Submitted on
Tuesday 25 October 2011
by
Elaine Browne
Posted by: David Gale
When I am not being a Trailblazer or working full time as a civil servant I like nothing better then going to watch my local football team Carlisle United (well somebody has to hehe). I go to every home game and travel to many away matches up and down the country.
The issue being is with Carlisle United playing at a lower standard than the top teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea. Facilities at a lot of the lower division teams leave a lot to be desired whether it’s the insanely steep steps at Burnley’s Turf Moor to get to the seats or the badly tarmaced car park at Oldham Athletics Boundary Park most old stadiums have their issues with accessibility.
So being a member of Level Playing Field gave me the idea to try and set up a disabled supporters association for Carlisle United’s disabled supporters. This has proved to be successful at other football clubs so I thought it was worth a go. So I got in contact with the disabled football in the community officer Paul Jennings to help try and set something up.
The benefit of such groups is to obviously provide the football club with ways of improving their facilities and being an outlet for disabled supporters to liaise with the football club any issues they may face. With my role in Trailblazers It has gave me plenty of scope to do research on football stadiums which has lead to me visiting such stadiums as Celtic Park, Newcastle’s St James’ Park and Wembley giving me an insight of what goes on at major stadiums, but also my experience of visiting some of the less glamorous stadiums in my time has given me an idea of the good the bad and the ugly.
This is at an early stage but by the start of the next season we expect to have something set up and running. My point of this blog however is to establish the following:-
If there are any other Trailblazers who are members of such groups for their respective teams??
What benefits this experience has gave them??
Or just any experiences of being a disabled football supporter good or bad??
I look forward to hear peoples opinions and stories in relation to this.
Useful links
http://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk/
http://www.footballgroundguide.com/
http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/page/Welcome