Hoops Seagull
New member
- Nov 17, 2008
- 152
Before I went to the game on Saturday I telephoned the club to find out about the disabled parking arrangements. I was told to ask at the gate and I would be directed to a parking space. This was achieved relatively easy. We negiotated the lift, again with ease. We went round the staduim past the South Stand and West Stand entrances.
As it was raining heavily we decided to have a look in the club shop before the game. We then discovered to get to the shop we had to go down a z shaped slope, the gradiant was quite steep and my carer had difficulty on a couple of occasions controlling my wheelchair. When we left the shop we went back up the slope to the entrance in the West Stand Lower, we gained entry, bought our pies (which I must say were good) and then went to find our seats.
We approached a steward for directions on how to get to our seats and he didn't know how to direct us. He found the Stand Manager who tried to help us in various ways but we had no option but to go back out of the stadium, in the pouring rain back down the slope and gain access via the North Stand. We were accompanied by Mel, a steward who I knew from the Withdean. She ensured the stewards in the North Stand knew we were sitting in the West Stand Lower.
At no point had we been advised when we arranged our season tickets would we have to use the facilities in the North Stand and not the West Stand. I have to say the Stand Manager and Stewards could not have been more helpful.
The reason we choose the seats we did was to enable us to meet with our friends and family. In this situation it is not possible. After contacting the club and speaking to a very helpful gentleman called Lee we have reached an amicable arrangement.
However, the problem of the disabled parking has yet to be resolved. As I understand the first plans submitted by the club did not have any provision for disabled supporters in them at all so any provisions are surley an afterthought or someone reminding them of the responsilities, legal requirements under the DDA.
I have completed the questionaires from BODS and the club, spoken on the phone to the club when I booked our tickets for the SS Cup, Tottenham and Gillingham games about the parking arrangements to be told they were not selling any parking spaces until the Tuesday meeting between BODS and the club.
I then see from NSC that people are buying parking spaces - still no answer available from the club. That is until I spoke to Lee on Monday, who advised me that the questionairre and forms had been sent out. I waited for the post yesterday and today but no letter - he also told me it had to be returned by Friday. Yet another call and Lee advised me he would email me a copy of the letter and form, I am now waiting for it to arrive.
I feel extremly let down by the club - the dream of Falmer for All is now falling short for me and it seems like any other disabled supporter. I would like to suggest that Martin Perry, Ken Brown and Sally Townsend, the Disability Liasion Officer either get in wheelchairs to experience what it is like to try to attend a game at the Ammex or perhaps contact some of the other clubs in the league to find out what they do to help their disabled supporters.
I have had first hand treatment from Notts County who were extremly helpful from the moment we telephoned for our tickets until the time we left the stadium at the end of the match.
I think that Martin Perry, Ken Brown and Sally Townsend need to try to resolve these questions, it seems that the conversations with BODS have fallen on deaf ears so how else are we meant to resolve these issues. Where, what or how do we move this problem of disabled supporters forward
?
As it was raining heavily we decided to have a look in the club shop before the game. We then discovered to get to the shop we had to go down a z shaped slope, the gradiant was quite steep and my carer had difficulty on a couple of occasions controlling my wheelchair. When we left the shop we went back up the slope to the entrance in the West Stand Lower, we gained entry, bought our pies (which I must say were good) and then went to find our seats.
We approached a steward for directions on how to get to our seats and he didn't know how to direct us. He found the Stand Manager who tried to help us in various ways but we had no option but to go back out of the stadium, in the pouring rain back down the slope and gain access via the North Stand. We were accompanied by Mel, a steward who I knew from the Withdean. She ensured the stewards in the North Stand knew we were sitting in the West Stand Lower.
At no point had we been advised when we arranged our season tickets would we have to use the facilities in the North Stand and not the West Stand. I have to say the Stand Manager and Stewards could not have been more helpful.
The reason we choose the seats we did was to enable us to meet with our friends and family. In this situation it is not possible. After contacting the club and speaking to a very helpful gentleman called Lee we have reached an amicable arrangement.
However, the problem of the disabled parking has yet to be resolved. As I understand the first plans submitted by the club did not have any provision for disabled supporters in them at all so any provisions are surley an afterthought or someone reminding them of the responsilities, legal requirements under the DDA.
I have completed the questionaires from BODS and the club, spoken on the phone to the club when I booked our tickets for the SS Cup, Tottenham and Gillingham games about the parking arrangements to be told they were not selling any parking spaces until the Tuesday meeting between BODS and the club.
I then see from NSC that people are buying parking spaces - still no answer available from the club. That is until I spoke to Lee on Monday, who advised me that the questionairre and forms had been sent out. I waited for the post yesterday and today but no letter - he also told me it had to be returned by Friday. Yet another call and Lee advised me he would email me a copy of the letter and form, I am now waiting for it to arrive.
I feel extremly let down by the club - the dream of Falmer for All is now falling short for me and it seems like any other disabled supporter. I would like to suggest that Martin Perry, Ken Brown and Sally Townsend, the Disability Liasion Officer either get in wheelchairs to experience what it is like to try to attend a game at the Ammex or perhaps contact some of the other clubs in the league to find out what they do to help their disabled supporters.
I have had first hand treatment from Notts County who were extremly helpful from the moment we telephoned for our tickets until the time we left the stadium at the end of the match.
I think that Martin Perry, Ken Brown and Sally Townsend need to try to resolve these questions, it seems that the conversations with BODS have fallen on deaf ears so how else are we meant to resolve these issues. Where, what or how do we move this problem of disabled supporters forward
?