Huddersfield Town

Well, what a difference a season makes!!!!

LCFC last visit to Huddersfield in September 2017 was my worst experience in over 20 years with non existent views of the pitch.

On Saturday, I was delighted to see at first hand the changes that have been made. The platform itself has been raised to such a level that views were totally unobstructed even with supporters standing in front and there was no seat kill either in front of the platform. Due to this there is now a small ramp outside the stadium to access the platform. (See pics attached)

Parking, outside the away supporters stand was well organised and was booked in advance through HTFC and was free of charge. Although no specific designated spaces for away supporters this was managed by the match day staff by leaving an empty space in between to allow wheelchair access.

As a disabled Huddersfield Town fan I have been told that there is better viewing area for away fans in their end and that seats have been taken out.

Same as last 2 comments the view was none existant, the stewards just said it’s the same every game.

I don’t understand how nothing is ever done and how they get away with it.

Truly my worst experience ever in 20 years of being a wheelchair user attending an away ground. The views were disgraceful as you will see from the pics and could not see any of the match. The matchday staff offered zero assistance throughout and completely ignored our request for help being told quote “it’s not our fault, you shouldn’t be here”

I’m contacting you to complain about the view in the away fans section at Huddersfield for visiting wheelchair supporters.I’m a wheelchair user and attended the Manchester United match on Saturday 21st October 2017 and I never saw any of the game. Other spectators were stood in front of the wheelchair area and all I and the other wheelchair users could see were peoples backs. I asked several stewards to move people but none were willing to assist. I also asked the manager if we could be moved to an area where we could see the game and was told no. Not only was the view (well lack of it) disgraceful so was the attitude of the stewards not wanting to assist. My companion had no seat and also struggled to see over the top of people stood in front. when are the football aurthorities going to start taking action agaisnst clubs that treat disabled supporters so appallingly?

My Yelp review which includes comments on disabled access and the stadium as a whole:

I attended the John Smith’s Stadium for Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Huddersfield in the FA Cup 5th round, it has a record-breaking capacity of 24,139 on my visit, out of a full capacity of 25,000 which as I recall included over 3,000 City fans, with it just being a short trip down the M62 or half an hour on the train from Manchester.The stadium for sponsorship reasons is called the John Smith’s Stadium, but when built in 1994 it was known as the Kirklees stadium, a reference to the stadium being in the Kirklees Council area, although owned by Huddersfield Town, Huddersfield Giants in a 40:40 share, with Kirklees Council owning 20%.The stadium is quite small and in a way it feels new, such as the cool arch shaped roof, but in other ways it feels so old, such as going into the ground from the outside and all the concourses being outside, which even older stadiums such as Anfield don’t have, instead there are more inside concourses, which obviously makes the ground seem a little colder and it certainly doesn’t make you feel like getting chips, pies and co when it is raining etc.The atmosphere at the stadium was average, there wasn’t much to shout about from both sides, there were only 3 shots on target for Huddersfield and 5 for Manchester City with no goals from either side.The stewards around the stadium seemed helpful enough, although I was confused and annoyed to have the lid taken off my bottle which I frankly couldn’t understand, they didn’t search my bag but they found it more important to take the lid of my Iced tea bottle and even come over me and take it off me myself, hence I felt like a child in a school having their phone taken off them, annoyed, confused and untrusted.The stadium seats seemed quite old, and the wheelchair bays were unmarked and it did feel quite squashed at times, most areas of the stadium felt old, which is frustrating considering this stadium is from 1994, albeit it isn’t the most modern and new of stadiums, there are much older ones that do a better job, as much as it pains me to say it, for some facilities Anfield, Old Trafford seem to do it better. There were often people standing and getting in the way, which was difficult and although the stewards did move them, when fans were coming in for the second half it did really obstruct the view of the goal, which was hard to see at most times anyway due to the location of my seat and the overall setup of the stadiumThe view is also quite poor with no raised platforms, which even Hull manage to do.Huddersfield as a Championship team, can’t be expected to compete with the Premier League teams, but with the club standing third in the Championship, they still are fighting for promotion and as one of the Championships larger teams this year, they should be doing better but still this is cushioned by the fact they haven’t been in the topflight since around the 1970’s (Correct me if I’m wrong)The food situation here is alright, the chips were a huge portion, albeit I was angry that they didn’t have any pepper which was also confusing and frustrating that they would run out with pepper.The stadium is also quite unusual, on one side it feels like you’re in a hill, a forest and on another side, you can see houses and it feels like a town.Overall, this stadium just doesn’t impress me and it is a good stadium for a lower division side, which Huddersfield were when it was built, but now with the features mentioned including the open corners, this just isn’t a stadium suited to a Premier League team elect?, or even a high flying Championship team, so sadly deserves a single one star.

