Lincoln City

Response From Heidi Lincoln City DLO
“Thank you for taking the time to write this review, it’s always a pleasure to meet supporters, whether they are home or visitors to LNER stadium. It’s nice to know that the Information desk is useful for supporters, and we look forward to welcoming you again soon”.

The information point is very clearly mark, Heidi made a very good job of making people aware and in an away venue it’s very uncommon that happens. Thank you very much to Josh who was supporting her today. Hope all goes well. Tried to donate but was no viable option.

Response from Lincoln City DLO
Thankyou so much for taking the time to submit this feedback. We are in the process of upgrading some facilities, including the toilets, which will be improved next season. We thank all supporters for their patience and understanding & look forward to welcoming you to the LNER stadium again soon.

We pre-booked our parking bay, in advance , upon arriving we were told to park anywhere , we couldn’t see any designated disabled bays, so we parked up

The parking is right next to the away end, didn’t have to queue and after the search, we were ” escorted” through the gates into the ground, the slightly raised disabled bay is at the corner and not ideal for us, especially as our fans kept walking past us within the walled area. We asked if we could move to behind the advertising hoarding next to the corner flag, which they allowed. A lovely lady called Heidi from the DLO came out to greet us and make sure we were ok.
The toilet was dated and was up a slight ramp which would have made a single wheelchair user struggle. Leaving the ground was a tad awkward as there are only a couple of roads out, but once onto the main road it was fine. No trouble with home fan, all good banter.
Another ground that needs a lot of money spent on it to bring it up to league 1 standards.

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. We have been to the Sincil Bank Stadium on a number of occasions and followed these visits up with LPF’s reviews, the most recent of which was in February 2020. Little has changed since then (although we were told that major redevelopment of the away end including the installation of a changing places toilet is planned for this year). On this basis this will just be an update to my earlier review.

Arrival and Entry into the Ground
As I have always known the arrangements to be that our accessible mini bus (unlike the coaches) can drop-off at the ground (entering along Cross St), I could not understand why I was getting reports that this might not be possible right up to I think the day before the match. As it was we were not only allowed to drop-off but a lovely steward (Nick Hope) allowed our mini bus to park right opposite the away end entrance and our driver said they were lovely to him, which sadly is not always so at the stadiums we visit. From there it was a very short distance into the away end. We arrived very early and went into the ground as soon as the gates were open so we did not see it but were told refreshments and alcohol were available to purchase in an area screened by metal barriers outside the away end. There were also portaloos in this area but no accessible ones.

Seating Provision for Disabled Fans
See photo of the seating area for disabled wheelchair fans and easy access seating behind this. No actual step free seats other than the carer seats for those with wheelchair users. As this area is essentially beyond the edge of the pitch, we were told if it is good weather, away wheelchair users are invited to sit opposite this area (where we were prior to 2020) as this offers better views. We were offered waterproofs.

Refreshments
The refreshment van at the away end has gone upmarket and now resembles the wooden kiosks you see at German Christmas Markets located on the right as you enter the stand. On a cold winter’s night it seemed to be doing a good trade selling some of the biggest burgers I have seen being sold at matches (pretty sure they were also selling chips).

Accessible Toilets
Poor. No improvement from last time. The toilet is not large enough to turn a wheelchair in it. There is no hot water and the hand drier blows only cold air which is just what you want on a cold winter’s night. I was told that due to the age of the stadium getting hot water is a widespread problem across the site. To avoid using it a second time, I did accept the offer to be allowed to use the accessible toilet in the home stand adjacent to the away end at the end of the game, which was an improvement. I noticed there was an accessible portaloo at the away end on the left as you entered but I was not brave enough to try that.

Audio Described Headset Match Commentary
My husband asked prior to the start of the game if he could have a headset commentary and a receiver was brought to him, albeit with the message “I hope you know how this works as I don’t have a clue!” He said this was among the best commentaries he had had any of the 80 grounds we have visited as it really gave an audio description of what was taking place. Jeff fed this observation back to Heidi the DLO when she visited us at half time, who said she would pass this on to the commentators. She said they had previously been praised by away fans for the quality of their audio description. It therefore seems such a shame that I can find no mention of the availability of this provision on Lincoln’s Club webpage or on Lincoln’s club page on LPF’s website, which clearly needs updating.

