Football has fascinated me ever since my childhood years.

Because of my disability I could never play football professionally, but I could very much enjoy the matches between my twin brother and his friends.  At a later time in my life, I found that I needed to enjoy football in a different way.

From that moment on, I became an active supporter of Vitesse Arnhem. The atmosphere in the stadium gives me the maximum experience of football.  Football is no longer something passive for me, but something that has become a bigger and bigger part of my life.

Even though the facilities for disabled fans at Vitesse are quite good thanks to the efforts of the supporters association and the club, I think that it is important that we continue to improve. We should come together and share good practices with each other, so that all disabled fans can enjoy watching live football.

When I feel how attending a match feels for me, I know that this should be a right for everyone!  Encouraging an accessible and inclusive matchday experience is hugely important. Though I can not play football myself, visiting football matches is essential to my standard of living and my sense of belonging. It is something that I would not want to miss – I enjoy football to the fullest!

Raymond Klaassen  – The Netherlands

Published 07/08/2012