San Mamés lights up in the colours of CAFE

Athletic Club and the Foundation have once again taken part in the week to raise awareness about reduced mobility promoted by CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe), held between the March 8 and 14. Sponsored by UEFA, CAFE is an organisation which seeks to improve accessibility to football grounds for people with reduced mobility. On Saturday night, the San Mamés stadium lit up blue, the colour of the international organisation.

CAFE’s motto, which Athletic Club has adopted, is “Total Football, Total Access”. The aim is to promote true inclusion in order to ensure every fan gets the authentic Athletic Club matchday experience by being able to access different areas and places within and around the stadium.

Athletic Club has the first supporters’ club in La Liga founded by people with reduced mobility. The supporters’ club is called Denon Athletic and is made up of around 70 people. It is based in San Mamés itself, in the “La Campa de los Ingleses” bar.

Escalators

One of the most important initiatives that the Club has presented for implementation in the coming months is the escalator project. This will make it easier for spectators to access the third tier (second and third floors) of the stadium’s four stands (Main, East, North and South).

The new escalators, which will help 29,000 people (24,833 members) access their seats, will run parallel to the existing pedestrian steps without causing any disruption. Priority use will be given to persons with permanent or temporary reduced mobility and the elderly. The project is designed to support a total traffic flow of around 12,000 spectators every half hour.