MK Dons

As it is now 2 years since our last review, we just wanted to give a quick update of recent changes affecting disabled fans visiting Stadium MK.

Blue Badge Parking
This is no longer free, it now costs £7. Parking spaces need to be booked online prior to the match (as they can sell) at https://parkthecarhere.com/mkdons

Changing Places Toilets
In addition to the Changing Places toilet in the stadium, there is a newly installed one at Asda next to the Stadium, which is currently not on the Changing Places app, useful for before or after the game. There is a footpath over to Asda from the Stadium.

Info on the MK Dons Web Site
Some of the info and photos in the Detailed Guide on the Disabled Supporters tab is now out of date.
https://www.mkdons.com/fans/supporters-with-disability/detailed-guide

Stadium MK has recently been voted by disabled fans in an LPF Survey as the best in the EFL for away disabled fans. The Club is keen to ensure that all disabled fans at Stadium MK have a good experience. If you find anything that requires attention or have any suggestions for improvement (no promises we can deliver!) please do leave a review here or email us at disabilitymkdsa@yahoo.com

very good all round for disabled supporters

I am a powerchair user and my husband is severely visually impaired. We have been season tickets holders since Stadium MK opened in 2007. As over this period there have been many changes at the stadium, if you are considering a visit and have not been for a while, do bear this in mind. Having been to over 60 football grounds in the past 12 years, I believe facilities for disabled fans at Stadium MK are without doubt amongst the best in the country and as such makes it a really good stadium for any disabled fans who might be worried about visiting a stadium they are not familiar with whether as a home or away fan.

https://www.mkdons.com/fans/supporters-with-a-disability/ is the page on the MK Dons web site which details the provisions available for disabled fans at Stadium MK. On this page there is a link to the Stadium’s listing in AccessAble guide https://www.accessable.co.uk/venues/stadium-mk (formerly Disabled Go) this has lots of photos of the external and internal provisions at Stadium MK for disabled visitors, albeit I believe some parts of this listing have got mixed up and are not therefore entirely reliable. I have always found staff in the Box Office at Stadium MK excellent and would encourage anyone with a disability who has any questions about Stadium MK to contact the Box Office.

Before the Match
Stadium MK is newly constructed with car parks all round it and lots of blue badge parking which is free (subject to availability) but needs to be reserved via the box office before you visit. Traffic around the stadium gets very heavy on match days, there are two entrances on opposite sides of the stadium and you need to make sure you enter on the side nearest your gate. The site is mainly flat but there are some relatively small but steep hills. It is a site which always seems windy and cold even on warm days (but those in the East Stand and the away-end can find themselves in full sun when it is out.) There are numerous large and smaller shopping and food outlets either side of the stadium which is nearer to Bletchley than Central Milton Keynes. The away supporters’ coaches park in the stadium at the away end and close to fast food outlets.

Most but not all Gates have step free access onto the concourse. Stewards will open the gates adjacent to the turn-styles for wheelchair users to enter. All bags are routinely searched on entry by the Stewards. All the seats are below concourse level where you enter with the seating areas for those needing wheelchair/mobility scooter spaces and step-free seating at concourse level (Row EE). There are manual wheelchairs available at the Stadium to assist people getting from their cars to their seats. I would speak to Box Office Staff or stewards on the day if you need one.

The seating on Row EE is flexible to accommodate families/groups who have a wheelchair user to sit together (both for home and away fans) subject to availability as due to the excellent facilities it is popular with disabled fans. To ensure your tickets are for the right seating configuration for you, both home and away fans have to purchase their tickets either by visiting or phoning staff in the Box Office at Stadium MK. All of the seats are padded and all but the front rows are under cover. There are no wheelchair/scooter spaces pitchside. The view from anywhere on Row EE is unobstructed with no one able to walk in front of you and even when those on the row in front of you stand they are sufficiently low down to not obstruct your view. Row EE has its own railing at the back to separate it from the concourse so you have your own space.

