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How easy is it for a disabled person to attend a football match in 1998? What is a reasonable level of services and facilities for clubs to provide? Are they providing it now? What more can be done to improve the match-day experience of disabled supporters?
These questions provide the starting point for this inquiry.
The information gathered has been used to make an assessment of the quality of facilities and services disabled fans should be able to expect as standard in 1998 at grounds in each of the four English divisions. Against these bench-marks, this report judges the quality of facilities and services clubs are providing.
As part of the total Football Task force remit, this being the second report, the Government asked the Task Force to investigate and recommend measures to help:
- Eliminate racism in football and encourage wider participation by ethnic minorities, both in playing and spectating;
- Improve disabled access to spectating facilities;
- Develop the opportunities for players to act as good role models in terms of behaviour and sportsmanship, and to become actively involved in community schemes;
- Encourage greater supporter involvement in the running of clubs;
- Encourage ticketing and pricing policies that are geared to reflect the needs of all, on an equitable basis, including for cup and international matches;
- Encourage merchandising policies that reflect the needs of supporters as well as commercial considerations;
- Reconcile the potential conflict between the legitimate needs of shareholders, players and supporters where clubs are floated on the Stock Exchange.
The Government appointed representatives of various bodies to the Task Force. The Football Association, the FA Premier League, the Football League, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Football Trust, the League Managers' Association, the Association of Premier League and Football League Match Officials, the Football Supporters Association, the National Federation of Football Supporters Clubs and the National Association of Disabled Supporters, Sport England, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Local Government Association, are all represented. There are also a number of individuals.
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