I’ve been a Manchester City fan for over 55 years and 12 years ago I acquired a disability, which leaves me with poor balance and I now have difficulty walking any significant distance. I also happen to have a son with a severe learning disability. 

Manchester City welcome disabled supporters and offer a membership scheme which results in discounted tickets for disabled members and a free ticket for their ‘personal assistant’. There is a dedicated Access Team at the club, who can be contacted by phone or email, to assist disabled supporters. The club have a large number of free disabled parking spaces in the stadium car parks, which need to be pre-booked on a first come first served basis, with priority given to disabled season ticket holders. For wheelchair users there dedicated areas in the stands with spaces for wheelchairs next to seats for a carer or friend. 

The three tiers of the stadium are accessed via huge spiral walkways, however, for disabled supporter there are entrances, which allow you to avoid the queues, and have lifts to all tiers. There are some, probably not enough, ‘Radar’ disabled toilets in the stadium, which are spacious and clean, if this is a necessity for you, I suggest you contact the Access Team when buying your tickets, requesting seats in a block near such a toilet.      

I recently went to a match with my three grown-up children and my daughter’s boyfriend and this is my experience. We arrived 90 minutes before the game and parked in the North cark park, a number plate recognition system allowed smooth access to the car park, with a car park attendant, armed with an iPad, confirming my eligibility for disabled parking. Once parked my disabled son and I caught one of the frequent buggies, which run from the car park to the stadium (a five minute walk for someone without a disability). We met up with the rest of our party at the buggy drop-off point and proceeded to our seats. The stewards at the stadium are all ‘disability aware’ and will offer assistance, should you need help getting to your seat. When the game finished, we waited 10 minutes in our seats, until most of the supporters had filed out of their seats, so that I wasn’t in a crowd exiting the stadium. Once the crowds outside the stadium have largely gone (typically 20-30 minutes after the final whistle) the buggy service to the car park is up and running and I returned to my car in comfort. We thoroughly enjoyed the game and, as is always the case, the stewards were friendly and helpful. 

The adaptions made by Manchester City allow disabled supporters to safely attend games, where there are typically over 50,000 fans, and the concessionary tickets and free personal tickets significantly reduce the cost.