Meet the man in charge of bringing athletics back to Crystal Palace

We speak exclusively to Ben Woods, the person given the task of now leading the redevelopment of the historic south London sports arena

The man who helped rebuild the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham has now got Crystal Palace in his sights. Ben Woods, part of the team that helped deliver the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was chosen by Sadiq Khan to be Project Director at the Greater London Authority (GLA) for the redevelopment of Crystal Palace, a role that he has now been in since January 2023.

He was Head of Capital Projects for Birmingham 2022 in the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) from early 2018 until the end of last year. 

Woods’ aim was to deliver the capital infrastructure programme of works on both the Alexander Stadium and Sandwell Aquatics Centre. His current project, however, is even closer to home. Woods was born near Crystal Palace and watched world class athletics in the stadium as a child.

AW sits down with the man that many hope can help bring athletics back to Crystal Palace.

What does Crystal Palace mean to you? 

I grew up around here in Upper Norwood and this was my local sports centre as a kid. I swam here, ran on the track and watched events here, so this project is as much to do with my heart as it is my head. Even today I live relatively local and bring my kids down around the park. I see such history and potential going forward. It’s the only show in town and we should all strive to see it looking good again. 

How do you reflect on its history?

The unique thing about Crystal Palace is that the centre is a multi-sport venue and it has sheer range and depth of sports. We’re focusing on athletics but we also have swimming, the indoor and outdoor sports. You don’t have that anywhere else and it’s right in the heart of London. We have to embrace its uniqueness and this is a well-renowned stadium.

I went to a few of those Grand Prix meetings dating back to the 1980s. Steve Cram was one of my heroes as a kid and then you’ve got the likes of Merlene Ottey and Michael Johnson in the 1990s up to the Jessica Ennis Hill’s. I’d love to get Dina Asher-Smith back here for example running in this stadium.

It’s always had that pathway from community to elite sport as well. Even today, we’re not working from scratch. There’s still a lot of fantastic events and a network of clubs and coaches. We have to build from that base.

How do you compare what you saw in the 1980s…