A GAME FOR ALL - WHAT IS IT LIKE TO ATTEND A MATCH AS A BLIND FAN?

Holly Tuke
3 days ago
4 min read

Holly stood in the Emirates Stadium with a view of the pitch behind her. She’s wearing a light blue denim jacket and is smiling at the camera. — Holly at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium with the players warming up on the pitch behind her.

Attending a match to watch your favourite team the first time is a memory that always stays with you.

Taking your first steps into the stadium, eagerly finding your seat, the excitement of the first goal, the thrill of the atmosphere - they are memories that live well beyond the 90 minutes of the match.

As a blind person, all of that has an entirely new meaning. I can only see light and dark, meaning that I’m not able to see what’s happening on the pitch; but that doesn’t stop me from loving football.

Her Game Too’s tagline is “football is a game for all”, so here’s what it’s like for me to attend a match as a blind person.

For me, the process starts well before I enter the stadium.

It’s all about finding out whether I can attend a match in the first place. That includes the accessibility on offer at the stadium, how to purchase accessible tickets, and whether either audio commentary or audio descriptive commentary is on offer.

Holly outside the Emirates Stadium. She is wearing a denim jacket, black top and jeans and holding her cane.

The process of buying accessible tickets is a big one for me. This involves the offer of a free or discounted companion ticket so that a sighted friend or family member can come with me. This is invaluable as stadiums are often unfamiliar places.

Blind or visually impaired or not, I know I’m not the only one who counts down to the matchday itself.

When matchday arrives, I always feel a sense of excitement. Nothing quite beats the feeling of arriving at the stadium and accessibility being spot on from the start.

I recently had an experience where as soon as I arrived at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, I knew it was going to be the best match I’d ever attended - both on and off the pitch.

A seven-goal thriller between Arsenal Women and Manchester United Women on the last day of the season? Yes please!

Staff volunteered to assist us to our seats right from the turnstiles, and everyone we encountered was extremely friendly and genuinely wanted to help. That makes a massive difference.

The atmosphere around the stadium made it even more special. It was the icing on the cake. Every single fan was hooked from the very first whistle. We all had a shared vision; to support our favourite club.

There’s something unique about the togetherness of the football community. You don’t have to see to feel the togetherness.

As a blind person, I always get a real buzz from the atmosphere. It pulls me into the action.

Her Game Too are currently partnered with 80 of the 92 Premier League and English Football League clubs.

This feeds into the matchday, from the support from clubs themselves, through to the fans.

As a blind fan, knowing that I can attend a match without fear of ableism or discrimination is a huge relief.

I’m often asked how I know what’s happening on the pitch when I attend a football match. It’s a fair question.

It’s thanks to either audio commentary or audio descriptive commentary that I’m able to attend in the first place.

These commentaries enables blind and visually impaired fans, or others who would benefit from the service, to know what’s happening on the pitch in real time.

One tiny headset has the power to change the game for blind and visually impaired fans like me.

Holly sat in her seat in Emirates Stadium waiting for the game to start. She wears a light blue denim jacket and has her long cane in her lap.

Audio commentary is like radio commentary, audibly describing what’s happening on the pitch, with talk around goals, players and statistics.

Audio descriptive commentary however, adds extra detail for blind and visually impaired fans like the pitch formation, body language from the players, facial expressions, and exact placement of the ball.

Audio descriptive commentary is the preferred method for me. I recently experienced it for the first time, and felt much more immersed and included in the game than listening to standard audio commentary.

No matter the scoreline, having the game relayed back to me means that I’m able to enjoy it in the same way as sighted fans. That of course means celebrating along with everyone else!

When I think of audio descriptive commentary, it embeds everything Her Game Too is all about; giving blind and visually impaired women and girls the opportunity to participate in sport like everyone else. It’s inclusion. It’s accessibility. And it’s about having the same opportunities.

Sadly, football is still catching up in terms of offering audio descriptive commentary everywhere, or audio commentary for that matter.

There’s still a long way to go, but with the likes of Her Game Too fighting for accessibility, equality and equity in football, it fills me with hope that football will truly live Her Game Too’s values and be a sport for all one day.

For now, I’ll keep attending matches, documenting my experiences, and striving for better accessibility.

You can follow Her Game Too volunteer Holly's blog about disability, accessibility and football at Life of Blind Girl.

Holly stood in the stadium at Bramall Lane, holding her long cane which has a red handle. The stands and the pitch are visible in the background. She’s wearing a dark blue coat and a burgundy scarf, and her long brown hair is wavy.