Derby County

Easy ground to get to, we pre paid for parking and the stewards knew exactly who we were , didn’t even ask us, I assume it’s number plate recognition, Literally one minute from the ground, we were shown through the big doors by the very friendly stewards. Once inside we opted to have a pie and bottle of Coke each….(.as the stalls outside are not allowed to sell pies ),…….What??? £17 for both….blimey I thought we were back home in a swanky London pub for a minute. Don’t bother with the pies although they were ” puka pies” they were disgusting, I have touched softer house bricks. The disabled toilets are ok, room to move a wheelchair inside, the small lift is ok, but a pain as it only allows one person at a time, meaning I either had to go up the stairs to pull my wife out in her wheelchair or hope a steward up top would help her ( Which they did ) and I could use the lift.
Inside the disabled bay is plenty of room, and just in front of our supporters, so we could feel part of the atmosphere.
It’s a great view from there, and the stewards were very helpful all through the game.
Leaving the ground was easy and the usual heavy traffic , but once out of the surrounding area it was easy to pick up the main roads.
All in all it’s a nice ground inside and out ..

I am a powerchair user and my husband is a white cane user. We attended as away fans, travelling to the game in an accessible minibus that is part of our Club’s official away travel. This was our second such visit to Pride Park albeit we have just realised that we did not do a review after our last visit which we think was about 6 years ago.

Arrival and Entry into the Ground
The approach to the Ground was not one we recognised (as we often do) and appeared to be on new roads past a large out of town shopping centre. This brought us into the stadium near to the away end which I believe is at the rear. The away coaches and our minibus were parked up in a line opposite the away end. They were telling people to go down the far-left side of the coaches to the stadium but as we were told by others there was no dropped kerb at the end we went up the right and ended up having to try and get across a stream of traffic, which a steward did halt for us. We discovered that had we gone as everyone had told to there were dropped kerbs and a crossing point but before that there was a very awkward corner to negotiate with a full kerb that I just managed to get round in my 6-wheel wheelchair with a bit of off-roading through mud (as I discovered at the end of the game)! Our tickets had what we thought was a very helpful type written message stapled to them (something we have never experienced before). It read, “Derby County Disabled Liaison Officer: Emma Drury – These tickets are located on an elevated platform, located in the South-East Corner of the Stadium. You can access the ground via Gate S, which is an accessible entrance. If you require accessible car parking, please call 01332 667528 or email emma.druy@dcfc.co.uk with your contact number to book your space, these spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis.” The tickets themselves said Turnstile 47-48, Stair 54,53,55 Row 1, Seat 3 & Row 2 Seat 3. Unusually nowhere on the tickets did it say wheelchair user and carer.

We approached Gate S which was slightly to our right overlooking the car park, it had a wheelchair sign next to it. After some debate we were allowed in, albeit as I clearly remembered we entered last time further to the left, I was unsure we were in the right place, which the stewards seemed to share. After some debate, one said they would take us through where we should be (further to the left). When we got to where we were taken, the Steward there looked at our tickets and told us we were in the wrong place and needed to go back, pointing in the direction we had just come from, even though at this stage we were in front of the lift that takes you to the raised platform. When I pointed out that I expected better organisation from the only Club in L1 that had LPF’s Centre of Excellence Award, he was clearly oblivious to what I was referring! It was at this point that another steward arrived and took photos of our tickets, confirming that we were in the right place and would be going up in the lift. I went first, as they were constantly telling me to move forward in it, my footplate was being forced against the front wall as the lift moved. I thought it was going to break which I would have been furious over, as I rely on that footplate to drive my car. When I got to the top they told me that I need to remove the bag from the back of my chair before I used the lift again. The stewards should have known this before putting my chair at risk as they did. The traumas of the lift did not end there. I am not bothered by lifts at all but another wheelchair user who is without speech nearly had a panic attack when he was told he had to go in the lift alone. His dad did manage to squeeze down the side of the lift to travel with him but I do question the suitability of this lift for many wheelchair users. It is very cramped and very deep (a bit like a mine shaft!)

Seating Provision for Disabled Fans
Having survived the traumas of the lift, the raised viewing platform did provide an excellent view of the pitch and the stadium. Seats for carers and ambulant disabled on the platform were conference style seats so they could be placed where they were needed. This was clearly premium end provision so I felt sorry that there was not room to accommodate all the away disabled fans on this platform and any away wheelchair fans seated at pitch level clearly get an inferior view in comparison (as detailed by other reviewers). That said there was a small corner stand below the raised platform for away fans which was clearly reserved for those who would find the main (very steeply tiered) away stand challenging and this was working well for those who needed easy access seating/ a quieter smaller area.

