The Football Governance Bill introduced in Parliament must place access and inclusion for disabled supporters as a priority, if it is to truly put fans back at the heart of the game, as intended.
An ‘Independent Football Regulator’ is set to be enshrined in law, with finance and fan engagement two key concerns outlined for oversight.
Level Playing Field’s stance on the suggestion that the remit of an independent regulator would not include equality, diversity and inclusion was previously outlined, and the failure to provide an equal experience for disabled fans on a consistent basis needed to be acknowledged.
Subsequently, the 2023 Level Playing Field Annual Fan Survey results have revealed the most common barrier disabled fans face when attending live sport remains ‘physical access at stadiums.’ This emphasises that the experience of disabled fans is directly related to allocation of club finances and if football is to be reflective of the community, disabled fans, as members of the largest minority group in any population, must be at the centre of fan engagement.
Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “Access and inclusion for disabled fans cannot be disregarded as a peripheral point, now the Football Governance Bill has been introduced in Parliament.
“We welcome an independent regulator and the determination of the Secretary of State to put fans ‘back at the heart of the game,’ but it is vital that disabled fans are not excluded from that ambition.
“If oversight on finance and fan engagement are deemed essential responsibilities of the independent regulator, then a strategy for the delivery of access and inclusion for disabled fans must surely be paramount. Finance and fan engagement must not be allowed to exclude disabled fans who are often the direct recipients of bad practice.
“It is right that clear checks and balances are put in place. But equality must never be viewed as optional – or, even worse, a burden to clubs. Football has made great progress in recent years, and we look forward to a sustainable future, where all fans are deemed to be at the heart of football.”
Level Playing Field has fed into the process leading up to the Football Governance Bill being introduced in Parliament, at each stage.