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Men’s Football

Rochdale

National League
Crown Oil Arena
Capacity: 9,561
Crown Oil Arena
Sandy Lane
Rochdale
OL11 5DR

Disabled supporters contact

Club or stadium contact
 for disabled fans

Nicola Toolan
Head of Safeguarding, Disability Liaison Officer, and Supporter Liaison Officer

01706 644648

General ticket office contact

Jan Marsh
Ticket Office Manager

01706 644648 Option 1

Accessible ticket contact

Jan Marsh
Ticket Office Manager

01706 644648 Option 1

Accessibility information

Number of wheelchair user spaces

Home

Actual:
17
Target:
-

Away

Actual:
16
Target:
-
The club has 33 positions for wheelchair supporters with adjoining seats for their Personal Assistants (carers), if required.

These are situated in Willbutts Lane Stand (16) for away supporters. Main Stand (8) and Pearl Street Stand (9) for home supporters.

Number of accessible toilets

Actual:
4
There is one accessible toilet in each stand with a choice of “sided” transfers.

Audio commentary

Match commentary is provided by the Rochdale AFC Club Website and the headset are available from the Ticket Office by prior arrangement.

Sensory room

The club has a bus outside the community office, next to the five a side pitch which is used as a sensory room, and they provide sensory packs (ear muffs etc.)

Request from Charlotte.griffiths@rochdaleafc.co.uk.

Accessible services + information

Assistance dogs

Guide Dogs are allowed into the Stadium but we would recommend that supporters with Guide Dogs contact the club before the match so that we can discuss with them access to the ground, facilities inside the ground and the welfare of the Guide Dog before, during and after the match.

Hearing loops

Not currently available.

Club shop

Rochdale AFC offer personalised shopping for those with access requirements. The club also offer weekly slots.

Club hospitality

Executive Lounges, are accessible to supporters with a disability.

Braille and large print provision

Not currently available.

Accessible lounge

Executive Lounges, are accessible to supporters with a disability.

Food concession stands

Matchday catering for supporters with a disability is provided in the concourses. Where there is no lowered serving area for supporters who require a wheelchair, we would ask your personal assistant or the clubs stewards to assist in getting refreshments.

Total number of parking spaces

Rochdale AFC has ten disabled parking bays for home supporters which are allocated to disabled people with the most severe mobility difficulties. These are sold on a seasonal basis. Applications can be made to Jan Marsh and each request will subject to availability.

Rochdale AFC have two disabled parking bays reserved for away supporters, who can book the spaces by contacting Jan Marsh on to 01706 644648 – Option 1, at least 24 hours prior to the game. Cost of £5 to be pre-paid in advance of the match.

RAFC would ask that people recognise that there is a limited number of places available and it will not be possible to accommodate everyone who has a Blue Badge.

Local street parking is available.

Travel options

This page was reviewed and updated by Level Playing Field staff and the club on 2 August 2022.

How we set targets

We use accepted industry standards to set the club targets. The reference documents include: Accessible Stadia Guide 2003 and Accessible Stadia Supplementary Guidance 2015; Building Regulations Approved Document M, Access to and Use of Buildings; BS 8300, Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people; Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide); Access for All, UEFA and CAFE Good Practice Guide to Creating an Accessible Stadium and Matchday Experience

Have you got a question, complement or complaint?

Let us know about your matchday experience at Rochdale to help improve access and inclusion.

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Read comments from other fans

About this page

This information is provided by Rochdale. Level Playing Field (LPF) cannot be held responsible if the service and provision differs from what is stated here.

If you have any queries please contact us.

Updated June 2023

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Fan comments

Comments reflect the views of the fans themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of LPF.

  • Daniel Townley,
    4 years ago

    [Response from Rochdale to the fan comment from Jo Newall below]

    The Safety Officer at Rochdale has commented:

    All coaches are requested to approach the ground and Ings lane via a specified route. Unless they have pre-arranged parking on site.
    Unless they are then permitted, via the list, to park on site, we instruct all who attempt to stop outside our gates, to move on and park where instructed.

    We are unable make any exceptions as we would be authorising mini buses and traffic to stop and unload on what is a busy road. Spectators and other road users views are obstructed by a coach parked here and we would equally be criticised for allowing this to happen, if an RTC was to occur because of it. Sandy Lane is only 2 single carriage ways and parking on one of those carriage ways outside the main entrance to our car park is dangerous.
    We have recent Police and Local Authority advice on this issue and offloading or parking on the main road is not an option.
    The vehicle is described as an accessible minibus, but we do not appear to have a record of a contact with the club to arrange parking? Where we are contacted then we will endeavour to find space on the car park. If it is not on the parking list for the game, then the stewards are obliged to move it on.

    The Club also comment that the roads outside the stadium are not suitable for Minibus or Coach parking. We advertise on our website of a set route for coaches to take them to the nearby designated parking area (actually on Ings Lane) and this is not a direct route to the Stadium. Vehicles who are following the Sat Nav route to the stadium will end up outside and will be refrained from unloading on the road by the stadium.

    We will normally try and accommodate a Minibus of this nature, but our parking area is restricted and we cannot do this without prior arrangement. Nor can we accommodate a large coach.

