Reply from Martin Perry re tonight's Fans Forum

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I too sent a note to MP last night, and got a very nice reply. It's unfortunate if the club has not addressed the facilities for disabled fans in the same professional way that they seem to have dealt with absolutely everything else. However, no-one is EVER perfect. Give the club time to put it right, and I'm sure they will. After all, they have proved time and again, with the Albion in the Community project, that they care very much for the less fortunate members of the public.

Quite right Jim.

 

[Hungry Joe]

This is a difficult situation for all concerned and I understand the frustrations from all sides. Martin Perry is not a politician or a PR professional, yet he is often put on the spot and has to answer difficult questions where every word he says will be scrutinised. It sounds like he made a slip of the tongue which understandably riled those who already felt aggrieved. These things happen but as others have said I'm confident the club care enough to work through these issues. Martin Perry can come across a little hard sometimes but one thing that struck me when I went to the season ticket presentations and briefly spoke to him was just how knackered he looked. He's been putting in shifts most of us never have to for years now in delivering this wonderful stadium. Surely he and his team can be excused the odd oversight or not remembering everything they've said or promised? I was a bit annoyed about the heritage stones and would have liked to see an explanation as to why the goalposts have been moved there, but at the end of the day it's a pretty insignificant gripe in the grand scheme of things and so I'll let it rest. As long as the moans are kept in perspective by all concerned then I'm sure this will all blow over. Once the issues have been addressed we'll be left wondering what the fuss was all about.

 

[paul1960]

He did get a tad aggressive though! It doesn't affect me but maybe the club could have handled their response to the disabled in a more organised way. Good of him to reply though.

He certainly did get agrressive and the best way forward would have been to have a meeting with all disabled fans where they could discuss their concerns. My own experience from the first ramp up event as a carer for two disabled people was poor but here's hoping that things will be better on Saturday.

 

[severnside gull]

I have to take issue with some of the comments on here regarding "the problems of the disabled fans" - they are fans who like other fans have supported the club at the Goldstone, traveled to Gillingham, sat at the Withdean (in just as terrible conditions as everyone else), fought the fight to save the club and undertaken just as much protesting as able bodied fans.

While I thank MP for the job he has done for the club and have defended his reputation in the past I take no pleasure in having to say regarding the disabled supporters he has got it wrong.

Having purchased a season ticket in the West Stand Lower I attended the SSC match. After entering the West Stand Lower no one could direct me on how, in my wheelchair, I could get to my seat. If it had not been for the Stand Manager and some really dedicated Stewards I would have gone home and seriously considered handing back my season ticket.

To get to my seat I had to leave the West Stand and enter the ground by the North Stand - the only facilities available to me were in the North Stand.
I was unable to meet up with friends/family at half time and this was one of the reasons I choose to sit in the West Stand. I have contacted the club and hopefully will reach a mutually agreeable solution.

On the Saturday morning I had to contact the club regarding parking arrangements - this was resolved on a temporary basis. Going forward I am hoping for a satisfactory arrangement, which will cost me at least £180 - if I was able bodied I would only have to pay £30 to use the park and ride, but I do not have that option.

I am only one person and I have highlighted problems relating to myself - if every disabled fan is encountering similar problems how many points does MP need to ensure are resolved? Has he ever sat in a wheelchair and encountered the reality of trying to get around?

Disabled supporters are not "moaning" as has been said on here they have genuine problems that need to be resolved. BODS have unpaid people doing thier best to work with the club to help resolve and stop problems, they have had dialogue with the club on an ongoing basis for a long time. MP seems to have forgotten having said a lot of things at those meeetings, BODS have documentation regarding those meetings.

I am sure every disabled supporter has dreamt of the stadium, of seeing the team run out at the AMEX, just the same as everyone else but I for one feel that these problems has the shine and pleasure out of it for me which is sad.

Unfortunately the club didn't so much lose sight of the ball in this respect, but appeared to not even be aware that the ball was in play. No wonder MP is so keen to call "foul".

I truly believe that you have identified the single most likely solution - that every fan with disability issues must experience the ground's shortcomings and raise them individually (and hopefully vociferously) in order to force the club to act. Only by creating the considerable inconvenience of having to make countless ad hoc arrangements for individuals will the club see the sense of making appropriate collective arrangements.

There will always be compromises because of the planning restrictions surrounding the site and one of these is likely to be considerable additional cost to the supporter although this could be ameliorated by the club choosing to act.

Enforced segregation, which has been my personal bugbear, is not, however, acceptable in a 21st Century state-of-the-art stadium. There I've said it on here and thereby probably banjaxed any possible solution having raised it personally with the club direct (and failed incidentally to elicit a response)




10,000 posts! Really should get a life!

 

[imissworthing2]

My 1st thought, having not really looked into this topic at all is that what sort of solution can be found. If all the spaces within a suitable distance have been allocated already how can more all of a sudden be conjured up out of nowhere.

 

[ROSM]

My 1st thought, having not really looked into this topic at all is that what sort of solution can be found. If all the spaces within a suitable distance have been allocated already how can more all of a sudden be conjured up out of nowhere.

I think the question is more about why have all the spaces been allocated before this issue was resolved? What has happened it would seem is that the popularity of the 1901 club has impacted the previous plans.

 

[British Bulldog]

My 1st thought, having not really looked into this topic at all is that what sort of solution can be found. If all the spaces within a suitable distance have been allocated already how can more all of a sudden be conjured up out of nowhere.

Thats the question we all want answering and until it is a lot of us are being left in limbo as to whether we can even use the season tickets we've paid for.

 

[Husty]

If he can't handle some criticism, he shouldn't be in the job...

I didn't listen, but I believe the majority of concerns were about parking, disabled and otherwise. It is not our fault no one has bothered to sort this out until the last minute, leaving many people left with a system that is inadequate for them.