From ‘Level Playing Fields’
A survey conducted by Level Playing Field into the away matchday experience for disabled fans, released recently, highlights that the experience for many fans is not fit for purpose.
Disabled football fans who travel large distances at considerable cost to attend away match days in England and Wales, a significant number are not getting what they pay for.
Download the away fan survey results
Download the away fan survey results (text-only)
Nearly 50% of respondents said that poor views were barriers to attending away matches, while 28% of respondents have stated that not being in the away end with their own fans contributed to a poor away matchday experience. An additional 23% said that the lack of disability awareness from other fans contributes to a negative away day experience.
The lack of disability awareness may have contributed to the fact that 43% of the disabled respondents stated that they had experienced some form of abuse or negative attitude at an away game in the last five years.
The survey also showed that over half of the disabled fans who don’t currently attend away games said that they had done previously, suggesting that many disabled supporters are now opting not to attend away games.
Tony Taylor
Level Playing Field Chair Tony Taylor Said: “It’s a sad situation that the access to live sport, which most supporters take for granted, is clearly not being provided in the same way for disabled supporters at away matches.
“The ability to watch a football game without blocked sightlines and fear of abuse or judgment is a basic expectation not being met.
“Clearly, there is a need for greater education within football. Level Playing Field will continue to take the lead in this by raising awareness amongst supporters and sharing best practices with clubs and governing bodies.
“We will be looking to these organisations and other fan-led groups to work with us to improve the issues highlighted in this survey, which continue to beset the away fan experience of disabled supporters.
“In recent years, there have been significant steps taken by many clubs to improve the matchday experience of disabled fans in general. However, this survey shows that there is still much work to be done and that the away fan experience, in particular, should be an area of focus for improvement by clubs.
“The away day experience for disabled supporters needs considerable attention if football is serious about providing ‘access for all’.”
