Everton captain Seamus Coleman has been named patron of the club’s Disabled Supporters’ Association
Club captain Seamus Coleman said he is “proud and honoured” to have been named a patron of the Everton Disabled Supporters’ Association. The appointment was announced as Coleman surprised members of the fan group who were enjoying a recent familiarisation tour of the Blues’ new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Defender Coleman joined the visit, which coincided with Level Playing Field’s Unite for Access campaign and was arranged to help disabled supporters begin to plan what their matchday will look like once Everton move to their new home this summer. Founded in 1994 to advocate for the best possible matchday experience for disabled supporters, the Everton Disabled Supporters’ Association (EDSA) has been consulted on the 52,888-capacity stadium throughout the planning and construction phases of the project.
In 2021, the group named Everton Giant Peter Reid and acclaimed film director Rob Sloman as their first ever patrons, with Coleman now taking up the title in recognition of his support of their work. Coleman said: “I’m very proud to have been asked down here and invited to become a patron of EDSA.
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“They’re all thanking me but it’s a massive honour, and I’ve always wanted to play a big part in supporting groups like EDSA in my time at the club. Seeing how much they have enjoyed the tour, and learning how their matchday experience will improve here, it’s been a really enjoyable day.”
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The tour, and the first stadium test event held in February, have allowed Everton officials to gain more feedback from EDSA, with a second test event to come on Sunday March 23. The stadium will offer accessible platforms at various levels, while features including accessible lifts, quiet rooms, a sensory viewing box, faith rooms, enlarged toilet cubicles and Changing Places facilities will also transform the matchday experience for visitors.
Mark Dyer, Chair of EDSA, said: “For disabled supporters, they’re used to a routine, they need to have the confidence of knowing where they’re coming to and, today, they’ve been able to see different parts of the ground and familiarise themselves with the facilities that are here.
“The initial plans came to EDSA about the accessible areas and we were able to say certain things to the designers at the time for them to incorporate in the next phase of their designs. It’s been a collaborative process over a number of years and to see all the work that’s been done come to fruition, and have Seamus here as our new patron, too, is great.
“With it being EDSA’s 30th anniversary season, we wanted to bring in a new patron and we looked around and thought, who better than Seamus Coleman, a man who embodies everything that’s good about Everton and who’s engaged with our members at different events. We’re delighted he accepted our invitation to take up the role.”
Amy Wilson, EDSA’s secretary and the group’s representative on the Everton Fan Advisory Board, was one of the members to benefit from the familiarisation tour. She added: “Goodison is obviously special to everyone and it’s going to be hard leaving. In terms of accessibility, as good as we’ve tried to make it [Goodison], working with the club, it’s still not ideal. Seeing what we have here at Everton Stadium, it’s light years forward and the facilities are going to be so beneficial to so many more people who will be able to come to games.”
At Saturday’s Premier League fixture against West Ham United, Everton will mark the Unite For Access campaign, an annual period of celebration that aims to shine a spotlight on the good work clubs and venues are doing across the country to make watching sport more accessible.
Daniel Townley, Development Officer at Level Playing Field, said: “We want to make sure that disabled fans have that same level of choice as non-disabled fans whatever stadium they go to. Having the different choice of seating, pitchside or elevated, really gives them that same level of choice as non-disabled supporters and that kind of equality is why we exist and what we’re trying to fight for.
“It’s really important to give the opportunity to fans to come in advance so that they know what to expect, and we’ve been impressed looking at some of the things the stadium has installed, like the P-rails on all the stairs, the size of the lifts, low-level serving counters and various other facilities that are really good in terms of access.”