Our third visit as away fans travelling in a wheelchair accessible mini-bus that is part of our Club’s official away travel, albeit the first since the name change to the John Smith’s Stadium. Previous visits were to League 1 games, albeit no real change to what I reported in my first review in 2012.

Access to the Ground

Stadium is very much in the town centre behind a retail park. Away fans entrance is at a completely different location to the main entrance. Our mini-bus has been allowed to park near to the away entrance with no issues, although on our last visit when we travelled in a black cab rather than a mini-bus, I recall there was an issue with being allowed to park.

Facilities in the Ground for Away Wheelchair Fans

Viewing Areas

No change in the location of the wheelchair users viewing area which is entirely self-contained with its own entrance in the left hand corner of the away end. You enter initially into an enclosed area through a large metal gate and then through an open entrance in a brick wall at the back far left corner of this area. This brings you to the back of the stand, high up on the furthest left of the away end behind the goal, giving an excellent view. The almost “infamous” hill (and the access issues this can bring) that gets you to the height of this viewing area is well documented in my earlier review and those of others. I did notice that, unlike on our earlier visits, the carer seats are no longer free-standing padded conference-type chairs but are now drop-down plastic stadium seats fixed to the back wall of the area, about 4 of them in 2 doubles. Carers who were present on our visit stood which they were allowed to do but particularly if the areas was full, carers needing to sit could well have problems seeing the match. Fair sized area which would, I guess, comfortably fit 6 if not more wheelchair users. Only people to get in our way (and they didn’t stay for too long) was the group of police officers who stood with us at the beginning of the game (not because we had a need for them!) 3G signal with no problem. Score board and screen to the right on wall behind you so difficult to see.

Refreshments

We always take our own so didn’t buy any but the counter is located across the enclosed area behind the viewing area. Step free route but I can’t recall if there was a dropped counter or not.

Accessible Toilets

Accessible toilet to the right of the food counter with door that opens out but is heavy, others nearby helped without me needing to ask them. Left hand transfer. Hot water, hand wash, paper towels but no bin and no emergency cord (I think I have remembered this correctly, apologies if not).

Headset Commentaries for Visually Impaired Fans

We got no reply from the email address given on the Huddersfield FC web page when we emailed 24 hrs before the match, so on the morning we phoned and arranged to pick up a headset from the main reception desk as we had on our previous visits. (To find this you go down the hill from the away end car park and it is on the right just past the shop and the desk is on the right as you go into reception). Headset was waiting and they were happy for us to hand it to a steward on the way out. The first set we had was dead but the steward who we asked about this happily went and brought a working set. My visually impaired husband who relies on headset commentaries reported that it was a “Yorkshire plain speaking” unbiased, helpful commentary given by 3 commentators who shared each half, at least one of whom he recognised from our last visit.

Attitude of Club Officials

Helpful and unobtrusive.

After the Match

No difficulties getting back to our mini-bus and we were grateful that the official away travel were allowed to leave the stadium first. After leaving the stadium however, we sat for some time in a non-moving queue to get through traffic lights as cars joined ahead from other car parks. Once through this congestion we had no further hold-ups.

