americananneinlondon
Nov 2024
4
Wembley details
I attended the Eng/USA women's football match 30 Nov 2024 and wanted to give some details about my experience that I've not seen recently updated.
TICKETING: This team lost 1/2 star for the review. You have to call for tickets, and my person couldn't seem to manage 4 seats, on an aisle, with no/few steps for an ambulant patron. Despite me being one of the first to book. We ended up 4 together, on the aisle, in the front row, which is down 30 shallow stairs. You need to send in your proof of disability (e.g., Access card) in advance of booking tickets.
BAG ALLOWANCE: You can't bring a bag bigger than an A4 sheet of paper, and no fluids or foods. However, if you email the Access team in advance, they can send you an exemption form. I would get this form if you walk with any mobility aid, carry any medical equipment, or need any food or fluids on you. They queried some of my diabetes stuff on site but allowed once explained.
PARKING: If you have a blue badge, the Blue Parking is closest to the stadium. Maybe 100 yards? If you're not able to walk that distance, they have runners with wheelchairs to bring you to your entry point of the stadium, which may not be on the garage side. The parking is booked in advance, online, and is I think 25 for blue badge holders, while other parking is I think 40. On the website, it tells you how many bookable spots remain, but tbh, I book parking as soon as I've booked the ticket.
ON THE DAY:
PARKING: It is difficult to find the Blue parking the first time. They give detailed directions in your booking, and you should follow them, even if your satnav says no. Basically from London you go to Ikea then behind it and follow signs from there. There are stewards around as well to direct you. It seems like you're not going the right way a lot of the time, but you are.
ENTRY: All gates have a wheelchair symbol access entry point without turnstiles. They do the bag check there with a stick, but they didn't delve deeply into my bag. With the bag exemption I was allowed to bring my water (plastic easily crushable bottle) and snacks.
SEATS: As mentioned above, we were in the front row, which was cool, but not kind on my body as it's 30 shallow steps down. However, there is more than ample leg room and the plastic seats are comfortable enough.
FOOD & DRINK: If you are unable to stand in queue, find a steward, and ask them to escort you to the front of a line. They are happy to do this for you, and people are happy to let you in when the steward explains. I showed him my Access card on my sunflower lanyard when requesting. I don't know about wheelchair seating, but certainly the genral seating has no kind of seat delivery service or "order ahead" app.
LOOS: In my area, I only saw two RADAR key disabled loos, one of which was very large and I believe was a changing place toilet with adult sized change table and I believe a hoist. Due to their only being two, the queues for this were quite long. I found a women's loo with no queue, and none of those cubicles appeared to have rails or other access aids, they are all "bog standard". Due to the above, I marked down another 1/2 star.
GETTING HOME: After the match, I saw the stewards running a wheelchair ferry again back to the car parks, which is appreciated, and the wait to exit the parking wasn't too long, given 80K people were leaving the area, but the whole leaving process does take a while. Once we reached the North Circular it opened back up.
Overall, a very good experience that I wouldn't hesitate to repeat, but I do wish I could book my seats online, or have a fully competent team booking seats for us.
I attended the Eng/USA women's football match 30 Nov 2024 and wanted to give some details about my experience that I've not seen recently updated.
TICKETING: This team lost 1/2 star for the review. You have to call for tickets, and my person couldn't seem to manage 4 seats, on an aisle, with no/few steps for an ambulant patron. Despite me being one of the first to book. We ended up 4 together, on the aisle, in the front row, which is down 30 shallow stairs. You need to send in your proof of disability (e.g., Access card) in advance of booking tickets.
BAG ALLOWANCE: You can't bring a bag bigger than an A4 sheet of paper, and no fluids or foods. However, if you email the Access team in advance, they can send you an exemption form. I would get this form if you walk with any mobility aid, carry any medical equipment, or need any food or fluids on you. They queried some of my diabetes stuff on site but allowed once explained.
PARKING: If you have a blue badge, the Blue Parking is closest to the stadium. Maybe 100 yards? If you're not able to walk that distance, they have runners with wheelchairs to bring you to your entry point of the stadium, which may not be on the garage side. The parking is booked in advance, online, and is I think 25 for blue badge holders, while other parking is I think 40. On the website, it tells you how many bookable spots remain, but tbh, I book parking as soon as I've booked the ticket.
ON THE DAY:
PARKING: It is difficult to find the Blue parking the first time. They give detailed directions in your booking, and you should follow them, even if your satnav says no. Basically from London you go to Ikea then behind it and follow signs from there. There are stewards around as well to direct you. It seems like you're not going the right way a lot of the time, but you are.
ENTRY: All gates have a wheelchair symbol access entry point without turnstiles. They do the bag check there with a stick, but they didn't delve deeply into my bag. With the bag exemption I was allowed to bring my water (plastic easily crushable bottle) and snacks.
SEATS: As mentioned above, we were in the front row, which was cool, but not kind on my body as it's 30 shallow steps down. However, there is more than ample leg room and the plastic seats are comfortable enough.
FOOD & DRINK: If you are unable to stand in queue, find a steward, and ask them to escort you to the front of a line. They are happy to do this for you, and people are happy to let you in when the steward explains. I showed him my Access card on my sunflower lanyard when requesting. I don't know about wheelchair seating, but certainly the genral seating has no kind of seat delivery service or "order ahead" app.
LOOS: In my area, I only saw two RADAR key disabled loos, one of which was very large and I believe was a changing place toilet with adult sized change table and I believe a hoist. Due to their only being two, the queues for this were quite long. I found a women's loo with no queue, and none of those cubicles appeared to have rails or other access aids, they are all "bog standard". Due to the above, I marked down another 1/2 star.
GETTING HOME: After the match, I saw the stewards running a wheelchair ferry again back to the car parks, which is appreciated, and the wait to exit the parking wasn't too long, given 80K people were leaving the area, but the whole leaving process does take a while. Once we reached the North Circular it opened back up.
Overall, a very good experience that I wouldn't hesitate to repeat, but I do wish I could book my seats online, or have a fully competent team booking seats for us.