In addition to Row EE there is further similar seating arrangements on the upper tier when this is open accessible via lifts at both the home and away end. I have never been up there but I would think the view from there would be equally excellent. Again, I have no experience myself but I understand all the executive provision based in the hotel that is an integral part of the stadium is fully accessible via lifts behind the hotel reception area.

Accessible Facilities in the Stadium
I have read there are 46 accessible toilets throughout the stadium including a Changing Places toilet available to both home and away fans. There are accessible toilets all around the concourse mostly in twos with left and right transfer, all are huge and well maintained with paper towels and hand driers, hand wash and alarm cords.

Refreshments are sold from various places around the concourse which are open right through to the end of the match. There can be long queues at half-time. Beware, I understand that hot drinks being spilled is the single biggest reason for people needing first aid. Make sure the plastic cap is properly on. Staff do come to everyone in Row EE during the game to ask if they wish to purchase anything and will bring the items to you. There are accessible bars at concourse level. The stadium opens at 1.45 pm for a 3 pm match.

My husband uses the Soccer Sight service which is run by volunteers from the local Hospital Radio. Having had commentaries at grounds all over the country he reckons the commentary at Stadium MK is one of the best in terms of being helpful, accurate and unbiased. The commentators always welcome any home and away fans which may be listening. You can reserve a headset from the box office and make arrangements for its collection and return.
The Stadium has an induction loop and 4 large electronic score boards visible from anywhere in the stadium.

After the Game
For me the worst part of matches at Stadium MK is getting out of the stadium from the car parks at the end when traffic often seems to be at a standstill and the layout of cones seem to often change. That said, if you are prepared to give it around 20 minutes the queues disappear and the roads after leaving the stadium are clear.

RESERVED PARKING SPACE YARDS FROM AWAY ENTRANCE. EXCELLENT FACILITIES.FRIENDLY STEWARDING.CREDIT TO MANAGEMENT OF STADIUM.PROBABLY AS GOOD AS PREMIER LEAGUE FACILITIES.PADDED SEATS AND PLENTY OF LEG ROOM. LOTS OF EATING PLACES AROUND STADIUM.SUPER AWAY DAY ONE OF MY FAV,S. WELL DONE MK DONS

I had the pleasure of visiting MK Dons yesterday. The way I was treated by the stewards was excellent:-

• fetching me a commentary set even though I had forgot to pre-book one.
• excellent quality commentary set
• escorted out to the smoking facility
• offered the use of the lift

Thank you all

Attended the Wolves match along with 9000 other wolves fans! An excellent stadium with well thought out design for both wheelchair users and ambulant disabled fans. Accessible parking available at no cost. As a group of ambulant disabled fans with varying needs including learning disability and one with limited mobility we always call the home clubs prior to purchasing tickets in order to establish the best seating options for us ie level access and no steps. In this case we obtained tickets directly from MK Dons rather than via our own ticket office. Unfortunately the seats allocated were accessed via five steps and were the back row. I would struggle to access these seats and would have a completely obscured view due to those in front standing. The stewards were understandably very busy and unable to resolve our problems until kick off which would have resulted in missing the beginning of the match. We could see that there was a complete row of seats on a raised platform obviously for ambulant disabled supporters as there were no spaces for wheelchairs in between. These seats were empty, and very clearly unsold, despite the safety steward’s adamant belief that they had been. Eventually, after speaking to many different stewards, some very helpful, and some rude and dismissive, we were allowed to access these seats. The views were superb and we had an excellent match. It was a shame that the ticket office, even when needs were fully explained, were unable to allocate appropriate tickets even though excellent facilities were in fact available.

The club have a maximum of 165 wheelchair (+ adjacent carer) seats all around the stadium; carers sit adjacent and the seats are moveable so families etc can sit together. The view is excellent and there are no sightline issues as the club have incorporated a super riser.

Entry is flat or via lift (depending on which side of the stadium you enter).

