Everton

I used to ha e a season ticket for many years along with my children and I am now registered disabled I cannot get more than a few yards at a time I use crutches is there any where I could park as I would love to get another season ticket

Goodison Park is easy to reach for wheelchair fans by public transport. Buses are all wheelchair accessible and run from near Liverpool Lime Street station to the ground. There is a wheelchair accessible shuttle bus service back into the city centre after games. Everton provides a small number olf parking permits via the visiting club. The ground itself is one that I love but it is badly out of date for wheelchair users. Only pitchside spaces are available. There are no catering facilities for wheelchair users. I was given and completed refreshment order form for delivery at my space. The refreshments ordered never arrived. The stewards were friendly enough but more interested in chatting to each other than in interacting with supporters. My ticket had the wrong entrance number printed on it. I was told that the club has plans to place elevated wheelchair platforms in the corners where the video screens now are. This won’t improve the situation for visiting supporters.

After a 6 1/2 hour journey up to Everton due to road works and accidents, the view was not ideal as the BT Sports Camerman kept getting in our way and then missed one of the goals because of him! He only moved in front of us when the ball was down our end. Is he really necessary?

I would just like to correct the number of disabled bays quoted above. There are now 21 bays in Lower Gwladys Street. The issue for most wheelchair users is availability of Season Tickets. Understandably, there has to be some provision for those who cannot always guarantee good enough health to warrant buying one. There is a long waiting list for a Season Ticket and a rota system for allocating the 15 or so non-ST spaces. It isn’t ideal. However, during the Winter months, there are times when our health dictates and the disabled areas can look deserted.This is when we have 99 bays.

I do wonder what the ground would look like if there were 207??

Hopefully, a new stadium may ensure that the disabled spaces are sheltered and more of us may be able to attend in foul weather.

My gripe is at Brendan Connolly THe Disability Liaison Officer at Everton-My Son who has Cerebral Palsy & is Wheelchair Bound have been Season Ticket Holders approx 12 years -firstly in the Family enclosure & latterly in the Paddock.

We have been unable to get a Disabled season Ticket due to the fact that we were told that there was a waiting list, for years I used to put My son’s chair in the Disabled toilets(until We were told we could no longer do this & We had to leave it in an area whereby it was exposed to the elements)-I then had to piggy back My son to our seats in the Family enclosure (two rows from the front).

When my son became an Adult We had to move to the Paddock-it was then that we tried to get a disabled Season ticket & were told that despite paying for two tickets for a number of Years & travelling a 400 mile round trip for each home game (the only way that we would be able to watch Everton reguarly was by Stumping up again for two tickets).

Alan Bowen the Stadium Manager very kindly helped locate two tickets in the Paddock for My Son & I and he wheel’s his chair to a spot just in front of Our Seats , Then I have to help him swivel his body over the wall & guide him to his seat.

We love Everton & We were caught between a rock & a hard place (almost having to give up watching them)- We are Penalised because we cannot get tickets for away games as My Son would need accessible seats, I have recently been in touch with Brendan Connolly regarding tickets for watford away ( a fixture that is right on Our door step, and was told to contact him a couple of days later- I subsequently mailed him & I have mailed him again enquiring about accessible tickets For the semi final at Wembley ( a week has gone by & still no response!!)

My son uses a powerchair and sits in the wheelchair user spaces at the front of the Park End. At the last home match we were completely blocked from entering the stadium by a group of stewards, photographers and safety officers, who ignored us as we tried to get past. This isn’t a new thing, and happens most weeks. It is as if we weren’t even there and they just carried on their conversations. My son went to the toilet at half time and when we came back, there was stewards stood in his space talking with fans, meaning that he couldn’t get back in and the rest of the walkway was blocked off. It’s getting to the stage where I hate going to home matches because of the attitude of people. I understand the facilities in the stadium are not great but there is no excuse for a poor attitude. They are selfish and unconcerned, and it feels like they only do the job for a free match ticket.

I hate that my other three sons have to sit away from us and can’t enjoy the match alongside their brother. I’m sick of having to fight our way into a tiny toilet with no room for changing and sick of always knocking the bins off the wall to get to it because the corridor is too narrow. The accessible toilets at Goodison are appalling. I’m sick of getting wet all during the game, and I’m sick of pitchside adverts blocking our view.

Me and my sons love watching Everton but every time we enter the stadium it feels like we are travelling 30 years back. I will never stop fighting for my son because he shouldn’t have to settle for second best just because he uses a powerchair. I’ve been a season ticket holder for 35 years, it is just not acceptable how we are expected to just ‘cope’ with the situation on matchday.

I know things will need changing by 2017, but what happens with the here and now? I don’t even know if my son will still be with us by 2017 and I will fight for his rights whilst he is still alive, and don’t forget “a paying season ticket holder” just like everybody else!

Hi was at the Everton v Aston Villa last Saturday and is sickened with the way the police and stewards treatment of a disabled fan by throwing them out 15 minutes into the second half if I was him I report it to the FA has he’s did nothing wrong

View of the pitch from the wheelchair user spaces

Toilets in the away end at Goodison Park

Spaces and companion seats in the away end

Entrance to the toilets

Companion seats at Goodison Park

Kev- Linda from the Everton box office is trying to get back in touch with you regarding your comment left about this game and inviting you back to Goodison Park. Please get in touch with LPF at info@leveloplayingfield.org.uk or on 01244 893584 for more information and Linda’s contact details. Many Thanks, LPF Admin

Having been a disillusioned Everton supporter and former employee for four and a half decades now I have lost interest in the lovely game that has lost its way and become dominated by money.

I am now disabled and finally had the chance to watch Everton at the beginning of the season against Manchester United, I paid the overpriced cost for a ticket but should not grumble as it did get me and my carer in for the price of one, or should I?

I was in the corner of the Park stand and Bullens road and I do mean right in the corner. I spent the entire game sat behind a massive Sky camera on a swivel whilst also having my view blocked by the handy cam guy on the touchline, stewards and police. In all I saw most of the match on the big screens which is not what I paid my money for.

If I asked staff and the police once to move out of my way I eventually lost count.

When I contacted Everton I was informed that my seat was not an obstructed view as I was not prevented from seeing one or both the goal posts.

It seems to me that once they get your money little else matters.

I have not been to watch a match since and have no intention of doing so again.

Away wheelchair supporter positions. Below pitch level.

Not enough legroom for carers to sit comfortably behind.

It’s easy from Manchester, one hour at the most.

Parking It’s an old ground and set in backstreets, so very little parking available. Get there early and park on a nearby street using the blue badges is the best advice I can give you.

Entrance It’s tough to find without help, but the stewards were all excellent.

The Viewing Position You are by the side of the pitch,in front of your own fans, but with a fence to protect you. You are so close you can almost reach out and touch the players, so the view is OK but it’s difficult to see the far touchline.

If it rains you get wet, but as you are positioned at the side of the pitch, not behind the goals, your view can be blocked. Even the security guys have their own seats. Unless… the game is on TV and they have a steadycam operator running up and down in front of you completely blocking the view – see picture!

Price,Toilets & Catering There are two disabled toilets at the end of the stand that have seen better days, but work ok.

Catering was impossible to access for me, but my helper found it ok.

It is a 2 for 1 reduced cost ticket. The stewards were excellent, very friendly and the view of the game was good. Especially if you like to hear the game as well as watch it! Overall, a good day out.

Marks 8/10