Doncaster Rovers

Response from Doncaster Rovers

We are disappointed to hear about this Bradford City supporter’s feedback from their visit to the Eco-Power Stadium last season.

We take supporter safety seriously and, given the away end was sold out for this Yorkshire derby fixture, extra precautions were taken to guard against individuals spilling onto the pitch which involved stewards standing up at moments in the game when this may occur.

While we recognise this blocks the view of disabled supporters sat on the bottom row, we are able to offer a move to a new position where their views won’t be restricted.

Given the length of time since this fixture, we no longer have CCTV footage available to investigate the allegation of stewards laughing.
We thank this supporter for bringing this matter to our attention and will use this in CPD training with our stewards.

I support bradford last2 seasons i was placed behind the goal every time city attacted city fans piled forward even worse when they scored, stewards just laugh there your supporters you sort them out. I know alot of disabled bradford fans say that doncaster is worse away ground & now don’t attened.

Jo, read your article with interest and can relate to your comment. I’m a Brighton fan and attended a Championship game at Doncaster in 2011/12 season shortly after the Keepmoat stadium was built and was very impressed by disabled friendly it was helped by the fact is flat all the way around. Staff and stewarding very good too.

Regards Andy

I am a powerchair user and my husband is a white cane user. We visited the Eco-Power Stadium as away fans travelling in an accessible mini-bus that is part of our Club’s official away travel. This was I think our third visit to Doncaster and having read our last review from 2013 it seems that it is all much as it was.

Arrival and Entry to the Ground
Easy access from the motorway. There is a Premier Inn and various chain eateries close to the ground. There is also a large lake at the entrance to the ground with a firm footpath around it but beware if you embark on it we were told it is 2.5 miles to get round the lake. The away coaches were efficiently parked a short distance from the away entrance which was to our left. Area around the stadium all well surfaced.

Seating Area
Access to the away stand was in a straight line from where we entered the back of the stand and then to the right, at pitch level. Oddly the provision for wheelchair users is limited to smallish yellow boxes painted on the floor in front of the first row of seats which are step-free. As they were limiting away fans to the first block, the majority of the away wheelchair fans positioned themselves in front of the second block along so that we were not in people’s way and vice versa which worked well and allowed our companions, who wished to, to stand without blocking anyone’s view, as otherwise they would be very much sat behind us. Appreciated the practice goal being placed on the far side so we were untroubled by stray balls. (On a previous visit we were down one of the sides rather than behind the goal, it seems that depending on numbers they move where they accommodate away fans.) One consequence of having no recessed wheelchair spaces is that if it rains, the away wheelchair users have no cover. A fellow fan recalled that on a previous visit when we were not there, our Club officials insisted the away wheelchair fans were moved as they were sat in sheeting rain. Remember your waterproofs!

Audio Match Commentary
As we are discovering that very few League 2 grounds offer match commentaries, my husband was very excited that he could enjoy this at Doncaster and liked the arrangement (which has previously worked) that to get a headset you just ask a steward and one is brought to you. He was therefore very disappointed that when he reported his headset was not working, the response he got was that the transmitter had failed, so no commentary available for him.

Accessible Toilet
On the left as you go up the slope to the seating area from the back of the stand. Radar key locked. I found it quite a stiff lock and door to open. When I first entered the toilet before the match, I was shocked to find a full sized dustbin sat on top of the toilet seat! My surprise at this was equalled by that of the steward who I called for help from. He quickly moved it to the floor but this left on the toilet seat all the dirt from the bottom of the bin. The full size dust bin without a top to it was the only bin in the toilet. As this was subsequently the only receptacle for used incontinence products, on show to all, I think proved the inappropriateness of such in an accessible toilet. Otherwise, the toilet was clean, of a good size with hot water, hand soap and paper towels.

Catering
As we arrived very early at the ground, we were advised to wait in the fans’ bar which was around to our right past the creche. The bar had flat access, an accessible toilet and a supply of chairs as well as high stools. As away fans we were made welcome and the member of staff who served us had no problems with my request for a half pint in a pint glass to make it easier for me to hold and it was glasses being used not squidgy plastic things that are so difficult for me to hold. We paid £7 for a pint of Worthingtons and half a lager which is much cheaper than at our home stadium. At one end of the bar hot pies etc were being sold. I didn’t have any reports of these pies but got lots of positive reports of the “loaded” chips that were being sold in the away stand with lots of different options. We kept to just a portion of plain chips which at £3 we considered excellent value for nice chips.

Stewards
Our experience of all the stewards that we met were that they were helpful and unobtrusive. A fellow fan did report that stewards had attempted to search his severely autistic son without first asking permission and when he stopped this, the senior steward who was called agreed that this should not have happened and advised the stewards concerned accordingly.

