Club hosts Level Playing Field South Forum at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur was delighted to host the first Level Playing Field South Forum since the pandemic as clubs and supporters came together to discuss best practice around accessibility at stadia.

Level Playing Field is a charity that acts on behalf of disabled sports fans and works directly alongside clubs on accessibility and inclusion. They promote best practice and shine a light on positive work that takes place while holding clubs and venues to account.

Around 100 guests assembled at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, made up of Disability Access Officers from clubs in the south of England and representatives from their Disabled Supporters Associations.

As well as a series of talks and workshops, the day culminated with a panel session that included Simon Blewett, the Club’s Disability Access Officer, Dee Bright, Chair of SpursAbility, our Disabled Supporters’ Association, and legendary Club Ambassador, Gary Mabbutt MBE.

Gary said: “The Club has always been committed to being as inclusive as possible, and our new stadium gave us the opportunity to ensure that everyone visiting felt comfortable and had areas to go to that catered to their requirements.

“We believe that we now have the most accessible stadium in the world and everyone that comes here speaks extremely highly of the facilities on offer.

“When I was growing up in the 1960s, my brother had spina bifida and when we took him to football stadiums to watch my father play, we had to carry him up stairs and there were no accessible facilities at all, even at the hospitals. The changes over the years have been remarkable to give disabled people the best opportunity of enjoying their lives.”

Simon Blewett said: “It’s great to highlight the work that goes on. Collectively as Clubs, our roles are to remove barriers to participation. Days like today go a long way to assuring disabled supporters that their voices are being heard, they can come to football matches and their requirements will be catered for.

“Everyone has the right to a social life and we are here to facilitate that. We’re so lucky to have this stadium and its amazing facilities, and equally you need good people in situ to make it all work - we’re lucky to have that as well.

“There are no club rivalries when it comes to this - my counterparts at other clubs are all friends and we share best practices as we all work towards a common goal.”

Owain Davies, Chief Executive of Level Playing Field, said: “We are grateful to the team at Tottenham Hotspur for hosting a hugely productive forum.

“The purpose of our regional forums is to increase collaboration between fans, clubs, and other stakeholders, for the betterment of access and inclusion. To do that in an environment where provisions for disabled fans have improved so substantially in recent years and there is such a healthy relationship between the club and disabled supporters’ association, is ideal.

“The day was filled with important discussion, and we are thankful to all the attendees and contributors for bringing so much value to the event.”

The Club is fully committed to, supportive of and determined to meet the highest standards of best practice in relation to meeting the diversity and inclusion needs of staff, our fans, visitors and all involved with the club.

Access facilities include:

• dedicated accessible entrances equipped with audio commentary headsets, wheelchairs, headphones, induction loops and even dog bowls
• over 250 wheelchair accessible bays and over 500 dedicated easily accessible seats at all levels
• 66 accessible toilets and three changing places across the campus
• A Sensory Suite is located in the North Stand, offering a comfortable and calming environment for supporters on the autistic spectrum
• Two dog spending areas are available for assistance animals
• Our Visitor Attractions are also accessible, with Wheelchair Skywalks and British Sign Language (BSL) Stadium Tours

For more on access at Tottenham Hotspur, visit: https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-stadium/accessibility/accessibility/