    The Club are sorry that this has occurred but prior communication via the Club Secretary / SLO would have alleviated the situation and increased awareness

  • Jo&Jeff Newall, who attended 22/10/2019
    4 years ago

    Just checked my last review of Rochdale is in 2012 but I am sure I have been several times since! At the start of our journey I made the stupid claim, that we never have problems at Rochdale! The accessible mini-bus that we travel in to away grounds is part of our Club’s official away travel and our Box Office Manager always arranges parking for the minibus. When we approached the car park at Rochdale this time we were told very abruptly “you are not on my list, so you can’t come in here, even to drop off, you have got to go where the coach is and come back in the dark crossing over roads” (great for my husband who cannot see at all in the dark). Our stewards who were with us had never experienced such an unhelpful response and when they asked to speak to her manager, she told them she did not have one! After phone calls to the Safety Manager of our home club, we were allowed on the car park to unload and drop off. Not what we expected at Rochdale!

  • MORGAN PARRY, who attended Rochdale v Bolton Wanderers - EFL Trophy Northern Group F Tuesday - 1 October 2019
    4 years ago

    Getting Tickets:
    The ticketing team did a good job when my carer called to buy tickets for this game. I was able to book the tickets for me and my carer AND book one the Blue Badge car parking spaces next to the stadium at the same time.
    Arriving at the Ground:
    The car park attendants had my car details so we got in quickly and one of the stewards directed me to the parking space which had been reserved.
    Programmes:
    Buying programmes at the entrance was easy.
    Entering the Stadium and Viewing Position:
    The stewards directed me to my sitting position which was at pitchside level. For most of the game the view was good although there were quite a few young fans who wanted to stand at the barriers which blocked my view and the view of other fans in wheelchairs or the lower front seat rows. My carer had to ask fans to move. Other fans coming down from their seats to buy coffees etc during the match also blocked views when they stopped to watch the game. The biggest problem occurred when the game ended in a draw and penalties were taken. The crowd all moved in front of the seating areas next to the barriers so the wheelchair users and other fans in the lower seats could not see. We had to push our way to the front but it was very difficult and there was a lot of jostling.
    Toilet Facilities:
    There is no Changing Places facility at the Crown Oil Stadium.
    Food and Drink:
    My carer bought drinks. I have a manual wheelchair but wonder whether the high serving hatch and the barriers for queuing would make it impossible for someone in a powered wheelchair to buy their own food and drink?

  • Sheila, who attended Rochdale v York 05/04/2014
    9 years ago

    I bought our tickets in advance over the phone 3 weeks prior to the match & also booked & paid for a disabled car parking space, £5. I also had to pay a £2 admin charge for paying by debit card even though I collected the ticket on the day.

    On arriving at the ground no one directed us to a parking space so we parked in a disabled space. On steward asked us if we had a permit so we just said yes & he walked away. I later asked another steward if we were ok parking there & he didnt know but said someone else usually parks there but he went to check, We were parked in the correct space for away fans so found it strange that someone else “usually” parks there. Another York fan was told where to park & later on when we were in the ground a group of stewards demanded he moved his van as he was in someone elses space. When he refused they got quite nasty & asked for his keys so they could move it. He eventually had to move.

    Prior to the match I looked for a programme seller but couldnt find any so I asked a steward where they were, He didnt know, so I asked another, he didnt know either so I asked him where the shop was, he did know that, The shop was wheelchair friendly & the assistant very friendly too.

    Trying to enter the ground one steward directed us to a gate, but we were told it was the wrong one & we were sent to another. No one told us where we had to go but saw another York wheelchair person so we followed him.

    Again plenty of spaces for us. And we were pitchside infront of our own fans. Good view except when the stewards were constantly having “meetings” blocking our view & constantly walking infront of us.

    We had a meat & potato pie each from the refreshments bar & it was lovely. £3 and hot.

    The bar was open for home & away fans, so we went in there before the match & had a drink & watched tv.

    A good day at one of the better grounds only spoilt by undertrained ignorant stewards.

  • J and J, who attended Visit by Away Fans on 28/04/12
    11 years ago

    Upon arriving at Spotland our club’s wheelchair accessible minibus was efficiently directed to a parking space convenient for getting to the ticket office as Rochdale staff when we rang had told us to buy our wheelchair user tickets on the day. Box office has flat access and friendly staff. To then get to the accessible entrance on Wilber Street you need to go back round the car park and get onto the left hand pavement whilst still in the car park as Wilber Street has the steepest kerbs going with no dropped stretches that we could see. Wilber street boasts a very popular chippy, food excellent & reasonable – one step to get in. Otherwise ground appears to be in a residential area with limited other amenity outlets. Flat access to the Wilbur Street stand is through the underneath of the away stand where the loos and refreshment counter are, this area is quite dark. Seating for away fan wheelchair users is at pitch level at the front of the away suppporters facing the dug-out. About 6 spaces with 2 seats for PAs between each space. Excellent view of the game and view not interrupted by stewards walking past as we have been experiencing at some other grounds. Stewards were almost invisible in a positive sense, relaxed & well organised. No headset commentary for visually impaired away fans unless they are willing to sit with the home fans. Cleanliness of the accessible toilet in the Wilber Street stand was extremely poor. Clear it had not been cleaned since at least before the last game. If I could have physically avoided sitting on it I would. No water to wash your hands in the basin. I did report this to a steward who said he would sort it (hope he has, for this reason I always travel with hand wipes). Toilet roll holder on the wall was lose which made it difficult to use and the plugs on the grab rail at the side of the loo were a good few inches out of the wall. Seemed solid enough when you touched it but certainly looked worrying. We visited the week after Rochdale were relegated and overall it seemed that the accessible loo sadly reflected the general pervasive malaise at the club with a very small quiet home crowd, hopefully this is a temporary thing. A highlight was the Ability Counts children’s match on the pitch at half time which was well supported by all fans.