Club audits
NADS feels strongly that there should be an official and independent audit of all professional clubs. In our view, The Football Licensing Authority would seem the ideal independent body to conduct these audits, considering best practice access guidance as described in the ASG and ensuring that all aspects were assessed.
As is good practice in designing any new build or making improvements to an existing building – there should also be an access panel of disabled users for this project. We propose that NADS would be the ideal consultants with local disabled supporters also involved. As the national representative body for all disabled supporters, with adequate funding, it would be sensible for NADS to play a key part in this project.
It is important to emphasis the compromised position that some disabled supporters face in dealings with their own club. At some clubs, disabled ticketing is managed for example by the Disabled Liaison Officer, rather than more independently by the ticket office and the rules of allocation do not always follow those for non-disabled fans. Disabled supporters can feel vulnerable and scared to offer constructive criticism for fear of not getting tickets.
When a club receives a Football Stadia Improvement Funding grant then it is a condition that NADS is consulted. This should be extended to include all new stadia and improvements. It is a good solution and allows for a more independent consultation with supporters alongside local disabled fans. NADS also has considerable experience in looking at architects drawings and understanding legislative and best practice guidance.
Following an access audit, it is also important to identify a business plan or access strategy - the building works that would need to be carried out to ensure equal access in line with the Accessible Stadia Guidance and the costs involved.
It seems to NADS that clubs fear the expense involved and it may well prove that many improvements are not prohibitive. Where finances prove to be an issue for individual clubs, then there should be a fund similar to the Football Stadia Improvement Fund.
This particular funding source currently stands at around £5.5 million per annum and is ‘for major development projects and projects to make necessary safety improvements’. Our understanding is that the current ‘FSIF pot’ would not sustain applications from clubs to complete outstanding access works. Perhaps in the short term to resolve the access improvement requirements, this fund could be increased. Clubs that need such support would require it once only. In the longer term and once an equal facility had been achieved then future inclusive access would be part of any improvement or new build.
Who should manage this overall?
NADS believes that leadership should come from the very top - from government and football’s governing bodies and the club Chairmen and their Directors.
Most recently a top Premier League club built new extensions to its existing facilities and only provided disabled seating in line with the new seating. This club, like many in the Premier League, does not come close to meeting seating recommendations within the best practice guidance of the ASG and there is a real deficit in equal access. They overlooked a very real opportunity to address this inequality. The local council had no legislative (buildings regulations) power to look at the overall stadia provisions and could only monitor the new build. The ASG (Part Four: Appendix 1 – Worked Example 3) best practice guidance provides an excellent strategy example for this very situation.
In our view, the football authorities need to be more forceful in ensuring that their clubs provide equal access in line with the ASG and meet their evolving duty as described in the DDA part 3 to disabled supporters. Some would say that each club is an individual business and as such makes its own decisions on equal access. We believe that football’s governing bodies should do more in insisting that clubs comply with the law and within a given timeline. If they truly are not in a position to enforce this, then perhaps this area of governance within the game needs to be urgently reviewed to ensure that disabled football supporters are treated equally.
We understand from our recent meeting with league representatives and in response to the Sports Minister’s recent letter. The Premier League will be sending a copy of the ASG to their clubs ahead of the new season and the Football League will be asking their clubs to provide them with the numbers of disabled seats available in comparison to the ASG.
We recognize many individuals ‘at the sharp end’ within football clubs, who are keen and willing to do more. They may not be able to directly influence the Board or to put a strong business case to the decision makers for the changes required to ensure equal access.
Unfortunately, it seems that many clubs are driven only by profit and shareholders demands and at the other end of the pyramid struggle for financial survival. Therefore it is quite possible that at many clubs the issues relating to equal access have not even ‘hit the radar’ or been seen as a priority from those that can really drive the change.
NADS core funding
It is important to emphasis the considerable amount of support we give to the football authorities, clubs and disabled supporters on a daily basis. As well as running a well used 0845 and email helpline, we provide disabled supporters and clubs with football and disability information and news and encourage feedback on any issues they may have. Many disabled supporters and their carers and football clubs come to us to act as mediators and to ask for advice in issues that may arise. We receive calls from disabled fans who for one reason or another do not feel able to raise an issue directly with either their club or the football authorities. NADS sits on a number of access groups and meets regularly with the football authorities. Further, we are consulted for any FSIF grant assisted new build or improvement. This is in addition to our considerable campaigning responsibilities and any key projects.
All of these require considerable financial and human resources. Core funding is essential to any charity or organization and difficult to secure. We are uniquely placed within football both in our experiences and understanding of disability issues and the needs of disabled supporters.