Liverpool

I am due to attend the Liverpool vs Southampton match in November which is the last league game before the World Cup break. I am a saints fan and so it’s a really long drive for me and my wife who is registered disabled. I contacted Liverpool for a disabled parking space at the ground or near the ground and they said ‘we only offer disabled spaces for away fans via a ballot’. This is the first time I have experienced this and we have been to 5 always games already this season. The fact we have to sit and hope that we win a ballot to get a disabled parking spot is a joke and should be investigated. I can provide more info if needed.

I am a disabled surporter and realy looking forward to going to a few games this season in mobility scooter and sitting at the foot of the anfield road stand I was just wondering about the access

It was great to see one of the stewards (David) signing to some of the Hearing Impaired at the match on the 24th August 2019. An example for all Premiership Clubs to follow for Hearing Impaired Away Supporters. Well done Liverpool FC.

Hello, Liam the Level Playing Field Fans Liaison Officer here.

I would like to point out that away supporters visiting Liverpool will no longer sit with the home fans.

The policy now at Anfield is that all away supporters are now situated together.

Thank you

On arriving at Anfield we were escorted to the disabled section in front of thousands of home fans. This is usual at Anfield which is by far the worst experience in the Premier League. I went on 2 occasions to purchase hot drinks for my disabled wife again amongst large number of home fans. There was no incidents and whilst it doesnt intimidate me as a carer it would my wife but can be rather unnerving.When we were leading 3-2 a man just behind and to the side of us shouted “everyone beats these c*nts”. We abhore the C word and i said “well you arent beating us, look at the scoreboard”. My wife felt intimated at these remarks and asked to leave 10 minutes before time as she was beginning to experience a panic attack. This somewhat spoilt what should have been a famous day for us. It is difficult to comprehend this blatant discrimination to disabled supporters in a modern society. We need action not words and we intend reporting my experience to both clubs and the equalities and human rights commission. This was reported on Wales Online today and has gone viral, most not understanding why a Swansea fan would be so stupid to be sat in the home end !

Disabled access coming to Anfield is really bad considering Liverpool are quite a large club, while also considering the amount of money being spent on the stadium of late in building the Main Stand.

As a Manchester City supporter, I had to sit with the home fans, this was located adjacent to the rest of the City fans but still I couldn’t even see the City fans from where I was sat, which was a shame, and I was in the seat closest to the big bulk of the Liverpool fans.

The view was good, however being pitchside it was difficult to see the back of the pitch and I was concerned that the ball would hit me on many occasions, and it did become inches away from hitting me during the game, as I can’t move out of the way being in a wheelchair it left me in quite a hard situation.

The atmosphere at Anfield for the home fans was great, but it was slightly intimidating for me in terms of celebrating and singing City chants basically due to having thousands of Liverpool fans singing down my ear the whole match, especially after the result which was a 1-0 win to Liverpool.

I feel if I’m paying for a ticket, for security and my enjoyment of the match, traveling to back my team, I should be able to sit with my own fans and it is quite disgraceful I was unable to on this occasion, in this way Liverpool even lacks beind clubs such as Sunderland and Hull City who do let wheelchair away supporters sit with the rest of the away fans.

I really dislike visiting this ground for various reasons, the main reason being that I am in the home end.Not beingwith your own supporters isbad enough at the best of times but when it is a derby game it is even worse. I am alwaysvery conscious of celebrating anygoals we score there and try not to celebrate if I can. I know that after Everton’s injury time equaliser this season, somecomments were made tosome of theEverton disabled supporters and stewards told some of the carers to stop celebrating and sit down. Thisis unfair on away supporters who have no choice but to sit in thehome end because the club don’t provide facilities in the away end.

The view from the pitchsidewheelchair bays isn’t that badbut it can be blocked if you are in one of the bays were a steward is sittingdirectly in front of you.Stewards often walk past during the game too and extra stewards are pitchside towards the end of the game which causes the sightlines to be blocked. The space is very tight in the bays and the front apron is very tight, it is really hard for wheelchairs to get past other wheelchairs to go to the concourse or the disabled toilets especially if itis anelectric wheelchair. Carers are meant to sit on the row behnd the wheelchairs (despite there being seats next to the wheelchairs) my carer always manages to squeeze into the seat directly behind my wheelchair so he can help protect me if the ball comes at me, he wouldn’t be able to do this if he sat where he is meant to sit. Some carers who do sit in their designated seat have to get up and down during the game to help assist the wheelchair user to pass themfood/drinkor just to speak to them to check they are ok etc. Carers should always be sat next to the wheelchair user in my opinion so that they can assist the person they’ve attended the game with quickly and easily.