Would we go again?

Yes, no reason not to.

Booking arrangements for Away fans (ambulent disabled and carer) exemplary. Courteous, friendly, efficient and quick via phone. Also on request I was given a reserved Blue Badge parking space (even though NADS website says away fans cars must be first come, first served).

I always pre-empt the away football club of my probable attendance to describe my disability, ask questions, to decide if they meet my needs, and accommodate me comfortably; always via email because my condition has random symptoms as I may be asleep throughout the daytime.

A member of the Huddersfield Town met us at the turnstile’s to exchange my ticket for two disabled seats but they weren’t disabled seats, as explained in further reading.

Firstly, we arrived to be met with the Car Parking Steward’s blocking our entrance to the car park and then denying me the right to a vacant Blue Badge bay – even though there were cars parked in the bays without a Blue Badge! I am a Blue Badge Holder and whether I arrive in a car or on a motorcycle I am entitled to the extra space to allow for freedom of movement.

If I had been pre-empted about the see-saw ramp leading to the turnstile’s I would have stayed at home because it was partially flooded and placed pressure on my spinal cord injury as I was on crutches. I am a big bloke and my wife/carer cannot push me up slopes or kerbs from a train station. That’s why I have a specially adapted Vespa scooter. We were offered no assistance even though stewards were pointing at us laughing and looking at their watches as the match had already begun. The people on the turnstile’s had no idea that we were arriving and finding the staff member was another delay.

Once inside the surface is sloped which is difficult to negotiate with other fans coming from all directions. Things just got worse to find there was nowhere to sit, with another steward not knowing what to do, pointing to the front and beckoning us to descend a mass of steps to our seats, that even if I attempted I would have fallen. There was no seating for us to sit on without being made to negotiate steps and having to stand throughout the game was agonising.

When we eventually were helped to some seats after pointing this out to a steward, we missed most of the game because the supporters in front of us wouldn’t sit down so blocking our view. The seating was also very cramped, limiting and we were sitting in a freezing cold draft.

The exit out was a nightmare having to climb that awful see-saw ramp with a rival supporter who was just as damning as myself about the facilities. No hot water to wash your hands in the disabled toilet after sitting on a freezing cold toilet seat and nothing to dry my hands on as the paper towels provided were no good for my cracked skin(a side-effect on my medication).

The highlight I was meeting the staff member and the journey over a snow-covered Saddleworth Moor. If I had known what was about to befallen me, I would quite so happily have forgone the price of the ticket.

My husband who has little sight and myself found the facilities at Huddersfield excellent. All the stewards we came across were helpful and knowledgeable. We were able to be dropped off & picked up close to our entrance. The away wheelchair fans are with the away fans and have a good view from a dedicated viewing area, unusually at the back of the stand rather than at pitch level. This provided really good shelter on a day when the weather was freezing. The hot pasties sold close to where we were in the stadium in such weather tasted very good. The headset commentary which my husband had requested before our visit was ready for him and he said that it was the best commentary he had heard (other than Wembley). Toilets not over large and not heated but adequate and not far from where we were seated. Picking up on the last comments left, there is a relatively short but very steep hill from the car park to the away entrance. It was not a problem for me in an electric wheelchair but if you know this will presents problems I would suggest you speak to the club before visiting.

Pricing was full price for disabled fans and a free ticket for their helpers. Wheelchair platform was at the rear of the stand and the view for wheelchair users was obscured throughout the match by fans standing in front. General seating was unallocated and this problem could easily have been resolved by not allowing the seats in the first few rows in front of the platform to be occupied. This was pointed out to the stewards but not acted upon. Ambulant disabled supporters were also unallocated seats and were able to opt to sit near the front. It was however a long climb down to the front row for those with limited ability and the facilities for the disabled were all the way back up in the concourse. We were however able to use a level access exit at the end of the match. And the stewards were very accommodating in lending an arm to help supporters who needed to climb the steps up to the concourse at half time.