Club Staff
Lovely to meet up again with Heidi, Lincoln’s DLO who makes no pretence of the shortcomings in provisions for away disabled fans and is eagerly awaiting the planned improvements. It seems that Heidi’s enthusiasm and eagerness for all disabled fans to have the best possible experience is shared by all the stewards. In addition to Nick in the car park, all the stewards we met in the ground were really helpful.

Leaving the Ground
By the time I had visited the loo in the home stand at the end of the game and then got my chair locked down in the bus, the ground had cleared and we left without difficulties. I did hear that the route back to the coach that the away fans travelled on involved walking down a poorly lit path and across a very muddy common which some fans found very difficult.

Would We Go Again
We would welcome the opportunity to see the new developments that are planned for the away end which we are told will significantly improve the facilities for visiting disabled away fans, another chance to meet up with Heidi and the opportunity for my husband to enjoy high standard audio described match commentary.

My wife & I went to the match with trepidation yesterday having had not a very good experience last season. What a difference, when we arrived at the disabled bays we were told it would probably be a restricted view to our fans standing up all the time. Because I am in a wheelchair I asked if we could move to the side of the pitch which they agreed & provided my wife with a seat to sit on.
We had a completely unobstructed view for the whole game. Nothing was to much trouble for the stewards who were friendly & helpful.
Well done Lincoln City.

Lincoln City responded to the fan comment below (Kevin) and after contacting the supporter, have resolved all issues in a satisfactory manner.

As a disabled season ticket holder at Lincoln City FC. I have had no end of problems with the club. I made them awhere that I have limited mobility. They moved my parking (which I paid for) furtherest away from my seat. All the while able dodied fans keep their parking and and we have to make way for them. They move me from my existing seat and don’t take into account that I have limited mobility and a carer. So I they moved me and my carer away from our nucleus of freinds to accommodate someone who purchased their single ticket after me. I’m not the only one who has complained. They moved parking and seats for disabled people scattered arround the stadium. We are not happy. Thinking about selling my ticket back to the club as I’m now left in physical pain attending the games and require medical treatment after the game.

Big Improvements for Away Wheelchair Fans

This is our second visit to the Sincil Bank Stadium and this should be read as an update to my previous review from Sept 2018. Pleased to report that this was a very different and much improved experience.

Getting Into the Ground
We were told that entry is no longer allowed through the new Blue Light Hub that we used in 2018. This means that official away coaches now have to stop a 15 minute walk from the ground so this needs to be considered by anyone intending to use their Club’s official away travel. That said, the accessible mini bus that our Club provides was allowed to drop us off at the entrance to the away end and collected us there at the end of the game. Also worth noting that on both visits the sat nav has taken our driver to a dead end requiring them to reverse along a narrow congested road.

Seating Area
The DLO at Lincoln, who I believe is Heidi, informed us that the viewing area for away wheelchair users is new for the 2019/20 season. Unlike previously you are now in the away stand and (sort of) undercover. It is a raised area at the front of the stand as you enter. Heidi made no secret of its shortcomings in that the ramp into it is steep and narrow and it is not deep enough for the 6 wheelchair users that it was designed for. When we visited there were only two of us so we could easily move as required to let one another past. Although it is within the roof cover of the stand I have no doubt you would get wet if it rained, particularly as it seems to be on the windiest corner of the ground (wrap up warm, albeit we were offered blankets). Good, uninterrupted view of the game. Fixed let down standard seats at the back of the area for PAs/carers. Convenient for both the food concession (which we were told was expensive for the quality but we did not sample ourselves) and the accessible toilet which was clean with hot water, hand soap and hand drier but too narrow to turn round my 6-wheel powerchair and a pretty steep ramp to reverse down.

Special Mention to Lincoln’s DLO
I think Heidi is the most professional, knowledgeable DLO, we have met in our visit to over 60 grounds. Her and her colleague met us off our mini-bus and escorted us safely into the ground (on a dark very windy night), whilst allowing us to make choices over what we wanted to do. Heidi, guided my severely visually impaired husband and clearly knew how to do this. She openly acknowledged the shortcomings in their facilities including the new viewing area and when she spoke about the improvements that she was hoping to get in the future, you could believe that she was doing her best. The enormous improvement between our visit this season to that of last season was not particularly due to the physical changes made but the difference in the officials who met us. Well done Heidi you are a credit to Lincoln.

