Manchester United’s cost-cutting measures are putting the safety of their disabled supporters at risk, according to concerned fans.
Dave Wood, a wheelchair user, told he is ‘genuinely terrified’ about what would happen in the event of an emergency after club stewards were replaced with agency staff at Old Trafford.
The 47-year-old, who sits in the disabled section along with around 90 others at the top of the Stretford End, has claimed that standards have dropped alarmingly – and that the two lifts that take impaired supporters down to ground level are no longer manned, in what he feels is a serious safety breach.
He also accused Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos, who have overseen wide-ranging cuts since taking a minority share in the club in January, of putting savings above the welfare of some of the club’s most vulnerable followers.
United say they deploy more stewards than necessary in the area, have been given the highest rating possible by the Premier League in their latest audit and investigate any concerns raised.
But Dave believes that standards have declined considerably. ‘Up until this season we had club stewards who were a huge part of the matchday experience,’ he explained. ‘They were direct employees of the club who were highly trained and who became our friends. We would be greeted as soon as we got out of the lift and looked after. They knew us. A couple of years ago I went to a game on my own for the first time and the supervisor noticed straight away and came over to chat about football, but he was essentially doing a welfare check.
Man United’s new ownership have replaced club stewards with agency staff at Old Trafford
Wheelchair-using fan Dave Wood has claimed that the standards have declined at Old Trafford over the past year, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to cut surplus expenditure from United’s budget
The Ineos CEO even axed Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2million global ambassador contract in October
‘There are two lifts which are our only way of getting down and they would always be staffed. That meant that there were never any issues with overcrowding or overloading.’
Dave, who has been in a wheelchair for five years after treatment for cancer in his childhood left him with severe arthritis in his hips and back in adulthood, said that all that has gone.
‘The stewards we knew have either been made redundant, moved or have left the club in disgust at what is going on,’ he explained.
‘Now it’s agency staff who seem to change every game and they don’t seem to know what they are doing. They are kids, to be fair, but communication is a nightmare. On a number of occasions they’ve spoken to my PA (personal assistant) instead of me which is humiliating.
‘There have also been issues where they have tried to move people in wheelchairs without asking for their consent. They’ve clearly not had disability awareness training and they often go AWOL during the game.
‘To make matters worse, the lifts are no longer manned. At the final whistle it is essentially a free-for-all. I’m genuinely terrified about what would happen in an emergency. You’re not meant to use a lift in the event of a fire but we have no option. It needs someone with specialist training to be there at all times and that just isn’t happening any more.’
Dave, who has set up a petition to raise awareness, says he has written to chief operating officer Collette Roche and asked her to come to the top of the Stretford End to witness the issues. ‘She’s yet to respond, let alone come and meet us,’ he added.
‘The club have also hiked parking for disabled fans by 17 per cent this season, claiming they “have to” to make sure it is the same for all fans. They seem to be totally ignoring the “reasonable adjustments” section of the Equality Act 2010.
United have taken a more conservative approach to their spending, as they narrowly avoided Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) breaches after their £180m summer transfer spree
The club has also increased parking space prices for disabled fans by 17 per cent this season
‘They just don’t seem to care anymore and we no longer feel safe as a result. We cannot allow cost-cutting measures to jeopardize the support and safety of fans.’
As revealed, club bosses are also considering slashing the budget they hand to the disabled supporters’ association in half, from £40,000 to £20,000 per year. No decision has yet been made.
A spokesperson for Manchester United said: ‘We take great pride in the facilities and services we provide for all disabled fans who attend matches at Old Trafford.
‘Our strong commitment in this area is reflected by the fact the Premier League, who audit every match, have verified our operation to be of the highest standard.
‘We regularly engage with the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association to discuss how we can continue to deliver the best matchday experience for our fans with disabilities, with the latest meeting taking place on Thursday.’
