Bronte Thomas, from Warrington, spent £350 on last-minute tickets for the Take That Circus tour at the Etihad Stadium on June 20, but the evening descended into 'mayhem' that left her mother Michelle, 60, 'in tears'. Michelle, who has vision problems and heart failure, cannot walk long distances, prompting Bronte to contact the venue beforehand for accessibility information.
Pre-Arranged Wheelchair Not Available
In an email seen by the Manchester Evening News (MEN), Bronte was told wheelchairs would be available at accessible doors and could be returned after the concert. However, upon arrival, she described the scene as 'mayhem', taking roughly 90 minutes to secure a wheelchair. The pair initially went to the wrong car park, where their vehicle was inspected by sniffer dogs, but matters then 'got even worse'.
Bronte said: 'I booked the tickets on the day and emailed specifically the access team at the venue. We were told there was no disabled parking available but that we could get dropped off at an accessibility entrance. But we had mayhem from the minute we got there.'
Security Risk Accusation
After being redirected to a welfare tent area, staff were unaware of their arrival and no wheelchair had been arranged. Video footage shown to the MEN captured a staff member telling Bronte and her mother they posed a 'security risk', with police officers present. Bronte explained: 'They knew nothing about us. The supervisor was apprehending my mum and saying we were a security risk. By this point, I was frustrated. We were missing the support acts. Nobody knew what was happening.'
She added: 'We were told that we had to leave the area, but we had already been let in and had been screened in the other car park and dogs had sniffed out my car. I couldn't believe what was happening. My mum was so stressed and was crying. She felt like her disability meant she was a burden. It felt very heavy handed for such a basic situation and accessible needs.'
90-Minute Wait Casts Shadow Over Evening
After about 90 minutes, a staff member finally brought a wheelchair. Their seats were in the front row above ground level, offering a good view, but the ordeal had already marred the experience. Bronte said: 'The biggest issue is, my mum doesn't have a lot of time. She is very poorly, so we are making these important memories now, when we can, that will last forever. Moments like this stop mum's breaks to normal life and knock her confidence.'
She continued: 'It needs to be raised. My mum was crying for the first part of the evening and missed most of the first and second acts. She was so mortified and humiliated by it all. There were loads of people and it drew attention to her.'
The MEN contacted Manchester City, who declined to comment. However, the club has since reached out to Bronte after she lodged a formal complaint.
