Watford FC Hosts AKO Fun Day: Inclusive Tour for Families with Autistic Children 

We had such a lovely day at our 3rd AKO fun day and tour at Watford football club. It’s a great opportunity for parents and carers to explore the ground at their own pace and in a quieter environment without being judged.

The tour was very autism friendly and we even had a volunteer who was on the spectrum who played for Watford ladies. We started off the tour at the club’s fantastic sensory room. A room that can be booked on match days where families can watch the game from a contained, quiet space that gives magnificent views of the whole ground but away from all the hustle and bustle.

Along the way, we met Ann Swanson who has the family enclosure named after her for her contributions to the club. She founded the family enclosure to create a safer environment for families watching the game and was also the leader of the junior Hornets.
The tour ended in the dressing room where they were surprised with the appearance of 3 of WFC’s players –
Tom Ince, Edo Kayembe, and Jack Grieves.

Many of the youngsters that came expressed their desire to come back to the ground for a real game and this is exactly what it’s all about. We had so many lovely messages thanking us for a wonderful day, it makes it all worthwhile. We hope to do another one soon as this proves so popular that we now have a waiting list for the next one. Thank you to Watford FC for their continued support and paving the way to make the club autism friendly.