Overview

As a young Sheffield United fan I want to travel to away matches to back my team Coventry away was next on the list. 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

If you are using a car there are many disabled parking spaces within 20 metres of the away end, which cost £10. This is the same across the whole of the stadium and Coventry offer a season pass to their supporters. If you are traveling by public transport you can get a connecting train to the Ricoh Arena Train Station, just under 100 metres from the stadium itself.

Access

There is flat access to all of the seating areas. Disabled seating in the home end is through the normal stands but in the away you are allowed in through an emergency exit. The home disabled supporters are at an elevated view with carers seating next to them, which is great, but in the away end you are on a makeshift raised platform. This is very poorly designed as although it gives an elevated view, it is too narrow to exit when other wheelchairs are situated alongside you, so you cannot get to the toilet or refreshment facilities until others have moved. This is very frustrating! What is more, your carer has to sit in a seat behind you so it is hard to interact with them. Poorly thought out!

Toilets

There were only two toilets in the disabled area for away fans. They are big enough to move the wheelchair around and position it alongside the toilet for a transfer and it is relatively clean, however there was a small number of grab rails to provide stability.

Staff

As a result of the awkwardness of the raised platform a member of staff should have come to get us wheelchair users refreshments but there was a distinct lack of attention paid as the staff were more focused on the possibility of a protest from the Coventry fans towards their owners. Be prepared as this may happen again in the future. My carer realised he had left my blanket in the car, yet a steward was unwilling to let him get it and was very rude to him. Staff weren't attentive or caring at all!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The raised platform should definitely be replaced, there should be a disabled liaison checking up on people to get refreshments at half time and toilets could do with more grab rails. These issues and the Coventry fans' protest did not put a dampener on the day too much as the Mighty Sheffield United won the game 2-1 with a very late winner!