# Why has the matchday announcer and commentary been hard to hear?

Topic: Stadium and Facilities

Supporters in the Corner Stand, the Norman Rimmington South Stand and the West Stand reported at the start of the 2026/27 season that the PA sounded muffled and the commentary was hard to follow. The club confirmed the equipment and set-up are unchanged; what changed is the operator, after the departure of the previous host. The club does not attribute blame to the new operator, who stepped in at short notice, and is working out whether the difference is equipment or technique. The FAB asked whether the announcer could be asked to slow down, which the club agreed to raise.

By the [September 2026 meeting](https://images.gc.barnsleyfcservices.co.uk/74ab62d0-b04f-11f1-92c1-33d9855aa291.pdf) supporters in several stands reported a marked improvement, and the club said it would keep monitoring. The staffing changes behind this were set out in [August 2026](https://images.gc.barnsleyfcservices.co.uk/a65debd0-ac45-11f1-a0bc-9359ad8c111a.pdf): Callum Cooper hosts the hospitality lounges before kick-off and provides iFollow commentary, a newly recruited stadium announcer handles pitch-side announcements, and all club video and audio streaming is available through the club app.

## Related minutes

- https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/minutes/2026-08-04.md
- https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/minutes/2026-09-08.md

Source: https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/faq/pa-system