UEFA-backed award to UK disabled fans

The British National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS) has won the UEFA-backed European Football Supporters Award for 2008. The prize will be presented at Wembley Stadium on 28 March next year at the friendly international match between England and Slovakia.

Spirit of solidarity
NADS, an association made up of volunteers which represents disabled supporters in the United Kingdom, aims to make the presence of handicapped supporters in football stadiums possible wherever it can be achieved, believing that the integration of disabled fans with able-bodied supporters will help the former with their overall social acceptance. Since its creation, NADS has dedicated itself to the resolution of such problems as obtaining tickets and the reservation of covered areas with good visibility of the pitch as well as access to toilets, bars, shops and club museums.

UEFA support
Originally known as the Brussels International Supporters Award, the prize has now been renamed the European Football Supporters Award in order to clearly confirm its roots in the domain of European football, where it is already established as one of the most appreciated trophies. Since its creation in 2005 by the City of Brussels and the Dialogic agency, the prize has also benefitted from the considerable support of UEFA, which recognises the importance of the role of supporters in football stadiums and fully appreciates the originality of an award that encourages ethics in sport.

Honouring fans
When they created the award, 20 years after the Heysel tragedy in Brussels, the organisers first wanted to pay homage to the victims. That is the reason for which they decided to honour supporters for such behaviour as friendship between supporters, respect for opponents and the referee, fighting against all expressions of racism and xenophobia and the condemnation of all physical or verbal violence.

Friendly atmosphere
"The spontaneous support of leading sports organisations, such as UEFA and the IOC, as well as the richness of our list of prize-winners, demonstrates that the creation of the award responded to the expectations of the world of football," Philippe Housiaux, spokesman for the European Football Supporters Award recently declared. "It is clear that the large majority of spectators want to see an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood in the stadiums, far from the excesses of violence that have disturbed certain matches. For the public at large, football is above all a festive event."