Simple Pleasures - A Happy Gunner
Every now and then i get an email from a happy disabled football fan. and this i am pleased to say is one of those occasions. matt trower wrote to us and asked that we publish his blog. so here it is in full. the blog shows how a number of disabled facilities and policys at arsenal help matt get to games. i think you will agree matt is a very happy gunner. if you have a story as a disabled fan, good or bad and want us to publish it, please get in touch. were always happy to share your stories and views. you can read more about matt at
http://mydropfoot.com/
Simple Pleasures – Match Day
One of my absolute pleasures in life is going to watch my team play. Now, in 2008 I believed that avenue had been shut, along with driving, work, travel,walking the dogs and other simple pleasures because of a neurological condition called Cauda Equina Syndrome.
Oh Joy
So although I had lost the use of my right foot, as well as finding myself with other debilitating symptoms, imagine the joy I felt when I was told that there was such a thing as a left foot accelerator for the car; wow, who knew!
So can I continue to drive? Yep, after a reaction test for DVLA to make sure I wasn’t going to be a menace to society! Oh yes and some practice. No problemo!
So many questions!
Ok, so getting from my home in Norwich to London would be do-able. Once in the vicinity of the stadium could I park? Well, difficult at the best of times even with a blue badge! I could no longer afford the regular ticket prices anymore; and what about being in amongst all of those people now my mobility was so poor? How would I manage if I had tickets in the upper tier?
Football and accessibility
The club that I follow is almost irrelevant. This blog post is inclusive and hopefully of interest to those fans who may not yet have enquired of their club as to what’s available to them; and of course, family and friends of disabled fans, who like to be together at the match.
You might be surprised by the limitations that exist to enable groups to sit together if one of the group is wheelchair bound, or has mobility problems, for example.
Have a look at this link; you will be gobsmacked!
Arsenal F.C
I’d never had the need to find out about the disabled facilities at Arsenal before. So when I made an initial call to the disability liaison team, I was a little nervous; needn’t have worried, though. I can’t remember who I spoke to originally, we are talking about 2009 now. However, they couldn’t have been nicer I recall, and so helpful too.
Purple Membership
I needed a purple membership (as of May 2016 there is 959 purple membership holders and 183 season ticket holders), there was a mix of wheelchair platforms and seats for ambulant disabled. That category includes those with partial hearing, deaf, autism, Aspergers, Downs Syndrome, mobility issues and learning difficulties. At the time I was in and out of my wheelchair and for one thing was determined not to take up a wheelchair space if I could manage without. I was so delighted to be even thinking about going again; so I would only apply for the seats used for ambulant disabled supporters.
Some more figures now:
Wheelchair spaces 250 + Enabler
Visually Impaired 71 + Enabler
Ambulant Disabled 203 + Enabler
Since my first match back after Cauda Equina Syndrome struck (Blackburn Rovers 4-0 season 2009/2010), I have only missed out three times on tickets that I had applied for which I think is pretty good considering there is close to 1000 purple membership holders!
Simple pleasures
The most incredible things about being a disabled Arsenal member is that the tickets are half price, plus a free ticket for the enabler. So then in real terms actually a quarter of the price!
During the season I seem to become very popular. People I haven’t seen all summer suddenly want to be my friend! Only joking – No I’m not!
To be fair, whoever I take always pays for my ticket anyway, so it’s a win-win! And then there’s the parking. Ah, the parking!
Parking underneath the stadium
The other thing that is so awesome is getting to park underneath the stadium. I will never forget the first time we did that. Waved through by stewards a good block away from the ground. It makes you feel like a VIP that’s for sure!
Once parked usually your space corresponds to the area where you are sitting above. So you find the nearest lift, up to the lower or upper tier, the lift doors slide open and usually within 20 meters left or right the block number is just there.
All of the stewards are first class, polite and helpful. Then you find your seat and settle in; it feels like you have arrived home. Lovely stuff (as Alan would say)…. The feeling never gets old!
Disabled Supporters Lounge
The Disabled Supporters Lounge is open for disabled supporters (and their enablers) before every home game at Emirates Stadium. The Lounge is equipped with two large screen TV’s and there is also free tea and coffee available. Excellent wheelchair accessible toilet facilities are also very close by.
Another great touch by the club to make ALL fans as comfortable as possible. And to offer similar standards across all membership categories.
A proud Gunner
The help I have received from Alun Francis and his team regarding this article has been great. Even Kate, one of the senior communications managers for Arsenal could not have been more helpful. She even contacted one of the clubs photographers, who was only too pleased to share some of his portfolio for this article.
I have always been proud to say I am an #Arsenal supporter since my first match in 1982. I have certainly never been prouder now, though, particularly since the move, to support such an inclusive, caring, community driven football club.
Thank you also to www.utddiscriminate.com for inspiration and use of a link.