We were delighted to be invited up to Middlesbrough to share and support their efforts to promote Weeks Of Action. The amount of work that Boro do in the community and for disabled supporters is incredible. The club have worked tirelessly over the past number of years to create better accessible facilities for disabled supporters.
The evening started off with a trip to the sensory room. This is one of the most coveted pieces of the ground for disabled supporters. The club work with local charities and schools and invite supporters in, to get a feel of the Riverside on matchday. The room is booked up already for more than a year in advance. We spoke with Brian the club’s DLO who mentioned the room has gotten brilliant feedback so far. He said the fact that the room is non-pitch facing provides people with a brilliant opportunity to unwind.
That wasn’t all that the club were doing. The club also invited a group of disabled children who participate in the club’s community programmes to come and enjoy the game. The children were decked out in Level Playing Field tee shirts and enjoyed the game immensely.
Similarly, we got to share the evening with Mr. Paddy Cronesberry MBE and chairperson of the Boro DSA. Paddy was able to share with us some fantastic stories about travelling around the country in the 80’s and 90’s supporting Boro. DLO Brian Robinson presented Paddy with a Thank You for all of his commitment to the club over the years, on behalf of the club. The night was a great success except for the result, which saw the Boro lose 2-1. However, it was brilliant to see a proper family club in action on the night and how fantastic the accessible facilities are for disabled supporters at the Riverside. We wish the club the best of luck for the rest of the year and appreciate all the great work that you do.
If you have a story about your club and what you are doing for this year’s Weeks Of Action let us know. Email info@levelplayingfield.org.uk.