From braving the rain to meeting Ryan Reynolds - my life as a disabled Wrexham fan

Life supporting Wrexham is often viewed as a glamorous pastime under their Hollywood owners, but for some fans that isn’t always the case.

A wheelchair-using Red Dragons supporter has revealed what it’s like following the club up and down the country to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Ian Parry’s life changed when he was diagnosed with a spinal injury around 13 years ago and soon found himself needing to use a wheelchair.

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With his condition leaving him unable to work, he started going to watch his team Wrexham AFC on a regular basis.

While he enjoyed being able to support the then-National League club, his early matchday experiences made him aware of the problems faced by disabled fans.

Ian said: “When I first came to matches, it opened my eyes up to the challenges of getting there, finding somewhere to park, and then not knowing where to go.

“There didn’t used to be any signs to show the disabled entrance or where wheelchair users could go. When I first started, there was only one option of where to sit in the Mold Road Stand.

“The issues were not being able to go where I wanted to, the amount of steps there were and not being able to get out of the way of the weather.”

Thankfully, life has improved for Ian and other disabled Wrexham supporters since then.

Under fan ownership, accessibility upgrades to the Racecourse Ground were initially driven by the Wrexham Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) of which Ian is now a committee member.

The first milestone saw a new platform created for wheelchair users in the Mold Road Stand in 2015 to provide them with better views.

Extra designated wheelchair areas have been built since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in February 2021, with more expected to follow when a new Kop Stand is built.

Ian said: “There’s two platforms at the moment and the new stand is going to have 50 wheelchair spaces as well.

“The DSA and the club were pushing for this because most wheelchair spaces were open to the elements where there's no sort of protection.

“We wanted something that would give fans a much better view and keep them dry.”

A further development under Reynolds and McElhenney has seen Kerry Evans, Wrexham’s disability liaison officer, employed on a full-time basis.

After previously working in a voluntary role, Kerry has delivered several initiatives, including the introduction of a quiet zone for families with autism and other issues.

Ian said her work to provide travel for supporters in wheelchairs had enabled him to attend more away games.

The 50-year-old even got to meet the owners themselves when the two actors attended a wheelchair football session during their first visit to Wrexham in 2021.

While supportive of their efforts to date, he also wants to see improvements to allow more disabled fans to access hospitality facilities at the Racecourse.

Ian said: “We need people, including wheelchair users, to be able to come and experience everything on a match day, not just to turn up and watch the game.

“We understand that it's going to cost a lot of money to make that happen but hopefully as they develop the ground, all sides should be fully accessible.”

The DSA provides around 60 parking spaces for blue badge holders right next to Wrexham’s ground on match days.

Ian said the number of disabled fans attending games had increased significantly since the takeover.

The organisation also spearheaded the introduction of an audio descriptive commentary service for visually impaired and supporters at the stadium.

Ian said: “We're very proud of it and it's not just our fans that use it, away fans get the benefit as well.

“Some supporters have used it for years now and it's the only reason they can come to the football and feel included.”

Despite an overall improvement in his experience at home games, Ian believes some clubs in the lower reaches of the EFL need to up their game.

He said: “We went to Port Vale the other week, and we had to get from where the coaches were parked to the ground along a dirt track in the dark. Cambridge is very similar as well.

“In the National League, there weren’t even any places for wheelchair users to go at some grounds and you’d just make do with wherever you could find.

“We’re now up there with the big boys like Birmingham though, where you can get a decent view.”