Blackpool

Last night was our 2nd (and last) time visiting the Blackpool stadium. No thought whatsoever has been give to the provision for wheelchairs users. Wheelchairs are simply spread out along the front of the away stand in random places. My daughter was knocked about in her wheelchair when Derby scored, before being eventually moved by a steward to a safer place. Even then she couldn’t see properly because of all the fans standing at the rail.
For a fairly modern stadium, the lack of thought is shocking.

I see from previous comments that there is still a lot to learn Blackpool FC.
I, attended with another wheelchair user and our two carers on Saturday 30th April 2022 to watch our (DCFC) last away match of the 2021-22 season. We were all looking forward to seeing our team play their last away game in the Championship after such a rough and extremely traumatic season on and off the pitch.
We did not expect however, to be treated so disrespectfully by a football club in the 2nd tier of the EFL.
The stewards were totally out of their depth and showed no leadership skills whatsoever throughout the course of this match. This football club should not sell 4000 away tickets if they cannot take control to ensure that we disabled fans feel sure during the course of the match and my attached images are clear evidence of our treatment yesterday at Bloomfield Road. Hang your heads in shame Blackpool FC!

[Response from Blackpool DLO to Jo Newall’s comment below]

Usually clubs ring or e-mail me if they are bringing any coaches etc and I then find them a place to park as near to where they enter the ground as possible. Also all signage has now been updated in the last few weeks, since the new owner has come in.

** Away End has Moved Since 2017**

Arriving at the Ground
I directed the accessible mini-bus (part of our Club’s official away travel) to where we parked two years ago only to be told that we needed to go round the other side “by the hotel”! As there appeared to be no suitable parking with dropped kerbs and no stewards to assist we ended up parking on the coach park across a dual carriageway (with no controlled crossing) from the stadium. When we got back to the Stadium, the signposts were directing us back to where we had been two years ago and had been told was no longer the away end. No stewards around to ask and when I did see one in the distance and shouted them across, they told me they didn’t know where I was to go! Come on Blackpool, get your signs and stewards sorted!

The Away End
Entrance to the away end is now in the side opposite the front of the Travelodge furthest from the seafront. When we got there the stewards were very friendly. Through the gate is into quite a dark covered area between two stands, there are two accessible loos in front of the far wall on the right and to the left of these is the entrance to the stand. We sat pitch side about half-way down with the away fans behind us and enjoyed a good view. This is at right angles to where we sat two years ago behind the goal which is now a stand for home fans.

The stewards failed to keep the disabled section clear of fans. Fans were stood in front of my Uncle and he was unable to see. The stewards then stood in front of the fans who were in the disabled section again making his view worse. I asked the stewards to move the fans and they said they won’t listen? Well isn’t it their job to keep the disabled section safe?

Our first visit to Bloomfield Road as away fans travelling in an accessible mini-bus that is part of our Club’s official away travel that was allowed to park close to the away entrance. I am so glad I didn’t read the earlier reviews before attending as I think they would have made me unnecessarily nervous. We travelled without being aware that it was the weekend of Blackpool’s annual air-show. All the roads to the stadium were jammed with traffic. In 7 years of attending nearly all our Club’s away games, this was the first time we had not made it in time for kick-off, with it taking 45 minutes to travel 4 miles to the ground, many were late. If you are visiting in August check if it is the weekend of the air-show and if it is, plan accordingly.

Stewards at the Away Entrance I witnessed Stewards at the away gate giving verbal directions to my husband with his white cane as to where he needed to go to obtain his headset. When I told them that pointing out a door-way in the distance was not how I would expect them to respond to a visually impaired fan when there was a group of them standing around well able to accompany him as I would have expected, one informed me that they didn’t know what a white cane was for! My complaint about this was subsequently met with a very sincere apology from the stand manager who was clearly embarassed by the episode and an apology on leaving also from the steward concerned.

Matchday Commentary for Visually Impaired Fans We phoned to reserve a headset prior to the match which we collected from the Box Office on arrival. Box Office is the furthest end of the stadium side you enter as away fans. Steward at the Box Office door was very helpful in offering to go and get the headset. Initially the commentary was breaking up but once this settled it was fair, if a bit chatty rather than descriptive. We arranged with the Stand Manager to hand the headset back to her at the end of the match as this was much easier than returning it to the Box Office.

Accessible Toilets I am pleased to report that there is now an accessible toilet within the away stand and the portacabin one is no longer in use, albeit the locked-up portacabin accessible loo is the first you see as you enter the ground as away fans and there is no notice on it to say where the accessible loo is. When we visited none of the stewards at the entrance had told us about the toilet arrangements and there were no stewards around the area of the portacabin to advise, leaving me after a long journey, unnecessarily alarmed. That said, I would strongly advise that no wheelchair users go to the accessible loo without having someone with them or just outside the door as I got trapped in it and was left shouting until someone came and let me out (yes, it was one of those trips!)

Viewing Area Away wheelchair fans are sat at pitch level behind one of the goals with the away fans immediately behind. We had a good view but do beware if it is warm weather, you are sitting in full sun with no shade which made one of our disabled fans very ill. In fairness to the Blackpool stewards, in responding to this situation, they were excellent, going well beyond what you could expect.

