Colchester United

My 82 year old disabled dad has been a season ticket holder with my elderly mum at Colchester for years, this season he needs my sister ( his carer) to help as my mum is unable to now.
We enquired about season tickets and was told that the disabled section you can only have the disabled fan and one other.
We said that dad can walk a very short way so seats with easy access would be fine for all 3 of them
We were then told the club cannot accommodate the 3 of them and can’t have season tickets
We find this to be out of order for a club with 10,000 capacity who gets around 3,000 for a home game.
With the information the club gave us my dad is now unable to go to the one thing he enjoys.
We have sent emails to the club but heard nothing back.
I feel strongly to take this further and wonder if you can help us in anyway

Many thanks

Gary Bird

Our 6th visit as away fans in successive seasons to the Weston Homes Stadium. As I have already written two reviews, this is just an update to my earlier ones.

Facilities Outside the Ground

I noticed there is a large (I think newly built) MacDonald’s at the petrol station on Junction 28 of the A12 where the stadium is. It looked like it was a drive through with seating upstairs. I presume you could park there whilst eating as it is a bit of a walk from the stadium including crossing the A12 slip road but I did notice there was a dropped kerb!

The burger van just off the roundabout on the road to the stadium which I mentioned in my last review was still there trading but closed at the end of an evening game. As we entered the stadium at 6 pm for an evening match, on the right opposite the car park was a disco tent and two food vans with tables and chairs in front. One selling the usual food and drinks and the other was selling noodles. We had a portion of (very hot non-greasy) chips, a beef burger and a hot chocolate, all excellent and for less than £7 in total. Can’t say if these were open at the end.

Tickets

Unlike last year we were able to purchase our wheelchair user and carer tickets from our own Club.

Headset Commentary for Visually Impaired Fans

Usual helpful commentary provided by the wonderful volunteers from Colchester Hospital Radio who have a real can-do attitude in ensuring my husband can have a commentary and sit with the away fans.

Accessible Toilets

Remain very accessible and spotlessly clean with the warm water that is all too often elusive!

Stewards

Always friendly and helpful.

Overall

Disabled football fans in Colchester enjoy the best of facilities. If you have never been to an away game and would like to try one, Colchester would be the place I would recommend you try. The facilities it provides for disabled fans (home and away) are as they should be. We would never have any hesitation in visiting.

This was our 5th visit as away fans in successive seasons to the Weston Homes Stadium. I have already written a very full review (April ’13). To avoid repetition I will restrict this one to just any additional bits to that earlier review.

Purchasing Match Tickets

Away wheelchair fans need to purchase their tickets from Colchester FC. The earlier you buy them prior to the match the cheaper they are. They retain your details on their system once you have purchased tickets from them so you don’t have to give them all each time. To find the ticket collection point, as you enter the ground go to the far end of the stadium building, turn right and it is on the left.

Facilities in the Ground for Away Wheelchair Fans

Viewing Areas

I got good 3G coverage in the East Stand. Large scoreboard and video screen is just to the right of you if you are sat in the wheelchair area of the East stand.

Refreshments

I noticed that the refreshment van I had seen on previous visits was still open. It is on the right just as you exit the last roundabout before the ground, a relatively short, flat walk out of the stadium’s car park. I think it was also open as we left (a Tuesday night game) but can’t now be sure! We arrived before the ground was open but I noted that, as with previous visits, the refreshment area/bar (and loos) in the South Stand were open for both home and away fans (on your right as you enter the car park). From the concession within the East Stand I had a cheeseburger (only burgers available) and my husband had a steak pie. They were hot and average prices. I thought my burger was not the best but equally by no means the worst, whilst my husband was very pleased with his pie.

Accessible Toilets

The one on the East Stand wheelchair area is right hand transfer. Don’t know about the others.

Headset Commentaries for Visually Impaired Fans

Colchester FC have just invested in new wireless headsets. We emailed the Club before hand to request use of one, then on the day collected and returned it to the main Reception desk which is half way along the outside of the West side of the stadium. My husband reports that these were exceptionally comfortable to wear. You do need to turn them on using the small button on the side (a red light comes on). The commentary provided by volunteers from Colchester Hospital Radio, he also said, was of a very high standard and very helpful in enabling him to follow the game.

Will We go Again?

Without doubt. As others have said, amongst the best grounds to visit as a wheelchair user. All credit to Colchester FC.

By far the best ground in this division. Although Shrewsbury’s is very good too. Very helpful stewards, exceptionally clean toilet within the disabled viewing area also one as you access the lift. Exceptionally good view from the disabled area as it is elevated and under cover from the rain, however it gets cold on a windy day as you are high up. Looking forward to going again this season in the League.

Fully endorse the previous comments.

The ground is very easy to find being on the outskirts of the town.

The set up is very similar to Shresbury Town and the grounds do have a similarity.

I prebooked a parking space for £6 but if the main car park is full they do have an overflow carpark.

As I found at Shrewsbury, there are no food outlets on the main car park at Colchester so eat before you get there or take your chances inside the ground.

