Leyton Orient

The program seller is very welcoming . The stewards on the gatecare very friendly and helpful. I can go in via gate instead of turnstile and they check in my season ticket card. The food outlet are also friendly and helpful. After match I got bus to Stratford City bus stop. I went through the subway to find small lift up to get to Jubilee line was out of action so had to struggle up steps. A Jubilee train was in platform 5 so I got on as it was shown as next train to leave. I sat down in priority street. After about 15 minutes some came and told us we had to board train at platform 13. So got off and struggled to the train with people rushing and pushing a shoving. Managed to get a seat then the rest of journey straight forward

The stewards on the gate are very helpful so that I do not have to go through turnstile. I am registered at Charlton as Ambulant disabled but the Charlton ticket office gave me row Q which I cannot climb to. Luckily there was an empty row d aisle seat which has proper hand rails on stair so I can get to that seat. After row d upwards there are a sort of hand rail every other row. Not good for people with mobility problems

Very good view stewards friendly and helpful food kiosks were good and easy to get to and as was a wet day steward can round with a free hot drink for everyone in my group

Contacting on behalf of disabled people. As you have limited parking for people with a disability. Can you set up a park and ride to and from the Stadium?

Leyton Orient charge disabled supporters “The normal rate” yet charge condescension rates to…

65+ years of age, young adults (18-24), emergency services, armed forces, NHS
staff, Waltham Forest Council employees, second parents, students, and those who are unemployed.

Clearly not a disability ORIENTated football club.

Someone at this club needs a shake me think!

Good away seating for wheelchair users. Slightly raised level, so you get a decent view of the pitch from the 18-yard box opposite the main stand.

The only downside was that the disabled toilet was difficult to get to, as it was a bit away from the area where the seats were and by the bar, so it got quite crowded pre-game and at half-time.

Very helpfull staff disabled toilet accessible however did notice that fans or staff not sure because I never saw anyone going in or out, smelt of cigarettes.
Food was good very helpful staff, I did go and ask for a bottle of water which I had the top taken off ( I do understand why it is done) however I’m disabled with a walking stick I did say this to the woman I said I was unable to walk with it like it was, she then put a plastic cup over the to. I’m not able to get up or down stairs with my stick without holding on to the rail. I gave my water to one of the stewards who took it to my husband. Apart from that had a lovely time very pleasant stewards/staff, see you next season.
Kate Howard TRFC

I ordered my ticket over the phone direct from Leyton & asked for a car parking space….. they didn’t have any

Our pre match meal was at “the Greene Man “ Chingford, just a few minutes away from the ground.

Arriving at the ground on a very bitter cold windy day, we asked where we could park & the steward walked to the end of the road with us to check with another steward who found us the only free parking space they had. We picked our ticket up at the away ticket office and another steward opened the gates for us & showed us where to sit. The teabar & disabled toilets were accessible but at half time we struggled to get through the concourse to the toilets as everyone stood around eating, drinking & talking.

Just after kick off a steward came round with a tray with a teapot & cups & gave us all in the disabled area a drink (FREE) such a nice gesture and much appreciated on a cold day.

We had a good view but several times I asked fans who stood in front of us to go sit down or move, and my son got hit in the face & was almost knocked out of his wheelchair when one of our own fans ran down to the front ignoring anyone in his way.

It was nice to be with our own fans sitting infront of them, & most of the stewards were friendly & helpful.

A good day out and definately warmer inside the ground than outside

This was our fourth visit in 4 successive seasons and our second LPF Review (although my husband missed our last visit in Apr). This review therefore just updates any changes since my last review.

Access to the Ground

Tickets for wheelchair user and companion remain free of charge but for the first time we were able to collect them from our own Club’s Box Office and did not have to ring Orient for them.

Facilities in the Ground for Away Wheelchair Fans

Viewing Areas

As good as ever. We had 5 wheelchair users with companions and were not crushed at all. I could get a good 3G signal.

Refreshments

No change apart from companions were not offered a complimentary cup of tea at half time and one wheelchair user was missed. I think this was due to there being so many of us.

