Overview

As a young Sheffield United fan I want to travel to away matches to back my team and Barnsley was the latest adventure. I am unfortunately confined to a wheelchair and away grounds can sometimes seem daunting experiences: where is the accessible parking, where are the seats, are they accessible, where are there disabled toilets etc.? Supporting your team is a great feeling (especially when you win) and with an understanding of the problems you might encounter, I want to share my experiences of football grounds with you so you can feel a bit more confident about stadium accessibility in the future.

Transport & Parking

Parking facilities for away supporters are located off Queens Road by the Barnsley metrodome leisure facility. The parking spaces are on quite a steep hill with only a few spaces that provide parking with flat access and it is possible that you may get blocked in, with a long wait to get out at the end of the game. However, if you get to the ground early there are spaces outside the metrodome leisure center, which are a lot more spacious and easier to use for people who are less ambulant, yet these are a bit of a walk from the stadium.

Access

The North Stand is located at the bottom of the away supporters car park, so if you chose to park at the metrodome leisure center so depending on your disability it would be difficult to walk or push yourself or for someone else to push you back up the hill. Once you go in the disabled seats are located at gangway 2, which means you have to go through the concourse to get there, so get there quite early. The seats are a few rows back so you stay fairly dry yet there are a limited number of disabled seats and you cannot sit with your carer.

Toilets

The disabled toilets are located in the concourse so it is best to avoid going during half time. The toilet nearest the away disabled seats is a good size but is a bit small if you need to transfer off the wheelchair. It is well maintained, which is better than some of the grounds I have been to.

Staff

The staff in the car park allowed us to use the metrodome for ease of access and the stewards directed us to the accessible turnstile but there is nothing completely unpredictable inside the stadium so that was all the help we needed.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The day out was excruciating because we held the lead up to the 95th minute only to throw away the advantage to draw 1-1! Even though the end of the game left a sour taste in the mouth for all Sheffield United fans, the accessibility in the ground and the facilities were not bad. However the parking is a bit awkward because of the location of the ground and the seating arrangement could be improved.