Salford City

Salford City Response

Salford City acknowledges and welcomes the feedback from the review, and we are pleased to hear that members of our matchday team were so welcoming and friendly.

Since the visit we can confirm that a suitable ramp has been installed to help access to and from the accessible toilet in the away end at the ground. Additionally we would like to confirm that the club is aware of the EFL Regulations (35.7.15) regarding visiting supporters with a disability sitting in the same area as visiting supporters, and that we currently have a dispensation from the EFL while plans are considered to ensure that we can provide the best possible solution, as part of a wider access review that is taking place at The Peninsula Stadium.

I am a powerchair user and my husband is a white cane user. This was our second visit as away fans to the Peninsula Stadium in consecutive seasons, travelling to the ground on an accessible coach that is our Club’s official away travel. As we wrote a long review after our first visit this should be read as an update to that.

Arrival and Entry to the Ground
Our coach on this visit was directed to drop us off further along the road than last time, so we had to then make are way back along a narrow pavement to the commencement of the ramp where we were dropped off last time but it was daylight and dry and Club staff escorted us to ensure there were no difficulties. Club staff were clearly very impressed by the side loading wheelchair ramp on our coach, saying they had not seen anything like it before. Otherwise all as on our previous visit, albeit the coach took a very different route to the ground than last time which involved taking us past the Trafford Centre.

Seating Area
For me as an away wheelchair user there was no change. I was initially advised that my tickets were for wheelchair spaces in the home end but the steward quickly relented when I explained that on my last visit I was allowed to stay in the away end and explained that due to my seat riser the railings round the pitch would not obstruct my view as they would do for any wheelchair user without a seat riser (see photo). The steward was keen to find a seat for my husband behind me but when we explained we wanted him stood next to me for the game, they were equally happy to allow this as they did when we last visited. There remains no actual official spaces for wheelchair users in the away end. The stewards we spoke to seem to know nothing about the new EFL Regulation which required all Clubs to have wheelchair spaces in the away end by 2027-2028.

Audio Match Commentary
No evidence that this is available.

Accessible Toilet
After our last experience, we went prepared with our own portable “ramp in a bag”. This generated immediate conversation with Club staff as we were arriving and I was equally eager to find out whether they had sorted the offending step into the accessible loo which none of the Club staff we were speaking to appeared to know anything about! We can reliably report that Salford continues to have a step into the accessible loo despite my review last season urging them to get it sorted! Stewards were so impressed by our portable ramp they took photos of it in situ and fully agreed that this is what the Club needed to invest in (they are not expensive). Not a perfect solution as it prevents a wheelchair user if they wish to, use the toilet independently as it requires someone to put it down and take it up on the way in and out but “it does a job” and if the Club provided one it would be so much easier than having to travel with your own ramp! Hopefully others will be able to report on this provision prior to my next visit! What did disappoint me was when I went to the toilet during the second half, the seat was up and it was covered all over, both sides in urine, which I had to clean up before I could use it without any protective gloves (either that or make a fuss and I just wanted to use the loo and get back to watching the game). As a steward was leaving the toilet as I approached it, I am presuming he was aware of this and yet clearly was prepared to leave it for me to deal with.

Catering
A lot of disappointment that Baz’s café was not open for this evening match, which meant there was only a limited range and amount of hot food being sold from the bar in the away end (no chips!) and even more disquiet when it was discovered there were no hot drinks available on what turned out to be a fairly nippy autumnal evening. Fair dos, staff responded to all our grumbles and pretty quickly provisions arrived and the bar sold hot drinks which we were very grateful for. This is a warning that catering may be restricted at some matches, not sure if this was because it was an evening KO or because they thought they would not get many away fans, someone told me staff had said they were only expecting 77 but in reality there were 230+.

Stewards
All the Club staff we encountered were very friendly and eager to help eg with the hot drinks provision, the ramp and my location. It was the Finance Director who boarded our coach to ensure that I was dropped off correctly (he said he was just passing!). Special mention to Claire, the “Here to Help” steward and (sorry I didn’t ask their name) the lovely female H&S Officer who I shared lots of chatter and laughs with during the evening. As well as ensuring we were well looked after, it was clear they were eager to ensure a young fan on crutches with standing tickets was able to transfer to the seated area when she found herself struggling to continue to stand. Knowing I write these reviews, several of our non-disabled fans were eager to tell me how helpful they had found the staff at Salford and asked me to include this in my review.

Leaving the Stadium
Claire and my other mate for the evening spoke to us in good time before the end of the match to agree the best exit plan. We were more than happy with their suggestion of letting everyone else go and them then escorting us back to where the coach would collect us having already boarded everyone else, a plan that worked well even in the dark.

