptable.
Q. Where do you see Palace in five years time?
The Championship, hopefully.
Q. How did you get involved in both Palace Radio and Susy Radio?
I started out in radio the way that most seem to start out. I pestered the hell out of a local commercial station for work experience and started out on their travel desk reading half hourly bulletins. I was there for two years. From that station, I met the station manager of Susy Radio who seemed to like the way I presented and offered me a weekly show. In the interim, I did various podcasts, RSLs (Restricted Service Licences) and worked on a community station in Sydenham. Sometimes I would present three shows in a day all over South London just to gain experience. It was tiring but very rewarding.
The Palace Radio thing came about when a good friend of mine that I had given his first presenting role on Sydenham Community Radio asked me if I wanted to get involved with Palace Radio and I naturally jumped at the offer.
Q. Are there any new artists out there that you would recommend to us?
As my show mainly focuses on Rock/Punk/Metal/Electronica, the bands I would recommend in these genres are Beasts, Red Kite, The Wonder Beers, The Fun Die Young, Confessions of a Traitor, Vanity Draws Blood and Death Rattle.
Q. What do you find most rewarding working in radio and what tips would you give to any budding DJs?
For me, the most rewarding thing about working in radio is discovering new bands and then getting to chat to them on air. There is something magical about conducting a live interview and interacting with bands that you genuinely love, especially when you get to them before they gain mainstream acclaim. A few of the bands that I have found are on the cusp of great things and that fills me with a huge sense of pride.
Getting into radio is tough and I mean TOUGH. There are literally thousands of stations out there so you are going to get a fair amount of rejection before you can get anywhere. You have to be prepared to work for nothing, sometimes at times that are totally inconvenient but once you get going, it is such a rewarding job. It does not really pay much, if at all, but if you are prepared to put in some serious graft, you will have a great deal of fun.
Q. And finally, tell us about any projects that you are currently working on or anything that you wish to promote.
Fingers crossed, I will be putting on a new acts night in the New Year in Reigate. Other than that, keep on listening to #tuneinyouwont every Tuesday from 7pm until 9pm on Susy 103.4FM, online at susyradio.com and on the Tune In and UK Radio Player Apps.
We thank Andreas for sparing the time to chat to us and providing a little insight into the life of a radio disc jockey. Leave us your comments for him below this article, on our Facebook page or tweet us.