I have never been able to get myself a drink before the game or at half time as there is just no way I can get through the crowded concourses. Even if could get through safely, I don’t thinkI would still be able to get served as I don’t think there is a low level counter.

The two disabled toilets in the Anfield Road end are for both home and away supporters to use so there is alwaysa queue. One of these toilets is really quite small, my wheelchair just about fits in to it, but most electric wheelchair do not. So in effect there is only really one fully accessible toilet for both sets of disabled supporter to use comfortably.

I have been going to Anfield since December 2002 and in that timenothing has improved for the away disabled supporter at this ground.

On 31st August 2012 Heart of Midlothian visited Liverpool in the Europa League.

Six wheelchair users and their PA’s made the journey to see the match along with wheelchair users who support Motherwell and Dundee who had always wanted to see Anfield.

The overall opinion of those who attended that night was mainly negative. Stewards were very helpful an the atmosphere was terrific. However the view was pitch side behind the goal and open to the weather.Thankfully it was not raining that night. There was no available accessible parking and away fans had to share an area with home fans. Surely a club as big as Liverpool could have an inclusive away area? At half time an official of the HDSC asking for access to the wheelchair area to take a photograph of all the Scottish wheelchair user fans together for the SDSA web site however was refused despite repeated requests from the fans.

I agree totally with the previous comments – no improvements in the years since that report

Getting There Easy for me. One hour

Parking Similar to Everton. Old ground, set in back streets. All parking is very difficult, but don’t be tempted to park in a residents bay. You will get a ticket. Double yellows or park some way away and push up the hill.

Entrance It’s tough to find without help, but head for the ground and ask a steward, they are pretty helpful in my experience.

The Viewing Position It’s another painted box on the floor with your helper sitting behind. Problematically though, when you leave enough space for your helper to sit behind you, there is hardly any room in front of you for people to pass by. Unfortunately people (Police, programme sellers, St John’s ambulance, Stewards, Uncle Tom Cobley etc) are constantly passing by and getting out to use the toilet is impossible at times. It doesn’t help that you are on a slope and feel as though you are falling down a hill!

If it rains you get wet. Very wet, as the edge of the stand roof is immediately over your head and it leaks. Badly!

Once the game starts the view is decent, but you are sitting with the Liverpool supporters and they don’t like it if your team scores and you celebrate in front of them. I’ve been threatened and spat on over the years I’m sorry to have to report.

Price,Toilets & Catering There were two modern, clean disabled toilets at the end of the stand which you pass on your way in.

Catering was possible to access for me, but getting through at half time is very, very difficult.

It is a 2 for 1 reduced cost ticket. The stewards were helpful and friendly and the view of the game was quite good.

Marks 7/10

I found the parking quite easy, I asked a policeman where the best place was to park for disabled people, he let me through a road which was supposed to be closed off and advised me to park down Rockville Street or Avenue as long as I parked in a bay as it was normal restrictions. This was only about 5 minutes from the entrance. The stewards were very helpful and polite. The disabled toilets were also near by.

The view was pitch level and I was sat behind a steward for the entire match so I had to keep leaning left or right depending on where the ball was, he did try to sit as low as possible as he knew he was blocking my view but he still blocked a big part of the pitch. You are also sat in with the home fans.

when we got to the ground we were escorted to the entrance by police and the stewards, and then to our seats by stewards, they then informed us that we will be getting free hot drinks for both the disabled and carer, and it was very welcomed on a very cold night, i would like other clubs to take notice of this, overall liverpool were very professional in their attitude to away disabled supporters, i was very impressed

I can only comment about the facilities from an Ambulant disabled supporters point of view, I think wheelcair users were else where in the ground. We were met by very welcoming Stewards who took us into the ground via a door as Dougal can’t use a turnstile, the door took us directly on to the away section concorse. The steward enabled my carer to get our drinks before showing us to our seats. We did have to climb and then decend a few steps which could be difficult for some people. We were right in the corner near the the segregation, however this didn’t pose a problem, there was good banter from both sets of fans. The view of the pitch wasn’t to bad once everyone had settled. There was one accessable toilet which was shared with the Liverpool fans from the main stand, it was old but clean. Refreshments were quite reasonably priced and not too bad which my carer went for. Despite the result I really enjoyed going to Anfield. It was the Anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster which made the visit even more moving as we visited the Memorial and the “You’ll Never Walk Alone Gates” before the match, as a football fan it was a really emotional experience especially as City are playing in the Semi- Final of the FA Cup on Saturday.