Overall
Using our knowledge from our previous visit, together with lovely Club staff ensured we had a good visit and would happily go again. Hopefully our experiences will prove helpful to other away fans considering visiting Salford.

I am a powerchair user and my husband is a white cane user. This was our first visit to the Peninsula Stadium travelling in an accessible bus that is our Club’s official away transport. We are very aware that this is Salford’s first review on their LPF’s page. Now they need some of their home fans to also review the Stadium!

Arrival and Entry to the Ground
The route from the motorway to the ground is through residential areas. After we turned into Moor Lane, the front of the Stadium came into view on our left, half hidden behind pampus grasses! The coach dropped off near to a flight of stairs that lead to the away entrance which consisted of two turnstiles and a gate through which we entered. The pavement on Moor Lane was too narrow for the ramp on the coach to drop and me to turn my chair off it. So the coach had to move further down and get the ramp lined up with the beginning of the ramped entrance to the ground further down Moor Lane, that then brought us back to the bottom of the steps and the away entrance. Once beyond the gates there is then quite a steep hill down into an open area behind the away standing area.

Blue Badge Parking
There is no parking at the Stadium and all the streets around the stadium are reserved for residents’ permit holders only. I have read that Blue Badge holders can park on Moor Lane for 3 hours if they display their Blue Badge and time clock but I have heard of some Blue Badge holders receiving tickets for parking there (perhaps no clock displayed) so probably worth checking before parking.

Seating Area
The entrance to the stands for away fans is through a large opening on the right as you approach. The away standing area is to the left behind the goal and the away seating area is at right angles. It seems that both stands date from only 2016 so we were at a loss as to why there is no provision for wheelchair users in either of the away stands (the usual excuse that it is an old stadium is clearly not relevant here). It was not easy to establish this prior to our visit but I read enough to suspect that as an away wheelchair fan I would be seated in the home end which was confirmed when I entered the away end. When I said I was not happy with this and wanted to sit with my own fans I was offered a seat on the front row (up one step) which I declined (but was a suitable option for another wheelchair user). I was then told they were calling the Safety Officer (I think it was) to discuss options with me. He quickly came and when I explained that I did not want to sit in the adjoining home stand as if I was non-disabled and sat there as an away fan I would be evicted, he agreed with me and suggested that I could sit in a small recessed area at the beginning of the seated away stand, although his concern was that my view would be impeded by the double rails on top of the perimeter fence around the pitch. Once I assured him that with my seat raiser this would not be a problem, he said he was happy for me to watch the match from there with my husband stood next to me (which he has also happy to do). We did initially have a steward in our way but she did move onto the steps at our request, so we had a good view slightly diagonally across the pitch, which improved a lot once the winter setting sun disappeared.

Audio Match Commentary
Not available.

Accessible Toilet
The toilets were in huts in the open area behind the stand, furthest away from where you entered the away end. When I initially asked if there was an accessible toilet for me to use, it took 4 stewards before we found one that knew! Delighted to hear there was one at the away end. Radar locked (make sure you have your key as I was uncertain if the stewards would easily find one). Huge space but with one unbelievable problem, it had a step into it, so it really was a disabled toilet. When I pointed this out to a steward, the first response I got was, “don’t worry we will lift you” – no! They clearly had no idea of the implications of the weight of a 6-wheel powerchair. As fellow fans went on a hunt for a pallet to make a ramp for me, a more senior member of staff (in a black jacket) arrived with two boards in his hand and proceeded to arrange these at the door to form a ramp that was sufficient to get me in and out. Toilet was clean and there was hot water, hand soap and paper towels but who would think it was ok to have a step into the accessible loo? It was one of those annoying threshold steps that powerchairs don’t like as it has ridges that your wheels hit. Come on Salford! That said, I must add there was universal criticism of the poor state of all the toilets at the away end. The gents were partly on view to all and the ladies we were told were dirty.

Catering
This was much better. Two cabins on the left as you entered the away end. First was refreshments, second was the bar. Good range of food and reasonably priced. Chips £2.50, hot drinks £2.50 and some very reasonable meal deals. As a consequence, never seen so many people eating chips! Reports I got were that service was quick. There were two gazebos in this area to provide cover if it was raining. Smoking was allowed in this area.

Stewards
The young stewards seemed to have little knowledge, the more senior Club staff that we dealt with were helpful, resourceful and flexible as I have detailed.

Leaving the Stadium
No problems. We waited at the top of the ramp where we had been dropped off and after picking everyone else up, the coach moved up and collected us. No traffic queues leaving the area.

Overall
Grateful for the flexibility shown by Club staff in allowing me to sit where I did and in making an improvised ramp for the loo, just a shame that this was necessary when a bit of pre-thought could have we believe avoided both these issues which travelling disabled fans should not be experiencing in 2023 at any grounds. Hopefully now they have had this brought to their attention they can sort.