Refreshments
Thankfully as always we had taken our own as the only route to refreshments was via the lift.

Accessible Toilets
What I understand is the one accessible toilet at the away end is to the right of the lift on the ground floor slightly set back. To reduce the number of times you need to use the lift, I would certainly recommend you use the loo before ascending in the lift as there are no toilets on the raised platform. The toilet was a good size for my 6 wheel powerchair but to me looked dated and as I pointed out to the steward, the tap certainly needed some attention as the water flow was barely enough to watch the soap off your hands. He said he would report it so I hope he has and it has been attended to. No changing places toilet.

Audio Commentary
Provided by Radio Derby. Not audio described but my husband said it was still helpful and fair. We had as always checked the away Club’s website for details before our visit, where it states to ask your nearest steward if you require a transmitter. The first steward we asked knew nothing about commentaries but they went and got someone who did and a transmitter was soon brought and worked with no problems.

Club Staff
For all the reasons we have already detailed we were not particularly impressed by the stewards we had dealings with and would certainly expect better from a Club that holds LPF’s Centre of Excellence Award.

Leaving the Ground
No issues. Got away quickly.

Would We go Again
Yes but would want to make sure we re-read this review before we visited to remind ourselves of our own advice!

The fact that this club exceeds the recommended amount of wheelchair spaces is an absolute joke. I was allocated a pitch side space betw the goal and the corner flag. The stewards were standing for the entire match so I couldn’t see the goal nearest to me. The other goal was blocked by a cameraman. When I brought it to the attention of a steward he asked the other stewards to sit down, which they did for no more than a minute. I have had dialogue with Derby’s DLO to which she said I could see a fair bit of the pitch. Maybe so, but I couldn’t see any of the goals. She also said the stewards were worried of a pitch invasion at times, this doesn’t explain why they stood for the entire match. She also said I should have brought it to the attention of the disabled steward or whatever title they have. I wasn’t even introduced to one so how could I bring it to their attention. She then said I should have ask to move. Surely I should have been offered a move when I told them I couldn’t see!!!

i have severe disabilities, i am almost completley paralysed from my hip up. I really didnt like the ground because everyone was staring at me. I felt very insecure.

i am disabled and i loved it at derby because my wheelchair takes up a lot of room and its nice and spacious at the platform

I was at Derby as a guest for this match but had a look around the ground. The new platform for disabled Away fans has excellent views of the ground from a corner position. It is within the away fans zone so you are with your own fans. It is elevated and even if supporters stand in front, the view is not blocked. Stewarding is excellent, parking for disabled fans is good too. Book in advance though through the ticket office. Coach parking is directly putside the turnstiles.

This was probably the worse experience I have had at an away ground. I got off my supporters coach with my crutch, to be met by a police officer to be told there was no way someone of my height and build was going to get into the ground with my crutch. I put it back on coach, when I was walking back towards turnstiles I was approached by another police officer to be told that If I was seen to be aggresive I would be arrested immediately. Just after this meeting, my knee collapsed, I hit my head, got dragged out of the way by three officers and was attended to by St johns Ambulance. They took me to a local hospital, I got back to the ground around 85 minutes into the game.Appalling policing!

wheelchair platform (away fans)

Tickets purchased from Derby County via their dedicated disability liaison officer (Keith Marson). Very straightforward and helpful.

Up to 8 car parking spaces available for away supporters but more can potentially be accommodated if booked early enough). Other car parking nearby and if booked in advance a �pick up� service can be arranged to take you from car park to ground and back after the game.

Numerous wheelchair places available on touchline. However, I had a place in an elevated section of the Cawarden stand. This is some 10 rows high and accessed via a platform lift. Lift was slow and may be too small for some electric wheelchairs but view was excellent as the platform has been extended over 3 rows of seats and no problem with supporters standing in front (see pictures).

Has space for up to 5 wheelchairs plus helpers/ambulant disabled. Some distance from rest of away fans (although in same stand) as new policy of to put away fans at back of stand.

To get to concourses from elevated platform would have meant using the lift again and could be a problem if all wheelchairs wanted to go at the same time. Refreshment facilities had fairly low counters but did not look to have any specialist disabled counter.

Toilet provision was excellent and via RADAR key which was available from manned Steward.

Overall a very impressive facility. Derby County show the advantage of a dedicated DLO to look after disabled provision.