Have you heard about the many football fans forced to sit with opposition supporters, stomach interrupted views and endure undignified toilet facilities?
These are just some of the challenges faced by disabled followers of the sport. One in five of us is disabled and it affects us all. Whether it’s a family member, friend or ourselves, disability is wide-ranging and anyone can become disabled at any moment.
The latest challenge for disabled fans is the plan to close most rail ticket offices in England. On Tuesday the watchdogs analysing the proposals and public consultation responses are due to offer their response. Ticket office staff often help disabled people to board trains and access station facilities and the former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has said the closures would cause “big problems”.
Buying tickets from vending machines can also be more difficult for disabled people and although a lot of disabled football supporters travel to games by road, many are concerned about potential changes to stations.
Bolton fan Kayleigh’s 11-year-old son Jack has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. He is also non-speaking. Although she says they have had some excellent customer service on the trains, she is nervous about the plans.
“Disability always needs improvement and the travel aspect with disability is way behind the times,” Kayleigh says. “So rather than actually setting us back even more, they need to be looking at how we can move it forward and expand and improve.”
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) says ticket office closures would put staff on platforms for “better, face-to-face interactions” and that those with “accessibility needs will always be supported”. It says “roving mobile teams” would ensure no one is left stranded but Kayleigh is concerned about receiving support before her train arrives and says “if your match day starts off wrong the whole day kind of goes wrong”.
Owain Davies, the chief executive of Level Playing Field, which campaigns for disabled fans in sport, underlines the importance of match day for disabled supporters. He says social isolation and a lack of independence can have a significant impact on the mental wellbeing of disabled people.
Composed but driven, Davies is also dyslexic and, with a mum who worked in care, has always been motivated to force change. “Sport is so powerful,” he says. “We just take it for granted. It’s not just about 90 or 80 minutes. It can really unite people.”
New figures from Level Playing Field for 2023, published on Monday, show that the percentage of disabled fans for whom "inaccessible public transport is a barrier to attending live sport" has increased year on year, from 16% to 20%. This is similar to the year-on-year trend for those who said that being "unable to travel to stadiums" was a barrier: 15.5% of fans in 2021, up to 18% in 2023. A quarter of respondents said the "attitudes of others" were a factor in preventing attendance. Paul MacInnes
Many of us will relish a pub lunch, walk to the ground and escapism in the stands on match day but for disabled football fans it’s not as simple.
Jo and Jeff Newall are MK Dons supporters. Jo uses an electric wheelchair, Jeff has reduced vision and following their club around the country has been quite the experience. They have ended up next to opposition fans owing to a lack of disabled seating in away grounds, and have had their front-row view blocked by fights breaking out.
“We’ve felt cut off from our own community,” Jo says. “Jeff has had repeat seizures triggered by our own fans throwing a flare that landed near to us. On other occasions the same has happened when fans have surged forward and jumped over us.”
Attitudes of others are becoming a bigger problem for disabled fans. In the Level Playing Field fans’ survey in 2022 the number of fans saying this was a barrier was double that of the year before. Derogatory slurs referencing disability linger and Davies wants supporters to recognise that words have “implications” that “might push people to their limits”.
In the stands and society Davies is keen for fans to take a moment and not proactively “jump in” to assist a disabled person, often desperate for independence. This advice follows a new government campaign, aiming to improve etiquette. Titled Ask, Don’t Assume, it drew criticism from some for potentially opening disabled people up to probing, intrusive questioning.
“The best question you can ask is: ‘Is there anything I can help with?’” Davies says. “Don’t assume that somebody desperately needs it.”
Facilities are always a big cause of concern for disabled fans and although club information is becoming clearer, Davies is keen to see greater consistency of access. He says access further down the pyramid is often dependent on region and a bit of luck and that it is “a lottery about what league your club is in”.
Kayleigh says their match-day experiences hinge on the availability of a Changing Places toilet: an expanded room with a height-adjustable bench, hoist and space for carers. “The major point of it is the dignity,” Kayleigh says. “Without a Changing Places, we have no option but to put Jack on a waterproof blanket on the disabled toilet floor, which is just completely degrading.”
Kayleigh recently took pictures of Jack at two venues. One has a Changing Places facility, the other doesn’t. His facial expressions couldn’t be more of a contrast. At the Silverstone Museum, Jack is punching the air with excitement. At an EFL ground, he looks lost and belittled. Not long after seeing this stark disparity, the club concerned installed new facilities, with help from Level Playing Field.
Progress is being made and not just in terms of toilets. More quiet and sensory rooms are being provided but extra resources are needed, particularly for neurodivergent fans, often the most passionate you’ll see.
Sensory rooms, good as they are, often serve only a few fans and Davies is pleased with the gradual introduction of new sensory packs. The packs, containing a stress ball, fidget spinner, ear defenders and pop-it tray, can be a lifeline, particularly for neurodivergent fans, who can require extra stimulation or a release for anxiety.
Football does appear to have the appetite to change, albeit slowly. Small alterations to grounds, infrastructure, websites, even attitudes, can have a major impact on one person’s life – and that’s what sport and football are surely about.
