Ipswich Town FC
Sample write up from the book.
Ipswich Town FC
Portman Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DA
Tel: 01473 400 500 (Club), 01473 400 555 (Ticket Office)
website: www.itfc.co.uk
Disabled Persons' Contact:
Richard Powell at club. Tel: 01473 400 543, e-mail: customerservices@itfc.co.uk
Disabled Supporters Association:
C/o Warner Duff, 1 Brecon Close, Ipswich. Tel: 01473 404 861
Capacity: 30,326.
Away allocation: up to 3,000.
Spaces for wheelchair users: over 300.
Some of the information below comes from the club's website as when we visited large parts of the ground were being rebuilt.
Ground Description:
Portman Road benefits from having two large new end stands which dwarf the two older side stands. Space around the stadium, which is mostly flat, is limited.
Travel: For travel information ring Suffolk's Traveline, Tel: 08457 583 358. Ipswich station is not 'accessible' in that the platforms have stepped access via an elevated footbridge. Assistance can be provided, contact Anglia Railways, Tel: 01473 693 333. The ground is less than a mile from the station.
Parking: There is no parking at the stadium. There is, however, a drop off point for chair users at the main driveway in Constantine Road. Ipswich borough council provide a useful One Stop Map which details car parks around the town.
Tickets for wheelchair users:
- Ipswich supporters. There should normally be a few tickets available on a match to match basis. More details can be obtained from the ticket office. Tickets for away games are often in short supply and priority is given to frequent attenders. According to the website, an adapted coach for disabled supporters will be available for travel to away games from the 2004/2005 season. It will have a lift and an accessible toilet.
- Away supporters. The allocation of tickets is sent to the away club four weeks before the fixture.
Spaces for wheelchair users. Following the new developments there are spaces at pitchside and mid-tier with areas in North, Greene King South and Britannia stands. Attempts have been made to adapt the upper tier bays in the South to stop supporters who stand in front blocking views.
Entrances for wheelchair users. When we visited there was one main entrance for wheelchair users in the Britannia stand. There are most likely others now for spaces in the North stand.
Ambulant disabled supporters. We found that the most suitable rows were D, E and F in the Greene King South stand lower tier. Information on designated rows from the ticket office.
Visually impaired supporters. Spaces reserved in the central block of the Cobbold stand. 12 headsets available with commentary from the supporters club.
Hearing impaired supporters. No special provisions identified.
Refreshments. There are refreshment areas close to all areas for disabled supporters. There are dropped counters in the Greene King South and North stands.
Toilets. All the toilets which we saw were clearly signed and close to the chair users areas and were D70+ ST70+.
The Club Shop, at the corner of the Greene King South and Cobbold stand had +1 step at the entrance, but was then step free.
The Ticket Office was in a temporary building in front of the Britannia stand when we visited. There were also three windows by the club shop at the south end of the Cobbold stand. Entrance +1 step 20cm high.
The boxes which we saw were accessible by lift (D80 L110 W140) and appeared to be step free throughout.