Shrewsbury Town

Fantastic experience. Had pre booked disabled space outside away turnstiles. Friendly stewards really polite and helpful. Followed coaches escort after game got out in quick fashion. Had bad experience at Peterborough earlier in season they need to learn from Shrewsbury because it was a faultless visit easily the best in the football league. Well done. Thanks, Mick Jenkins

I bought our tickets from York prior to the match, but tried loads of times to book a car parking space and everytime they said someone would ring back. Eventually I got a call back 3 days before the match & was told to send an email to York requesting a parking space.

We had a prematch meal at the White horse. (A fayre & square pub)

Arriving at the ground for our first visit, the stewards had our name on their list & we were directed to a disabled parking space next to the away turnstile & door for wheelchair entry.

There were plenty of programme sellers outside the ground and the club shop was small but wheelchair accessible,

Entering the ground through a clearly marked wheelchair entry door, we entered a concourse where there were disabled toilets and an easily reached refreshment bar.

We were directed to a lift which took us up to a balcony where a friendly steward was waiting for us, We were the only ones up there, and she told us someone would come up from the refreshment bar before half time to see if we wanted anything. This was brilliant, waitress service who brought us tea and milk in a glass and sugar sachets.There were also disabled toilets up there.

We had a brilliant view of the match and were with our own supporters.

This is the best ground we have ever visited for disabled supporters, and the steward were well trained and efficient and very friendly.

It is very pleasing for me to hear that this supporter got the treatment he deserved as we were trying to enable him to park as near to the away end as possible even though the usual dedicated disabled spaces were apparently already booked. E mails and phone conversations did the trick!

I would just like say a BIG thank you to Sean Evans and the Stewards for making my day so easy as regards access to the Disabled Parking in the away section, it was very professionally organised from the Main Entrance Gate to my parking Bay only 10mts from the Turnstile. Thanks again, Jim Doherty. Port Vale fan.

By far the best ground in League 1. I agree with all other comments. Although we did get a half time drinks/food service. Very helpful dedicated steward. Toilets very clean and with all facilities even HOT water which you don’t get at many grounds.

Coaches park directly outside turnstiles and have a police escort away which makes it a quicker exit. If a sunny day take a baseball cap as the sun gets in your eyes even up in the gantry. On a cold day take warm clothes as it gets very windy as it is open on all sides but the best thing is you dont get wet. We would definitely go again.

Total agree with j&j`s comments below.

The stadium is very easy to find with ample parking. I had prebooked a disabled bay but other disabled supporters turned up on the day and had no issues getting parked.

With regards to refreshments, I would just like to add the following. There are no refreshment outlets outside of the ground as they are not allowed on the car park, therefore you will need to eat prior to entering the carpark or take your chance with the food inside the ground.

On entering the ground we were given the optiion of being at pitch level or go on the gantry at the back of the stand.

We opted for the gantry and were shown to the lift and escorted to the platform. The gantry is high enough that even if someone stands up in front of you, in the seats below, they cannot obstruct your view.

We did have a steward tell us that someone would take our orders for drinks and food prior to halftime and they would bring them to us but this never happened. This was the only minor point of an enjoyable day out in a modern stadium. Well done Shrewsbury, and yes to, I will definately visit again.

Our second visit in successive seasons as away wheelchair fans. This review supplements our previous one of 20/11/12. Access to the GroundLast November having travelled to an evening game I got the impression that the ground was in the middle of nowhere. Having now been on a sunny Saturday afternoon this is not so. It is close to the well signposted “Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre” and I was told by another fan there are good eating places close by. We travelled to the ground (as always) in our Club’s wheelchair accessible mini bus, which was allowed to park right outside the flat access away fans entrance doors that we used, located on the right hand side of the stadium. I noted there were about 4 blue badge parking spaces in this area specifically for away fans. I would check the web site for arrangements for booking these as I did hear that the nearest unreserved free parking is over a mile away. The players’ coach unloads just round the corner at the front of the stadium. Facilities in the Stadium for Away Wheelchair FansViewing AreasOn both our visits we have opted for the covered viewing area at the back of the away fans stand which is behind one of the goals. This is accessed by a lift in the back left hand corner of the concourse as you enter the stand. There is evacuation equipment should the lift fail and the steward told me they had been trained in its use. The steward informed me that some spaces in this area had been lost due to the erection of a new score board (not visible from this area) but there was still a fair number with further seating at pitch level. The layout is a wheelchair space alongside two fixed plastic seats. 3G coverage worked. The raised nature of this platform gives an excellent view of the whole ground which is not affected when the fans in front stand.

RefreshmentsThe refreshment kiosk is to the right of where you access the stand. On this visit we were not given the option of having drinks brought to us at half time as we and others commented on last season. Not sure if this is because this wonderful service has ceased or is only in the cold weather.

Accessible ToiletsThere is one to the right as you enter the stand and another just as you exist the lift to go to the raised viewing area. It is easy to access this toilet from the raised viewing area throughout the match without disturbing others. It is left-hand transfer with plenty of space, handwash and electric drier but I couldn’t get hot water (I think I’ve remembered that right!). The tap appeared to have come a bit lose. Toilet was not as clean as I would have expected, particularly on the first day of the season. After rightly previously getting excellent reviews, I hope the all-important little things are now not beginning to slip!

