MUDSA’s work extends beyond our own members and Manchester United. As part of our roles, members of the MUDSA committee also represent disabled supporters on a number of other groups, committees and organisations, helping to ensure our members’ experiences and concerns are heard as part of the wider conversation around accessibility in football.
One of those roles is undertaken by our own Woody, who has been involved in the creation of a new national organisation representing Disabled Supporters Associations across the country.
On Saturday 25 July, a new voice for disabled football fans in England and Wales was born. The National Alliance of Football Disabled Supporters Associations (NAFDSA) was formally launched at its inaugural AGM, held at the Etihad Stadium. The event was opened by Steph Houghton, former England Women’s captain.
The organisation has been brought to life in just four months by a dedicated group of volunteers from Disabled Supporters Associations (DSAs) across the country, including Woody. NAFDSA’s aim is to unite the voices of DSAs throughout the English and Welsh football leagues, ensuring that disabled supporters are represented and heard by key stakeholders in the game.
NAFDSA will provide a unified, recognised and member-led voice for disabled football supporters – one that stakeholders cannot easily ignore. By bringing DSAs together under a single banner, the organisation can highlight common issues, share best practice and drive meaningful improvements that create a fairer and more inclusive experience for disabled fans across the country.
The newly formed NAFDSA committee includes representatives from clubs across the top four divisions of the English football pyramid. Membership ranges from the largest DSA in the country, MUDSA, to smaller associations further down the football pyramid. The organisation is open to any football club with a recognised DSA.
MUDSA is proud to have played a part in helping to establish NAFDSA, as well as being one of its founding members, and we look forward to working closely with the organisation as it continues to grow and develop.
On a lighter note, Woody had to endure a day at the Etihad Stadium, so naturally he made sure Manchester United were properly represented. Arriving proudly dressed in red, he changed his United shirt every hour throughout the day – much to the amusement of those in attendance, with the possible exception of a few City fans!