Accessible Toilets

Really pleased to report that Orient told LPF after my last review that they would see if they could reposition the hand drier which I said was too high up the wall. Hey presto, it has come down the wall. Thank you Orient. (It also shows the value of writing these reviews!). Loo is right hand transfer. I think I am right in remembering I couldn’t get any hot water and there was no hand soap. Lock on accessible loo was broken. As I did not fancy being over-exposed(!), I had to go in search of a steward to do door duty. They happily obliged and told me they were aware the lock was broken. Hopefully given Orient’s response to the hand drier, the lock will soon be fixed.

Headset Commentaries for Visually Impaired Fans

When I rang to reserve a headset as in previous years for my visually impaired husband, I was told that they are not able to provide this service at present but hope to do so again in the future. Hopefully they can as, although I subscribe to my Club’s Player commentaries, I could not get that or a radio commentary on my iPad and missed the first 15 mins of the game trying to get a commentary for my husband as it makes following the game so much more meaningful for him.

Attitude of Club Officials

Excellent as always. All credit to Orient.

After the Match

No problems.

Will We go Again?

Definitely yes. Taken all round, one of the best grounds to go to as a visiting away wheelchair fan. If all grounds were like Orient, I wouldn’t need to write reviews!

This was my 3rd visit in successive seasons to Orient as an away wheelchair fan. Tickets for disabled fans and a companion are free at Orient. You ring up and they post the tickets to you or you can collect on the day. The ticket office is on the same side as the ground as you enter as away fans.

Each time I have travelled to Orient in my club’s wheelchair accessible mini bus which is provided as part of the Club’s official away transport. The advantage of this is the mini-bus is allowed to park in the street immediately opposite our entrance to the ground. I am aware that a fellow wheelchair supporter got a parking ticket at Orient. He told me he could not find anywhere to park even with a Blue Badge (I am not aware of any car park). The ground is in a residential area with congested on-street residents’ parking bays. It is a block behind the main road, where there appeared to be a lot of small eat-in and take-out, fast food outlets and small shops. At the bottom of the road closest to the away end is a park area with toilets (although I did not test them) and seats which is pleasant if you are waiting to go in.

The entrance for away wheelchair fans is the high steel gates to the left of the away turnstiles (just before the flats start). If the stewards don’t spot you first, knock on the gates and they will open them for you. You are then in a wide passage way at the end of one of the side stands, where the away fans occupy the half nearest to you. The pitch is directly in front of you and you turn right immediately in front of the pitch to access a slope up to the away wheelchair fans viewing platform. There is space for around 6, possibly more wheelchair users with companion seats in twos between the wheelchair spaces. The away fans are behind and at the side of you, the view is excellent and not obscured at all by any officials walking past during the game. Although you are just undercover, if it rains, it does blow in on you, so take water-proofs.

To get to the accessible loo and refreshments you turn left rather than going down the slope in front of the stand, go down a small slope and turn left again to access the underneath of the stand. It is dark and on this visit when there was 600+ away fans this area was very crowded at half time. It is therefore much to the credit of the Orient “Customer Service” (as emblazed on their jackets), a member of staff immediately came to my assistance and cleared a path for me to the accessible loo which is at the back, half way along of the refreshment area (big red door). The loo is a fair size but dark and the floor was very wet although the loo and hand basin were clean. There is an emergency pull cord but this can only be pulled if you are sat on the loo. The most amazing feature is the height of the hand drier it must be at least 6ft up the wall! The door opens out so you need to be careful if the outside area is busy with people queuing/standing.

I didn’t particularly look but I don’t think there was any dropped counter at the refreshments. Perhaps in recognition of the challenges this area represents for away wheelchair users, on this and my last visit, the away wheelchair users and their companions have been served with a complimentary tea towards the end of the lst half from a very interesting teapot that looks as if it was the team’s teapot in the 1950s but it produces a mean cup of tea which I have been very thankfully for. This has been served by another “Customer Service” official, who I was impressed with, as without me asking, did not overfill my cup for me. The tea bar was also able to provide a straw for my coffee purchased before the game and the top had a peel off hole to use the straw with. Very impressed.

On the previous two visits when my husband was with me, as he is severely visually impaired, he has been very pleased that Orient provide a headset commentary for visually impaired fans and make it available to away fans sat in the away stand.

Getting out at the end was easy as it was only away wheelchair fans using the exist we used and the road we existed onto was closed to traffic at the end of the match and there was a dropped kerb.

We would happily return to Orient, which (accessible loo limitationsaside) clearly does a lot to meet the needs of visiting away wheelchair fans which is much appreciated.