Wembley Stadium has received a Centre of Excellence award from Level Playing Field, a charity campaigning for equal and fair access for disabled fans.

LPF Centre of Excellence awards are presented to sporting venues and stadia that demonstrate the highest access and inclusion standards in accommodating disabled spectators and visitors on match (or event) and non-matchdays.

To qualify for the award, the club or venue must first commission an LPF Audit and demonstrate that it meets the requirements of existing equality and access legislation, building regulations and accessible sports grounds and stadia good practice standards.

The LPF Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that the first LPF Centre of Excellence awards are to be presented to Wembley National Stadium and to the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club.

Wembley National Stadium Managing Director, Roger Maslin said of the award "WNSL is delighted to be joining forces with Level Playing Field moving forward. We share in their vision to ensure accessibility issues are addressed and that suitable solutions are identified and implemented. At the centre of Wembley Stadium's ethos is inspiring memories for our fans and as such we take great pride in providing the best customer experience for everyone at all our events."

John Beattie, Stadium and Facilities Director at Arsenal FC said “We are extremely proud to have been recognised in this way. Our aim is to make our stadium a welcoming place for everyone who visits and this shows we are getting things right.”

LPF Chair, Joyce Cook, OBE said ‘ We have been delighted by the success of the LPF Audit programme and the respect and recognition that our audits have gained across a range of sports. The programme has been delivered under the expert stewardship of Gary Deards, LPF’s Vice Chair and Stadia Development Lead, with audits undertaken by our professional LPF auditors (who specialise in sports stadia) and we are very proud of the high level of service and support that they are providing to our clients.

'It is also fitting that we should recognise those clubs and venues that have undergone a full LPF Audit and those that have achieved the highest standards as ‘Centres of Excellence’ in providing an inclusive and accessible fan experience. We hope that the new LPF audit awards will act as an inspiration to other clubs and venues’

For more information about LPF and the LPF Audit programme please click here and for more information about what to expect from an accessible sports stadium (new and existing) or venue please visit here.