Refreshments Available from inside the back of the stand albeit as we had our own we did not have a need to purchase any.

I write having seen that the disabled fan who struggled to be allowed through the barricades has been brought to your attention. Not only were I and my elderly, disabled father – an amputee missing a leg – witness to this, at the same time we were having to argue to get let through the barricade on his motor scooter.We had trouble getting through the barricade both before and after the game, as I assume the gentleman in the wheelchair did. Interestingly, the barricade seemed manned not by the mostly actually friendly and helpful – and long-suffering – stewards but by employees of a local security firm in high-visibility jackets.The barricade was erected around the main entrance (where we had, at the last home game, ended up in the middle of the protest while trying to get to his gate, and where the only help offered was from other fans) and was a metal fence that cut off not only the walkway to the turnstiles but, by extending out onto the paved area leading to the road, also blocked the only dropped kerb at that end of the ground (Bloomfield Rd not being renowned for it’s disabled facilities, as shown by the one disabled toilet – for one person – at our end of the stand).We approached the barrier – the only route to his gate – and had to argue to get it unlinked to let us through. Once inside my father asked why they’d put the barrier there, questioning the wisdom of it, only to be told he should have used the dropped kerb by the club shop, probably 150 yards at the other end of the ground. We then asked to be let out – because brilliantly we were now trapped IN the barricades – and we’re told they could move the end of the fence, he’d just have to go up on the footpath along the stadium wall. He pointed out the obvious problem of having to mount the 5-6 inch kerb and the fence was eventually opened to let us through.After the game we left by our usual gate – negotiating our way as usual, and like the rest of the wheelchair-bound supporters, around the away team coach that is always moved during the game to right outside their gate – only to find ourselves now between the bus and the barricade, which we again had to argue to be allowed into. Once inside we saw the other wheelchair user trying to get let in from the other side, which he eventually did by forcing his way through (biggest cheer of the night!). We were let out when two policemen opened the barricade for us.The irony in all this is that while more and more people boycott the club and don’t attend, it’s disabled supporters like my father who are there game in and game out (despite some of the recent comments allegedly attributed to Blackpool’s chairman), and this at a club that a couple of seasons ago made every adult seat in the ground £195, a big saving for everyone except the disabled fans, who it seems were the only people to see an increase in their season ticket price!As a supporter in his 70s who first attended Bloomfield Rd as a small child it’s obviously upsetting for him.

Thought this twitter picture might be of interest to you.

It’s of barriers that Karl Oyston ordered be put up last night prior to the game

against Middlesborough. Shows a Blackpool fan in a wheelchair being told he

cannot go through the barriers but must go all the way round including up steps!

Now, after his recent textgate scandal were he has admitted calling a Blackpool

fan a “retard”, you’d have thought he’d have been trying to welcome less abled

bodied fans back to Bloomfield Road and not alienate them!

Before and during the match the stewards were extremely helpful. It was a very wet and blustery day and we were given options where to sit (although none under cover) and provided with a waterproof.

The coach parking area has changed this season and our final exit from the ground had also changed. The only way you can leave by wheelchair is by a locked gate which isn’t opened until majority of both sets of fans have left. This meant sitting for another 15 minutes in the pouring rain and causing me to be late back to the coach. Stewards were apologetic but could do nothing about it. Found this extremely uncomfortable and extremelyinconvenient and would ask the club to provide another exit for wheelchairs.

Attended the match on 11.1.2014 . Sat in row A in the ambulant disabled seats . Away fans are seated in Bloomfield

Roads ‘temporary’ (how many years have they had a temporary stand ?) . Only one entrance and exit so your view

is blocked for the majority of the game as the seats are ground level with a barrier at eye level and fellow fans are back and forward during the game.

This must be the worst ground for viewing the match for away fans.

About time Blackpool looked at this and erect a ‘permanent’ stand that suits the £25 ticket price.

Port-a-kabin toilets don’t help either. Poor view , rate the ground for away fans 3/10.

We had a great weekend in Blackpool and stayed in the Tudor guest house on Crystal Road which was just a few minutes from the ground. Lesley and Kevin made us very welcome and we would certainly stay there again, although it wasn’t weelchair accesible, it was fine for ambulent disabled supporters like myself.

We were offered a warm and friendly welcome by the blackpool stewarding team who were expecting us, they showed me and my Support Dog Dougal to our seats which were on the front row of the tempory stand, although it now has a roof I think had it rained we may have got wet.

The view once people had settled in their seats was good however my Daughter and Myself had to stand most of the time because of the constant trickle of people obstructing our veiw on their way to by refreshments which could be a problem for weelchair users.

The toilets were again portable however they were clean and dry certanly untill the second half when the accesible ones were a bit wet.

over all a fantastic weekend made even better because we won

** PRE NEW STAND USED FOR AWAY FANS **

A very interesting experience and all i can say is i’m glad it was a sunny day!

The away section is a totally uncovered area and wheelchair users sit in front with carers sat in the row behind. The view is adequate but spoilt by constant walking past of fellow supporters getting refreshments/going to the toilet and stewards.

The accessible toilet was a portable one but probably one of the better ones i have been in.

Parking is nearby in pay/display but free for blue badge holders for up to 3 hours.

** OLD GROUND **

Accessible WC

** OLD STAND **

view from away section