A ceremony was held at Wembley Stadium this week to unveil a plaque in honour of Gary Deards.

Gary was the former Vice-Chair of Level Playing Field (LPF), the national disabled supporters group representing disabled sports fans across England and Wales, and a long-term advisor and friend to CAFE.

Gary's parents and brothers attended the ceremony, as well as representatives from both CAFE and Level Playing Field.

The plaque reads: "In memory of Gary Deards. A key advisor on accessibility at Wembley Stadium. Leaving a lasting legacy for disabled supporters".

“It was a real pleasure to join with Gary’s family, friends and colleagues to celebrate his life and to honour his legacy. Gary’s plaque will serve as a permanent reminder of his tireless works in promoting access and inclusion, and the impact this has for so many disabled sports fans. former CAFE Managing Director Joyce Cook said.

"A big thank you to Wembley National Stadium Ltd and the FA for all of their help and support in making this possible”.

The plaque is located on the official stadium tour route, meaning that many visitors to the stadium will learn more about the impact of Gary's works.

Gary first became involved with LPF back in 1999 and devoted so much of his own time and energies to working towards a better landscape for disabled people. He was also a much-respected member of the CAFE disabled fans advisory group, where his specialist knowledge helped to bring about real change in Europe.

A version of this article is also available in Russian.

Published 04/08/2017