Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

Premier League clubs not expected to meet disabled spectator requirements

By Matthew Campelli    24 May 2016
Joyce Cook OBE is the founder of CAFE and the chair of charity Level Playing Field

At least eight Premier League clubs are not expected to complete agreed improvements to their stadiums for disabled spectators by the start of next season.

Talking at Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing into accessibility at sports venues, Level Playing Field chair and Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) board member Joyce Cook said there had been “lots of excuses” that had been made by Premier League clubs in relation to the improvements that needed to be made.

In 2015 the Premier League as a body made the pledge that all 20 clubs would be compliant with the Accessible Stadia Guide by August 2017.

However, Cook said that at least eight would not have completed the work, and that a number will only have formulated plans by the deadline – a situation she called “worrying” and “obscene” considering the amount of revenue Premier League clubs generate and spend on wages and player transfers.

She said a number of non-compliant clubs explained that their grounds would be used for events during summer 2016, leaving summer 2017 as the first appropriate date for the relevant work to begin.

Cook told the committee – chaired by Conservative MP Jesse Norman – that she “wasn’t buying” the explanation and highlighted the fact that Manchester United had constructed two quadrants for disabled people in the middle of a Premier League season.

Derby County FC and non-league club Wrexham were commended for the improvements they had made for disabled people in their respective stadiums, but Cook said the “situation was dire” across all sports for disabled spectators.

Grounds with capacities of at least 600 should have one per cent of space dedicated to disabled spectators, by Cook said only 5 per cent of First Class county cricket grounds were meeting this requirement, while only one Premiership Rugby stadium could claim that figure despite support from governing bodies to improve.

Premier League  football  stadium  SGSA  Level Playing Field  Joyce Cook  Manchester United 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news

Company profile

Company profile: Taylor Made Designs
Taylor Made Designs (TMD) is a ‘leisure specialist’ provider of bespoke leisure workwear, plus branded retail and promotional merchandise.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Elevate registrations soar: a record-breaking start to Elevate 2024
Elevate, the premier event in the physical activity, fitness, sports therapy and performance sector, is thrilled to announce that registrations for its 2024 conference are now live – and the response has been nothing short of exceptional.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates