A new initiative at Selhurst Park is giving visually impaired supporters the chance to follow live football in much greater detail.聽
FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have become the first Premier League club to offer GiveVision headsets, which are powered by a private 5G network installed at the stadium by Shared Access.
The system works by capturing live broadcast footage, enhancing it and projecting the images directly onto the working part of the user鈥檚 retina.聽
It is designed to help those with sight loss see action on the pitch and the atmosphere in the stands more clearly.
鈥淗elping to deliver this technology through the private 5G network that we鈥檝e installed at Selhurst Park is something we鈥檙e immensely proud of,鈥� said Sam Jackman, chief development officer at Shared Access.聽
鈥淪upporting initiatives that make football accessible to more fans is at the heart of our partnership with Crystal Palace.鈥�
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Sophia, a 10-year-old season ticket holder with macular atrophy, can now follow her team with clarity after struggling to see players鈥� faces or goals in the past.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a fan since I was 9 years old,鈥� she told BBC Newsround.聽
鈥淲hen I first went to the match I couldn鈥檛 really see the players, their faces or expressions or who scored the goals, so I couldn鈥檛 really see all of the detail in the game.聽
鈥淏efore I felt disconnected, but now with the headset I feel connected with what鈥檚 going on in the crowd and on the pitch!鈥�
Research shows blind and partially sighted people are half as likely to attend live sporting events, and the Eagles鈥� collaboration with the firms is designed to change that.
Crystal Palace CEO, Sharon Lacey, added: 鈥淲e are proud to be the first Premier League club to offer GiveVision technology to our supporters.聽
鈥淔ootball is about connection – to the team, to the community, to each other – and we want every fan to feel that connection, no matter their circumstances.聽
鈥淪ophia鈥檚 story is an emotional reminder of why this work matters.鈥�
Club captain and England international, Marc Guehi, said: 鈥淕iving children the opportunity to do things they can鈥檛 usually experience to the fullest is definitely something everyone should be able to do.鈥