I am a powerchair user and my husband is visually impaired. This was our first visit to the Sincil Bank Stadium travelling in a wheelchair accessible coach that is part of our Club’s official away travel. Sadly, I concur with the previous negative reviews.

Arriving at the Ground
Seemed utter chaos. Initially the 3 away coaches had to back out of the residential road they had turned into and retrace the route we had taken to enter a building site for an emergency services centre on the other side of the ground. Come dancing for coaches sprung to mind in a very small area. Once off the coach it improved little as the outside of the ground was exceptionally crowded. The first greeting we got was “unfortunately all of our bars are not accessible”. Actually, after travelling for a couple of hours my focus was more on “where is the loo?”. I was then directed to the nearest which was fine but in a very crowded area. Not clear if there was some special event going on or if this is how it is every match. On asking where we had to go to enter the ground, we were then escorted all round the outside of the ground (back I believe to where the coaches were initially), dodging moving cars and big crowds. Once at the away end, the real fun started. No one seemed to know how away wheelchair fans entered the ground. We were told this was because the one gentleman who dealt with away wheelchair fans was ill! The solution was that we had to squeeze in past the tow bar of a catering van. I am pretty good at manoeuvring my powerchair but I literally had about one mm clearance on either side!!
Viewing Area
The area for away wheelchair fans is pitch side at 90 degrees to the away stand, which is behind the goal. It does give a good view of the away fans and the pitch which was not interrupted. Unlike an earlier review, we were on rubber matting rather than just mud, so clearly this is an improvement. Thankfully the rain on the day we visited was limited to a few spots but as earlier reviews make reference to there is no cover, so on a wet day, the only protection offered to away wheelchair fans is the capes that the Club provide. If these are the ones that I noticed the box for in the accessible loo, they leave you with the rain running down into your shoes and in at your neck! (Of course all the able-bodied fans are under cover!). Plastic stacking chairs are provided for PAs. I was told that Lincoln FC are embarrassed by their provision for away wheelchair fans and are planning to build a proper shelter for them (unclear when). Our biggest complaint was that the area wasn’t actually big enough for us to all sit in one row. There were 7 wheelchair users. We solved this by me forming a second row, using my seat riser function and my husband standing to watch the game, which he was happy to do but expecting wheelchair users to sit in rows behind one another is generally not good, particularly when there was a large piece of unused ground between this area and the away stand.
Accessible Toilet
Radar key required. Having read the earlier reviews for Lincoln on LPF, I travelled ready with my air freshener that I now take on all my travels and can confirm that it was required as soon as we opened the door. I was told by a steward that it had been cleaned for the match but given previous reviews and it looking like a toilet that had not been cleaned for a long time, I was not convinced. As previously commented, it was barely big enough to get my 6-wheeled powerchair in and lock the door. Quite steep ramp into it. Our friends at the match told us they had been able to go to Lincoln as there was a Changing Places toilet at the new car park a short walk from the stadium which they were very happy with.

After the Game
Given our experiences before the match, I was expecting more chaos but surprisingly we did ok in getting back to our coach and away. Nowhere near as crowded as when we arrived.

Overall
I think the experience of away wheelchair fans at Lincoln will be very dependent on whether or not it is raining during the match. In heavy rain with no cover, it will be pretty miserable. Hopefully the promised new shelter will arrive before this winter. We would go again and just hope we could stay dry.

AS A WHEELCHAIR USER attending the above match , we were placed in a corner no shelter where it poured down , i was on muddy grass , no shelter , this is no way to treat disabled , no apologies from anyone DISGUSTED

We were in the Co-op stand. I found the disabled toilet unlocked and it has a radar key. Someone went in who was not disabled and I had to wait until they came out. I then back in pulling the door to close but it would not close so I had to give a big pull to close and put lock. Then I find the toilet was in a bad state and looked like its never been cleaned for over a year. There is a sink and soap to wash your hand and then I looked around and found no dryer or paper towel holder, nothing to dry your hand. I unlocked the door and tried to push the door open as its was stuck so I had to use my electric chair to force the door open and then I tried to close it but I think the door is damaged. My personal view of the disabled toilet is a disgrace and its should have been cleaned out, door repaired and something to dry your hands on.