Disabled Fans Helped by Football Club

In order to bring in more fans with disabilities, Darlington football club will look into how they can help to better their experience at the grounds.

The Darlington Disabled Supporters’ Group organised a forum that took place yesterday at the club and collected opinions and ideas about how to better serve fans with disabilities.

Even though the club is currently accessible to fans with disabilities and features 165 wheelchair spaces in both the away and home sections, they still wanted to ask organisations like Darlington Association on Disability and Mencap if they could make any more improvements.

Some suggestions were to employ a bus that would pick up fans with disabilities from their homes in the suburbs and to add a commentary system so the visually impaired fans could hear what was taking place on the pitch. Others proposed training all staff in disability awareness and introducing a buddy system where non-disabled fans could volunteer to stay with disabled supporters during matches.

The club has also appointed Darlington Disabled Supporters’ Group member and wheelchair user Paul Hodgson as their disability liaison.

They have created a booklet that will be given to everyone purchasing away and home tickets, which will explain what services are offered at the stadium for fans with disabilities. At this time, they are currently working on a booklet for visually impaired fans.

Disability liaison Mr. Hodgson explained to The Northern Echo that even though there are 165 wheelchair spaces at Darlington Football Club, only about 25 fans with disabilities regularly attend games there.