After Knighthead took ownership of Birmingham City, one of the first issues they sought to resolve was the matchday experience for fans. St Andrew’s has returned to maximum capacity and the experience has been elevated with investment in the stadium and the creation of two separate fan parks.
As a wheelchair user and a lifelong Bluenose, the accessibility of the stadium is hugely important for me. Therefore, I will be shining a light on what a matchday looks like as a wheelchair user at St. Andrew’s.
Getting to the game
As a season ticket holder, I love going to all the home matches. However, I have to be honest, it isn't always easy being in a wheelchair. I attend the majority of the home games in the season. I am based in the Main Stand, next to the players’ tunnel. I travel to the matches with my dad and my friend. Parking and accessibility outside the stadium are often very good. Obviously, as a wheelchair user, it can sometimes be tough to get through the crowds on matchday. However, I have found that most people are very polite and will move out of the way of wheelchairs.
One key improvement under Knighthead is the complaints system. There was one matchday this season where it was raining heavily and the stewards had blocked a path I usually take to avoid big crowds and I ended up having to go into the crowd and was unable to push through, which meant I was stuck in the rain for a while waiting for the crowd to disappear. This was disappointing and so I made a complaint about what happened through the email I received from the club asking about my experience on that matchday. I received a response and by the next matchday, the path was cleared and I haven’t had any struggles getting into the stadium since. This is a major improvement as a disabled fan because it is clear the club is listening to what we have to say and issues are now being resolved swiftly.
Inside the stadium
The feel-good factor is back at St Andrew’s under Knighthead. There was a time when I would enter the stadium and it would feel flat. Now, entering the stadium is exciting as the atmosphere is a lot more optimistic. I love where I sit during the matchdays. Sitting in the Main Stand, I am close to the pitch and can see most of the action. It is tough sometimes to see the ball when Blues are scooting towards the Tilton End due to people standing. Despite this, most people who sit around the Main Stand wheelchair section are often very considerate and other fans will usually ask if I can see, which is great.
There used to be a huge issue in the Main Stand of fans coming into the wheelchair section and standing in the way of disabled fans. However, this has been resolved since Knighthead have come in with stewards now putting a barrier in the way of the entrance of the wheelchair section and stewards will check tickets to make sure only the disabled supporters and their carers are in the wheelchair section. This has improved the matchday experience massively.
Costs and practicalities
I have just renewed my season ticket for the 26/27 season. I found the costs of season tickets very affordable for ambulant supporters. My season ticket this season is £204. This feels very reasonable as this cost covers me and my carer going to games for the whole season. This is very positive from the club as it keeps the matches very accessible for ambulant fans and gives them the opportunity to bring a carer for free.
There is a minor issue with where carers have to sit in the main stand. My carer often has to sit on the upper level of the Main Stand wheelchair section. This leaves me watching matches sometimes by myself, whereas it would be better to have my carer next to me. This is only a minor issue and only a slight gripe from an otherwise great matchday experience.
Finally, I found the season ticket renewal process much easier this season. In previous seasons, I have had to provide my PIP letter as proof of disability even though my disability is terminal. This was frustrating, however this season for the first time I was able to renew my season ticket without the need for proof of disability.
What do other disabled Bluenoses think of their matchday experience?
To get an idea of what the rest of the stadium is like for disabled fans, I spoke to other disabled Blues fans. Dave Lewis is a wheelchair user and has been a season ticket holder for over 30 years. He had the following to say about his experience at St Andrew’s.
“I now sit at the back of the Tilton Road End, block 15. Overall, my matchday experiences have been largely positive. The view is great, even when people stand in front of me, I can see as the platform is raised to see over people.”
“In terms of toilets there can sometimes be a long wait, and these sometimes get abused by non-disabled fans. They can also get into a bad state in terms of its left messy in there, but it has been better the second half of the season.”
“The queues for food and drinks are also something that needs to be improved, it’s chaos getting served especially with crowds of people around. It would be good if Blues could reintroduce the service where they come and ask what you want and bring it to you but this stopped a few years ago.”
“I also joke with my friend about having a cup holder or fold-out table attached to the bars in front of us, this would be extremely useful.”
“Finally, a big thing is the disabled areas do get random fans coming into them especially as the game goes on, the stewards need to do more to keep the able-bodied fans out of these areas as it can get very crowded.”
Tell us about your experiences at St Andrew's since Knighthead took control in the comments...
