Danny, champion of a new world

Manchester United winger Danny Wallace had his football career curtailed by multiple sclerosis. Now, says Sunil Peck, he is campaigning to make football grounds more accessible to other disabled fans

Danny Wallace was a member of the Manchester United team that lifted the FA Cup in 1990. It was the first trophy United won under Alex Ferguson and was the start of the most successful era in the club’s history.

But Wallace, who would be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, had his United career curtailed by a sudden loss of form which coincided with the onset of the condition. He was sold to Birmingham City in 1993.

“I think I must have had it before I went to United,” says Wallace, who joined United from Southampton in 1989. “ I’m just presuming, because the doctor I saw said that I could have had the disease six years before any symptoms came out.”

It took him time to come to terms with the end of his career and overcome the bitterness and frustration he felt at losing his physical fitness. But he says he has fond memories of United.

“I had some great times there. My first game at Old Trafford was unbelievable, because of the big crowd and the big stadium. It was against Coventry. The noise was overwhelming.”

Wallace became an ambassador for the National Association for Disabled Supporters (NADS) in August and is passionate about doing his bit to make football stadia more accessible to disabled fans – he hasn’t been to a game since early 2007, when he saw United play Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

“I used to go to a lot of games. But when I was diagnosed, I stayed in my house for five years without seeing anybody or talking to anybody. I’ve realised that there are other people who are cooped up, dying to go out and meet people and watch games, so I’m trying to get them out.”

Wallace prefers to watch football at home rather than from the terraces, because of the difficulties of finding parking spaces and getting around grounds. “I think clubs need to do a bit more. There’s not a lot of disabled people when you go to football games. You see a few wheelchairs at games, but I know a lot more disabled people who would like to go to games.”

Despite the inaccessibility of some grounds, Wallace does not think disabled fans face the kind of prejudice which black fans and players used to endure before anti-racism campaigns like Kick It Out. Wallace is now also working with Kick It Out as it expands its aims to focus on equality in general, and took part in an event to highlight the issues faced by disabled supporters as part of its One Game, One Community action week in October.

But he says: “I don’t think there’s any discrimination against disabled people from crowds. I’ve never heard anything like that, anyway.”

Wallace plans to carry on his campaigning work for NADS and fundraising for his own charity, the Danny Wallace Foundation. He still sees his old boss at United training sessions from time to time and says he would be happy to ask him to help NADS.

“If NADS want me to get in touch with him and see what he can do for us, I’m definitely willing to phone him up and ask him for his help.”

Picture credit: Phil O'Brien/Empics Sport/PA Photos