The viewing platforms are at the back of the stand and has the benefit of being well above the seating area, therefore even if someone stands up in the seats they cannot block your view (unless they are at least 12 feet tall).

Toilets are on the viewing platform itself.

All in all, well done Colchester .

My first visit as an away wheelchair fan to Colchester’s new Weston Homes Stadium was in September 2008, just after it opened and I have visited each season since. I would fully endorse the favourably comments made by previous reviewers and not repeat here what is already well documented.

If travelling by road, the stadium is very easily accessed from the A12 (Jct 28), which is effectively a dedicated junction for the stadium. There is a large flat car park on two sides of the stadium. I have never had to arrange parking as I have always used my club’s official away travel but my understanding is that as away disabled fans you can ring and pre-book a parking space. Apart from one burger van as you approach the car park, the stadium is literally in the middle of nowhere with no near-by facilities as far as I am aware. I have been told there are plans for a hotel and shops at the site but these are currently shelved due to finances.

Each of the 4 stands has viewing platforms for wheelchair users, either in the middle of them or at the back of them. This ensures you are under cover, have an excellent view and are seated amongst your own fans. On my first visit the away fans were in the South stand but after the first season I understand they moved the away fans to the North stand (nearest the A14), albeit if the away crowd is small, the away fans are seated at the north end of the East stand. If this happens the nearest route to the away wheelchair fans entrance is to turn down the right hand side of the stadium nearest the stadium’s entrance and the wheelchair fans entrance is ¾ down that side. (The ticket office is on the opposite side of the stadium). If the South stand is closed, away and home fans are mixed in the wheelchair area of the East stand. This resulted in me last season being sat next to a Colchester fan who was verbally abusive about my team (although not personally abusive to me). When I was telling the steward on this visit about this, they informed me that if this does happen to inform them immediately and they will deal with it. There is a steward on the wheelchair platform for the whole time.

Onmy most recent visit 5 away wheelchair fans and their companions filled up the wheelchair platform in the East stand from the far (south) end (furthest away from the lift) so that we were well positioned at the side and back of the away fans. When Colchester’s wheelchair fans began to arrive the only spaces left for them were the other side of the toilet furthest away from their fans. We all said if we were those Colchester fans (some of whom the steward told me were season ticket holders for the East Stand) we would feel somewhat marginalised stuck out beyond all the away fans. The lifts for the wheelchair stands, only take one chair and companion so you may need to be patient at the end. We did ask the steward if we could take priority over the home fans in using the lift to get out as we had a fair trip ahead of us, which we were grateful to the Colchester fans for agreeing to. If you are in the East stand, as we were unable to see the pitch prior to the game due to the setting sun directly in our eyes (April evening), you might want to consider the need for a baseball cap if the sun is likely to be around when you are.

5 stars to Colchester for the accessible loo. Easily accessible throughout and sparkling clean. Hot water, hand wash, bins, space etc all provided. 5 stars also for the helpful, friendly stewards that we have always encountered at Colchester on each of our visits. I noticed there was an Evac Chair on the wall in the accessible loo and the steward told me they had all been trained in its use.

I cannot finish this review without mention of the volunteers from Colchester Hospital Radio and in particular Ronnie. When we first visited in 2008 we asked if they did a headset commentary for visually impaired away fans. We were told that Colchester Hospital Radio volunteers did do one but to pick up the signal you needed to sit in a particular part of the West stand with the Colchester fans. Once we explained that my visually impaired husband needed to assist me in the away wheelchair area, rather than saying sorry as other clubs have, Ronnie set about coming up with a way to provide the commentary for my husband. He explained as it had never been tried he wasn’t sure it would work but to his and my husband’s great pleasure, it did and he has happily made it work for each of our visits, becoming someone who we look forward to catching up with on each visit, albeit my husband was not available for this visit. 5 stars plus for Ronnie and his fellow volunteers.

We are just hoping Colchester don’t get relegated as it is one of the best stadiums we visit and would miss our annual trip to them.

Perhaps worth noting Alex Hales who is given as the Club’s contact for disabled fans has now left and Matt Hudson is now the contact.

View from the South Stand wheelchair viewing plaform

I visited the stadium for the first time and the facilities/staff were excellent.

Accessible car parking is available but I arrived via the Shuttle Bus service from the train station which was excellent both before and after the game (if you let the club know you are travelling this way, the buses can pick you up at the station rather than in the official area over the road).

Level access to stands with lifts to wheelchair viewing platforms. The viewing platforms are elevated for all wheelchair users accessed via a lift and offer excellent views (there was a potential sightline issue if supporters in front of the platforms stood up but my area was OK).

Accessible toilet on platform and at bottom of lift.

Refreshment areas are on the concourse level so you will need PA or steward assistance if you want drinks etc on the platform.

Friendly and helpful stewards. Lift to large area with spaces for wheelchairs and seats for carers alongside. A disabled toilet is situated in the same area.

The view is perfect, due to the fact the area is about 3-4 ft above the standing fans. It is also undercover so no problem if it rains.