Catering outlets have lowered counters and large concourses. Accessible toilets are large enough to turn a wheelchair in and have a range of left/right sides transfers.

Ambulant supporters can be accomodated on the flexible seating by trhe wheelchair positions or the rows in front.

Local radio commentary is being introduced for the 2008/09 season via portable headsets.

I never thought I would like football, that was until I went to my first game in 2007/08. It was a JPT and one of the reasons we went, was because it was only cost £1.00 for both myself and mt husband who is my fulltime carer. All disabled people who have to have a carer and they are getting carers allowance, only pay for the disabled person the carer gets in free. Anyway I was delighted with the well thought out disabled access, the views were fantastic, and since that day I’ve been hooked!. Having never been to a football match before as I was affraid of crowd trouble, and how I would get out if there was a fire, after all the stuff I had grown up hearing about football hooligans. What utter rubbish! Like I said the disabled access is second to none, I would advise anybody wanting to go to match, you must visit Stadium.MK to get the real experience, It’s very friendly, I have made very good friends going there as I can’t get out much if not at all to sociallise, it has become our life line, and also for my husband who cares for me 24/7, its a bit of light relife, and you can have a good shout, when the ref get’s it wrong [when don’t they] which again helps to relise any pent up frustration. This is why my family have paid for a season ticket as it gets us out of the house regularly, which is something I didn’t do before the Dons, it could be 3/4 months before I would go out. Because of the MK DONS We both now have a hobby that we love and I know that most paople outside of milton keynes really hate the way Pete Winkleman got the MK DONS here but its been my life line and for that I am truely thankful.

Parking was good a special mension for the Stewards they were very good we paid £6 each is that good or not. Facilities all on the level,toilets very good nice to have warm water. Please wrap up well it was very windy. We were very impressed one of the best stadiums we have visited in the country ten out of ten we loved it.(we won as well)

A very good stadium to visit and one of the best views of any stadium that I have visited because , although the raised platform is on par with the new Wembley, it’s not so big and you feel nearer the action on the pitch.

I echo the comments on friendliness of the staff, pricing and so forth. I never sampled the catering facilities as there’s a McDonalds and KFC just across from the car park and I went into the KFC before the match.

My only gripe was the car park itself. We had a couple of days rain in most parts of the country beforehand and it was muddy. Although more a nuisance than any great discomfort or inconvenience – but it does reflect the ‘work in progress’ in parts of the stadium as a whole.

Would go again as they say.

From April 2010. Facilities absolutely first class; the staff very friendly people; and another advantage when I went to Milton Keynes is that we went as a family and I am very pleased to announce that they don’t charge children. Didn’t sample the catering facilities as there was food outlets by the ground but I got all of our tickets done at the same time and to make our visit better we won by a goal to nil. And, yes, I would go there again.

As season tickets holders at Stadium Mk since it opened, call us biased, but we believe, as the other comments are testimony to, that the Dons have made a huge (successful)effort to provide a high quality inclusive experience for home and away disabled fans. A desire which we see in action from all the staff. The flat access seating (which is configured to suit the needs of individual fans and their families/friends)around the whole stadium at concourse level appears unique (Emirates I am told is the same). The only down side is that until the stadium is complete, the seats at concourse level are in a lot of wind, so you need to wrap up extra warm. Not surprisingly a lot of disabled fans regularly attend, so whilst there is good car parking at the Stadium for disabled fans, I would recommend getting there early and being patient when you leave. My husband who has little sight has used the Soccer Sight headset commentary since it started a few years ago which is provided by 2 regular volunteers from the hospital radio. He considers this to be an excellent commentary which allows him to get so much more from the games than he would otherwise. This Service is available to home and away fans. For any Dons fan wanting to go to away matches who would like to use the club’s away coaches but can’t manage the coach steps, the club provides a wheelchair accessible mini-bus to all the away games. This feels a very “safe” option with everyone on the bus helping and looking out for each other.