Devoted Gigi Fois panics whenever Huddersfield Town host a home game at the John Smith’s Stadium.
A full-time carer for wheelchair-bound wife Gillian since she was paralysed by a debilitating stroke, he watches with concern as the narrow streets around his home in Rawthorpe fill up with football fans’ cars.
The 64-year-old, of Heathergrove Fold, is now calling for urgent action to curb the traffic that floods into the housing estate where he has lived for 24 years.
He says fans use footpaths to Kilner Bank and then down to the stadium to save time when leaving after matches finish.
And he is begging Town supporters to show some consideration to residents.
“We live in a cul-de-sac at the top of the estate. Sometimes it’s impossible to get in or out because of the cars that park on the pavements. It’s a three-way problem: fans coming in, coming out and then the residents that live here fighting to get through.
“Sometimes I need to leave the house quickly but what should be a brief journey takes 15 minutes on a match day because of the volume of vehicles.
“Cars are on both sides. If you try and tell people you get abuse. They’ll say that they pay their road tax so they can park where they like. It happens on every match day and it’s getting worse.
“I care for my wife 24/7. She depends on me for everything. I worry what might happen to her if I’m away too long. If I get stressed out and then something happens to me, what will that mean for her?”
Gigi and Gillian, 56, have raised their concerns with Kirklees Council. They have asked whether double yellow lines can be added to surrounding streets to prevent fans’ access or if a residents’ only parking scheme can be expanded to cover their locality.
Several people living close to the stadium have complained about the influx of cars on match days, which attract near sell-out 20,000-plus crowds. With Town’s promotion to the Premier League numbers are expected to increase further.
Kirklees Council have told residents that it is unlikely to introduce permit parking in affected areas as residents are only affected for a limited period and not the majority of the day.
Senior traffic investigation officer Karen North rejected calls for permit parking and said sensible driving meant that traffic was still able to flow freely despite instances of double parking.
“It is not feasible to introduce waiting restrictions to deal with this type of behaviour,” she commented.
