SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 4 hrs 13 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

The impact of the coronavirus shutdown on football's disabled supporters

:Headline: The impact of the coronavirus shutdown on football's disabled supporters:
Going to live games was a "principal point of contact" for many fans, Carr said.
Sports Mole

Professional football's suspension last March hit fans hard – but the impact was felt especially keenly by disabled supporters.

The coronavirus pandemic forced a halt to action on Friday, March 13, 2020, and although elite-level sport has returned, supporters have only been back into venues for a brief period – and in small numbers – in the 12 months since.

Combined with lockdowns, it has had the effect of exacerbating the sense of isolation for some disabled fans, particularly those whose conditions have forced them to shield because they are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.

Peter Carr from Tottenham's Disabled Supporters' Association told the PA news agency: "We had a lot of people whose only principal contact was going to a game. They lived on their own, they were on benefits, with no carers. They saw nobody.

"The only way they would communicate with people was by going out, and their principal thing was going to the football.

"When you look at the truth of the virus, it was frightening. It terrified a lot of disabled people."

Carr and the Spurs' DSA worked to alleviate the loneliness and fears of their members by holding regular Zoom calls, which thanks to Tottenham featured the occasional guest star, including goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

"To be actually able to see the guy, ask him about his family, was huge," Carr said.

"Two of the players who were coming down the corridor at the training ground saw what he was doing and basically photobombed the call, ruffling his hair and lying across him and stuff like that.

"People saw the fun nature of the players and they felt, 'I'm that close I can touch them'."

Another to join was former player Gary Mabbutt, who has made well over 1,000 phone calls to Spurs fans simply to brighten their days.

"It's stuff like that which has kept a lot of our members going," Carr said.

The DSA also invited fans to a 'Virtual South Stand' watchalong for the match against Crystal Palace last weekend, as part of the Weeks of Action campaign from disability awareness group Level Playing Field, and plans to do the same for this weekend's north London derby.

Two thousand Tottenham fans attended last December's north London derby (PA)

Fans did briefly return to stadiums late last year, and Carr attended the game against Arsenal on December 6 as part of a 2,000-strong crowd, when the capital was in tier two of the Government's regional approach to restrictions.

He admits that even though he had been consulted by Spurs over the protocols and felt they had done everything possible to make the venue safe for disabled fans, he still had reservations.

"Going in, I was holding my breath, because I'm with this group of people and I don't know what their background is, and yes I was nervous," he said.

"When I told people I was going they would say, 'Are you sure? Aren't you taking a risk?'

"But I was happy, having been through the protocols with Spurs directly, that they really had taken things on board, especially in relation to disabled supporters."

“People might appreciate more how someone is living on a day-to-day basis with a hugely debilitating condition.”
- Peter Carr

Carr says there is "great respect" between disabled fans and their able-bodied counterparts at Tottenham, but generally speaking hopes the pandemic creates a more compassionate football fan.

"There will be a degree of better awareness – people have had close family getting a debilitating, potentially life-threatening illness, or have had it themselves," he said.

"I'm hoping there will be a bit more compassion, because you don't tend to have that until it happens to you personally.

"Where somebody has had Covid, or they have been into ICU but they have come out in one piece, I hope they will be more compassionate.

"People might appreciate more how someone is living on a day-to-day basis with a hugely debilitating condition."

body check tags ::

amp_article__438841 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-03-12 08:40:34:
html db last update - 2021-03-12 00:12:18 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Coronavirus outbreak - Click here for more stories

Share this article now:
SL
Read Next:
On This Day: Kelly Gallagher, Charlotte Evans win historic gold
>


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Read more about Coronavirus Outbreak Other
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
On This Day: Kelly Gallagher, Charlotte Evans win historic gold
Liverpool, Bayern suffer huge blow as Alonso confirms Leverkusen stay

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Ten Hag confirms vital Man Utd player could return against Brentford

1

TH

Arteta confirms injured trio have "chance" of facing Man City

2

AC

How Real Madrid could line up against Athletic Bilbao

3

HR

Preview: Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

4

PR

Man City vs. Arsenal: Head-to-head record and past meetings

5

MC

Fluminense president claims Chelsea defender will leave club this summer

6

FP

Newcastle 'join Man City, Man United in race for in-demand centre-back'

7

N'

Friday's Primeira Liga predictions including Estrela vs. Sporting Lisbon

8

FP

Preview: Estoril vs. Porto - prediction, team news, lineups

9

PE

Preview: Barcelona vs. Las Palmas - prediction, team news, lineups

10

PB


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .