Boro make Riverside improvements - as disabled fans call for better venue access
A new report out today reveals over half of disabled sports fans have to sit away from family and friends, with shocking accounts of fans forced to sit in the rain.
Just days away from the Paralympic games, there're calls for sporting venues across the UK to become more disabled-friendly.
A survey of 700 young disabled people called Move the goalposts found many fans were frustrated and isolated watching the sports they love.
It found over half had to sit away from family and friends, with shocking accounts of disabled fans being forced to sit in the rain.
One in four fans cited poor venue access like parking to be the main reason for not attending more sporting events.
31-year-old Alan Pockley has been a life-long Sunderland supporter and despite good facilities at home, has had to put up with inadequate facilities when travelling away. He said:
“I’m a diehard football fan with a disability. This means that my enjoyment of the sport I love is sometimes ruined by poor matchday arrangements. On occasions I’ve been forced to sit with the opposition fans, which makes me question if it’s even worth going.
“Travelling to away games is a real lottery too. It can either be positive, allowing you to see the game in comfort or a real nightmare and total waste of money.
"Being split up from friends and family is also a real issue, as camaraderie is a big part of the day. I have to applaud the clubs that get it right, but for those that don’t, they must know they’re ruining disabled peoples’ love of sport.”
It was carried out by charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, who have concerns disabled people are being shut-out and put off from sports venues across the North East.
Tanvi Vyas, Manager, Muscular Dystrophy UK said:
“It is disappointing that four years after the big promises of a Paralympic legacy, many disabled people in the North East are clearly frustrated, limited and let down by their sporting experience. That they feel shut-out from events they love due to venue layout and accessibility is a real disgrace.
“If venues recognised not only the passion of disabled sports fans, but the two hundred billion spending power of disabled households, then everyone would gain from better inclusion. We urge the sports industry to put accessibility at the heart of stadium design and renovation, and to engage with charities like ours so every sports fan, regardless of disability, can follow their passion.”
Well one North East club taking positive steps to accommodate disabled fans is Middlesbrough Football Club.
Since the club's promotion to the Premier League in May, they've made a number of improvements to the Riverside, in a bid to make it more accessible.
More viewing platforms, more parking spaces and accessible toilet and dining facilities have all been introduced since May.
Staff say they work closely with the Middlesbrough Disabled Supporters Association, to ensure fans have the best matchday experience possible.
Disability Access Officer Liam Hamilton admits the club still have further improvements for disabled fans to make, like electronic ticket sales and audio description. He said:
"We realise that since the stadium was built in 1995 to where we are now standards have changed, and rightly so.
"We do try and keep up-to-date as much as we possibly can, but there are improvements to be made around the stadium, both accessing it from the outside and once you're in the stadium itself.
"I'm going down to a meeting this week where all the Premier League clubs are attending,so I'm trying to take ideas from where they are and taking some improvements back here to the Riverside."
The club are confident they'll be fully compliant with the Accessible Stadia Guide by August 2017, after an independent audit by Level Playing Field found the club was as up-to-date with facilities as possible.