Leaving the Stadium
No issues on leaving, quickly away.

Overall
Not a good place for away wheelchair fans if it is raining but thankfully we had dry weather, so apart from a few minor things that could be improved, we had a good visit and would happily return.

We are away fans who attended a night match, travelling in our club’s wheelchair accessible mini-bus, which was allowed to park close to the entrance we used. We had been informed since purchasing our tickets that all away fans had been moved from behind the North to the East stand (think I have got that the right way round). Very helpful stewards directed us to the right entrance, where we found gleaming accessible toilets in a large undercover area. We were offered stewards’coats to wear to keep warm – it was a cold evening.

The seating for wheelchair users was the front of the away fans, which gave a good view. There was quite a lot of club officials walking past during play, but just as you were thinking this is distracting, the numbers seemed to slow up.

When my visually impaired husband had contacted the club before hand to enquire about a headset commentary, he was informed to just ask any steward and sure enough the system worked. He judged it to be the most helpful, impartial commentary he had had at any away ground.

Overall we enjoyed our visit to the Keepmoat Stadium & we would happily return. It is clearly a new stadium at the back of an out of town retail park with a range of eating places, easy to get to from the motorway (even with the current road widening scheme in progress).

I was looking forward to this match only for it to turn out that the taxi firms we came across were not accessible and not very helpful.

After arriving by train our group decided to go into town for a meal before the game. We went into the Zest bar and grills and I have to say what a lovely meal it was. That was the best part of my day. As kick off time got closer we asked the manager to see if he could phone for a taxi for us, one of which needed a wheelchair ramp access. The first taxi arrived and took my other mate to the ground so we asked the taxi driver where the other taxi with the ramp was and he told us it was coming. After waiting sometime with nothing turn up, the Zest manager phoned again and to be told we were not there even though we waiting right outside the Zest restaurant and time was ticking away. He was told another will come. Ten minutes later a taxi arrived but it did not have ramp access and the driver said that they don’t do ramp access vehicle. The name of the taxi firm is Mick’s Mini Cab. The Zest manger then told us there was a taxi rank near Cafe Nero and as soon we arrive I was relieved as see black cabs and other vehicles with ramp access. The driver laid out the ramp for me my dad was going push me up into the cab but the driver said no let him do it. So with no hesitation I let him carry on as we had already wasted enough time. I had my foot rest unhooked on the wheelchair so he could push me up. I had my legs straightened out and the driver pushed me up and then suddenly accidentally lifted the back of the wheelchair up which made me slide off my chair and land on the metal ramp hurting my bottom and my hip. I landed in an awkward position and was lucky I didn’t end up going backward banging my head. It took 4-5 taxi drivers to lift me up into my wheelchair and I then started to feel some pain in my hip. I managed to get another cab which was A.B.C.T taxis firm which took us to the ground 20 minutes late so we missed the kick off and the warm up.

After the taxi driver dropped us off we asked if he could pick us up again to take us back to the station after the game and the driver said maybe and also gave us his taxi card to ring up to check. At half time my dad went to phone up A.B.C.T taxi to only find out there were none available. We were given couple phone numbers by the steward. But after several calls to other taxis firms we were unsuccessful in getting a taxi. So I had to leave the match at 4.30pm to try and find one but couldn’t. We were then told by the steward that there was a bus stop that goes toward the station and after waiting and waiting we couldn’t hold any longer so decided to walk up to see if there was a taxi rank. But then we stopped and spoke to the police to see if they could find a taxi and we were then told to wait in the corner. After 10 minutes the police came back and couldn’t find one but he did manage to speak to the bus driver that we were supposed to wait for at the bus stop. He help me in and we got an bus back to the station.

I was told the council will not let hackney cabs use the fiat doblo high roof and easier wheelchair access into the doblo taxi. As soon as I got home I had deep heat on my hip and took off my trouser to find it covered in oils after my accident.

So I urge fellow wheelchair users never go up on a train unless you can get out of the chair into the taxi.

The rating for this game and day out is zero.

Wheelchair seating areas

First time i’d visited the Keepmoat stadium. Disabled car parking is nearby but if you travel on a coach/mini-bus etc, you have to be dropped off as they park them about 5 minutes walk away on rough ground. Getting back after the game can be tricky unless you wait to be picked-up again.

Toilets and refreshment areas were good. Dedicated wheelchair accessible turnstiles but watch out for night games as the gate number on the tickets may not be correct.

The viewing area was OK but at least in with your own fans. I personally don’t like pitchside seating and there were problems with people walking past near half-time + end of the game. Carers sat behind and if the areas was full, you wouldn’t have been able to sit within the painted yellow box with a carer behind. Also, there was no real protection when fans behind surged towards the front after we scored – this could potentially be dangerous.

Stewards and staff were very helpful.