Traveling to support your team is supposed to be exciting—but for Aston Villa’s disabled supporters in Turkey, Thursday’s Europa League clash against Fenerbahce quickly turned into a nightmare.
Around 2,000 Villans made the trip from the West Midlands to Istanbul, hoping to witness Unai Emery’s side secure a victory.
While the team delivered on the pitch with Jadon Sancho’s first-half goal handing them a 1-0 win, the experience for disabled fans in the stadium was far from enjoyable.
The Controversial “Cage”
Images shared on Aston Villa’s ticketing support account have now gone viral, showing the away section and, in particular, the wheelchair enclosure—what some described as a yellow “cage.”
The club’s social media post explained:
“The entire away section is covered with protective netting, which may slightly restrict visibility.
There is metal fencing at the front of each tier.
The wheelchair section is caged.
There are Perspex screens separating the visiting supporters section from the home supporters.”
The wording and images sparked outrage online, with fans calling the setup degrading and unnecessary.
The England and Wales Football Supporters Association also joined the criticism, questioning UEFA’s role in permitting such arrangements.
Fans Share Their Frustrations
One Villa fan, Jude, who is an amputee with cerebral palsy, posted a video showing himself and two other wheelchair users inside the yellow enclosure.
He revealed that fans had been escorted into the stadium at 1 p.m.—3.5 hours before kick-off.
Other supporters reacted with disbelief: “Nightmare Jude—respect to you for dealing with this!”
“Jesus Christ, it’s literally a jail.”
It was clear from the responses that many fans found the conditions humiliating and unnecessarily restrictive.
A Fenerbahce Perspective
Some fans from Fenerbahce offered a different explanation.
On Reddit, one user argued that the yellow enclosure was not a “cage” but a separation fence designed to prevent pitch invasions.
They noted that the wheelchair section’s entrance from pitchside made it appear enclosed in photos, but during the game, it wasn’t fully closed off.
The Reddit user, who is disabled themselves, described it as a misunderstanding being blown out of proportion.
Despite this, many observers remained unconvinced.
One Reddit commenter remarked:
“Watching football isn’t that important to me.
Being caged like animals. No thanks.”
“That must be a miserable way to watch a game.”
Logistical Struggles for Disabled Fans
Villa’s ticketing support also shared updates about practical difficulties throughout the day.
The club confirmed that there was no storage for wheelchair users wishing to sit in general access seating and warned of long queues for the stadium’s limited disabled toilets—two for women and two for men across both tiers of the 50,000-seat Chobani Stadium.
Staff were on hand to assist disabled supporters with access to toilets and catering, but photos of the facilities alone prompted more than two million views and widespread criticism online.
A Frustrating End to the Day
Even after the final whistle, fans were held back for over an hour, leaving many frustrated by the overall experience.
While the team celebrated a hard-fought victory, Aston Villa’s disabled supporters were left questioning whether attending away games under such conditions is ever worth it.
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