Headset-Commentary for Visually Impaired Fans As my husband has little sight he is always delighted when this is provided for away fans. The Club did not respond to my initial email asking for this but when I rang I was told simply to collect it from Reception in the middle of the front of the stadium and return it there at the end. The commentary was Radio Shropshire coverage and so not specifically for visually impaired fans but nevertheless my husband reported it was helpful. Attitude of Club OfficialsThe stewards at the doors were friendly and knowledgeable. The wheelchair users viewing area has its own dedicated steward who we have now met twice. He presents as genuinely eager to do all he can to ensure you have an enjoyable time. After the MatchThe lift only takes one wheelchair and one standing person at a time so it can take some time to exist the stand. The stewards were actively managing the vehicles leaving the ground and I noted there were 4 lanes with traffic lights to re-join the main road making for a safe and relatively speedy get-away. Would We Go Again?Yes, without hesitation. If all grounds were this good there wouldn’t be a need to write reviews!

Below is a copy of an email Ron Cassidy, DLO at Oldham Athletic sent to the Chief Exec at Shrewsbury Town, to thank them for their welcome at their match with the Latics.

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FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHREWSBURY TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

Dear Sir

I am writing as the Disability Liaison Officer of Oldham Athletic to thank you and your staff for the excellent welcome and hospitality we received at last evening’s game at the Greenhous Stadium.

Not only were the disabled facilities excellent, but the friendliness and willingness to help of the stewards and catering people was much appreciated, especially the half time drinks service. Shrewsbury Town is a great example to the rest of us as to how to treat disabled fans, who are as I’m sure you know, as keen and committed to supporting their teams as any other fans.

Sadly the quality of events on the pitch did not match what happened off the pitch!

Thank you once again. We look forward to visiting you again next season.

Best wishes

Ron Cassidy

DLO, Oldham Athletic.

Visited as an away wheelchair fan. I fully endorse all the positive comments of earlier reviews. My view is that Shrewsbury has got it right both in terms of facilities and staff attitude and they deserve much credit for this. We were able to buy our tickets the same as other fans from our home club and they helpfully stated on them what time the gates opened as well as the KO time. We were told that this is their 4th season at this stadium which seemed in the dark not the easiest to find from the motorway and a bit in the middle of nowhere but well worth it. Helpful stewards directed our minibus to level, safe parking close to the away wheelchair users entrance which was pointed out to us. As has already been stated there is wheelchair user and adjacent carer/PA spaces in the away stand at pitch level and via a lift, at the back with an excellent accessible toilet on both levels. We sat in area at the back with a fantastic view (helped I think by the see-through panels from the floor to the hand rail), a helpful dedicated steward and enjoyed having what we wanted from the tea bar brought to us towards the end of the lst half by one of the catering staff. We have never experienced that at any of the many grounds we have visited, so helpful and thoughtful. My husband, who has little sight, was also pleased that he was able to have a headset commentary which really helps him follow the game. The only slight problem which the steward told us about was if you are there when the winter sun is setting you need a sun visor to see but on a November evening we didn’t experience this! Gold star to Shrewsbury. We would have no hesitation in returning.

A fantastic stadium for disabled supporters. I got a free car-parking pass, the parking bay being about 5 yards from the entrance to the ground!

Incredibly helpful and friendly stewards, they gave me the impression that nothing would be too much trouble. I had the choice of being pitch-side or in the upper tier, I chose upper and this is the REALLY impressive part, a large lift which takes you to a level for disabled supporters and helpers ONLY, at the back of the stand, affording a clear and unobstructed view (even when supporters stand in front of you – you are so much higher than them)- Immaculately clean disabled toilets on the same level.

All in all I can honestly say that the prostar stadium is easily the best ground I have visited for disabled facilities (and I include new Wembley)

10/10.

What a fantastic ground, Disabled parking bays right outside the entrance, and a lift to the disabled seating area (not many grounds have that facility). The disabled/wheelchair area is on the upper tier of the new stadium, a lovely clean area and a fabulous view of the pitch and not too far away from the rest of the travelling supporters so you actually feel part of the group rather that being stuck away in a corner of the ground. The stewards are top class and the one that greeted (think his name was Howard) was a lovely fellow telling us the history of the old ground and what new facilities they had and were going to implement at the new one. Just before half time there was a tap on my shoulder and it was a chap from the tea bar asking if we required anything to eat or drink for the half time break and it would be brought up to us, I opted for the Balti pie and a coffee my son had a sausage roll and a coffee total price £8.40 a little high in price maybe but tasty all the same, Now onto the star ratings Stewards I will give a 10 out of 10 for friendliness and nothing was too much for them( shrewsbury be pround of the a credit to your club)I give the ground a 9.5 out of 10, easy to get to and very disabled friendly (look forward to a return visit someday but hopefully not in league 2) Again a great day out. Thank you Shrewsbury Town FC you have some wonderful people working at your club.