Millwall

The walkway from the away end to South Bermondsey station at the New Den is very unsatisfactory particularly for fans who do not have a visible disability.

It is poorly lit and does not have clear sides. on this occasion there was quite a lot of undergrowth in places.

There is no obvious arrangement for ambulant disabled fans to get support.

Parked just outside the car park as directed by a steward.

Entry to the away diasbled area was via one of the home stands !

Wheelchair spaces in the away stand at the front of the front row to one side of the goal, which was a bit of a shame as the rest of the away support was on the top tier and we couldn’t even see them ! Left you feeling a little isolated ! The other downside was that we were sitting directly in front of a PA speaker (very loud!) The disabled WC is just to one side of the seating area and easily accessible.

To use the concessions behind the away stand, we had to detour through the home stand to the right, down some under stand tunnels and through some locked gates. Was okay, apart from the stewards manning the gates didn’t believe we were away supporters because we came from the direction of the home stand !!!

First of all please note that for this match away fans were admitted to the North Stand upper tier east end only. Whereas wheelchair users were admitted to the North Stand lower tier west end only

1.Was getting information re ticketing easy and who sold them (home or away club).

Yes Hearts emailed Millwall who provided clear information which basically stated pay at the gate. However at the game the PA had to go to the ticket office and pay there.

2.Did you pay a “disabled concession” price? If so, how much and what proof did you need? Was the concession different for wheelchair users / ambulant disabled?

The ticket for the wheelchair user and the PA was at a concession rate. No proof was required. The concession was the same for wheelchair users / ambulant disabled?

3.Travel arrangements – a.Did the away club provide good information on getting to/from the ground?

No information provided on getting to/from the ground.

b.Was Car Parking provided?

Car Parking was available and Millwall providing information on how to enter in advance.

4.Were there any problems getting into stadium – ie crowd flows, signage etc

No access was good. For competitive fixtures, it’s advisable for disabled supporters to plan their journeys to/from the vicinity of the stadium sensibly. Given the stadium is accessed by walking under a very narrow railway bridge spectator flow could become an issue in the event of a capacity crowd.

5.Facilities inside stadium

a.Where were the viewing position and could you see the game at all times (please provide us with photographic evidence if possible of any sightline issue (ie somebody standing in front of wheelchair areas)

Wheelchair area located in bottom tier (front row) of North Stand. Seats were removed intermittently to accommodate the wheelchair and PA. View was unrestricted at pitch level.

b.Could you get to the refreshment facilities? Were there lowered counters? Did staff serve these areas efficiently? What other services were provided eg ordering/collection service?

No. The refreshment facilities were located at concourse level in what appeared to be the West Stand. Pas had to assist with getting refreshments.

c.How was the disabled toilet provision?

Good. Located at pitch level in the corner between both the West and North Stand lower tiers

d.Was there any provision for the ambulatory disabled?

There did not appear to be any.

e.Does the club provide facilities for the hard of hearing eg match commentary or induction loop system? What can be done to improve the situation?

There did not appear to be any facilities or aids for the hard of hearing.

f.How does the club deal with Guide Dog provision?

Apologies this was not checked.

6.Leaving the ground – any problems?

No problems encountered. However, I would encourage any supporter visiting the New Den for a competitive match to plan their journey to/from the stadium beforehand. After the match, it’s advisable to wait until the street running parallel to the stadium has been re-opened and the normal bus services have resumed.

7.Any other comments – Please provide details of any particularly good service or other comments.

The staff and stewards were very friendly and helpful however the usual issue of poor views within the lower tier of the away stand for wheelchair users was apparent. A very general point – although the club has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years in terms of its professionalism towards supporters, it’s always worth remembering, Millwall’s traditional fanbase can still present a rather hostile atmosphere towards strangers visiting the club from outside the immediate area. Always bare this in mind when travelling to/from the New Den!

Thanks for a great reception, everone looked after us including a disabled parking permit, we had a great view and a very warm welcome, looking forward to going back again