Some major football stadiums in England provide great and accessible seats for every type of fan.
Whether you follow Pep Guardiola’s high-flying Manchester City or the Premier League’s new boys (Wolverhampton Wanderers), there’s no better feeling than cheering on your team. However, for many years a host of football stadiums failed to comply with criteria set to meet the needs of disabled fans.
But we’re pleased to say that not all clubs fit that category. So here’s MediaWorks‘ guide to England’s most accessible football stadiums, presented in partnership with Lookers, England’s leader in providing a variety of car service plans.
St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton Football Club, which is managed by Mark Hughes, boasts 156 wheelchair spaces as well as 98 seats that include headsets and radio for match commentary for the visually impaired. In fact, disabled followers of the Saints are among some of the best-catered football fans in the country.
St. Mary’s Stadium (photo, footballmanics.com)
The club said in a statement that “At Southampton Football Club, we are committed to ensuring all visitors to St Mary’s Stadium have the facilities and assistance they need to enjoy their visit. Our staff is easily accessible and keen to help.” Disabled supporters are given a dedicated telephone number. A Disabled Liaison Officer will help answer any questions, queries, and requests, aiding fans in domains from ticket purchases through the matchday experience.
There’s also the opportunity to purchase disabled parking on a season-by-season basis while offering dedicated pick-up and drop-off points to Blue Badge holders.
When the team welcomed Watford last season, they held ‘Disabled Access Day’ to celebrate access.
Stadium address: Britannia Road, Southampton SO14 5FP
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal
The replacement for Highbury became the first Premier League stadium to install a ‘Changing Places’ toilet. This will allow more disabled fans to attend games with the satisfaction of knowing they will be able to use accessible toilet facilities. Earlier, the club installed a ‘Guide Dog Toilet facility.
In 2007, the club announced that they had set up the Arsenal Disabled Supports’ Association (ADSA) to give the club’s supporters a voice. There is a Disabled Supports Lounge, too, which is open before every home game. Available for Purple Members, the lounge offers free tea and coffee and has two large screen TVs.
There’s more, too. The Arsenal Sensory Room opened its doors last season at an ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ event. The room offers a range of sensory tools and games, designed to give fans with profound special needs the chance to take in games with family and carers.
Peter Shippey, who attended the official opening of the room, told the club’s official website: “This room will allow autistic supporters and their families to enjoy football, maybe for the first time in their lives. It’s an incredible facility and it is brilliant to see Arsenal taking care of their supporters and opening a day that may have previously been shut.”
Stadium address: Arsenal Football Club Highbury House 75 Drayton Park, London N5 1BU
Old Trafford, Manchester
Formed in 1989, the Red Devils have their own association for disabled supporters. The goal is to provide fans with the best possible match experience. The club is now regarded as having one of the best-disabled facilities in the world. Both home and away supporters are able to watch games in comfort.
Old Trafford Stadium (photo, prezzybox.com)
Chas Banks, secretary of the Disabled Supporters’ Association, told the Guardian: “I’m filled with pride that the club I’ve supported since first coming to Old Trafford as a little boy in 1957 is leading the way in increasing accessible seating to meet the standards set out in the Accessible Stadia guide. It’s a dream come true for me and many other disabled United fans.”
The club even reduced stadium capacity at the start of last season so that more disabled seating areas could be available.
Stadium address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA
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While the three stadiums mentioned are fantastic facilities, know that other clubs are making progress–albeit slow in some cases–to provide better access for their disabled fans.
Hopefully, future lists can include all 20 teams!
Sources
https://www.ageukmobility.co.uk/mobility-news/article/the-most-accessible-sports-venues-in-the-uk
https://southamptonfc.com/news/2017-03-02/southampton-support-disabled-access-day
https://www.arsenal.com/supportersclubs/arsenal-supporters-clubs-europe/arsenal-disabled-supporters-association
https://www.arsenal.com/tickets/ticket-information/disabled-supporters-information-page
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38630964
https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenal-sensory-room-opens-its-doors?utm_source=premier-league-website&utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=link
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39643089
