Go Gordon

[gaspard 562]

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Tomorrow Gordon Reid will compete in the wheelchair masters final in Loughborough, Gordon is a Wimbledon champion, Olympic medal winner and also a loyal Rangers fan and I’m sure we all wish him good luck on Sunday.

I’ve no idea if Gordon has an ST at Ibrox or indeed how many time his training and competition schedule allows him to see his team, but I will assume that at this stage in his career it would be difficult for him to find the time to regularly attend Ibrox.

And perhaps that’s not a bad thing. For I believe the current waiting list for wheelchair accessible ST’s at Rangers runs into the hundreds!

There is of course a long standing and respected member of this forum who can provide more accurate figures and is far more qualified than me to comment on this and perhaps even attempt to calculate how long in terms of years Gordon Reid would have to wait for an ST if he were to apply today.

 

Recently we have seen the rainbow laces and show racism the red card promotions at Ibrox and indeed in grounds throughout the land, worthy causes some may say, however I would ask the question do these prejudices and discriminations actually exist to any significant degree in 2017?

 

Does a black footballer raise even a curious eyebrow these days? Of course not.

Are RC players welcome at Ibrox? And are those that are, treated any differently from anyone else? Again, we all know that this has not been an issue for decades.

Homosexuals in Scotland have exactly the same rights as everyone else, they are proportionately overrepresented in the MSM, Politics and the Arts and are generally accepted in all walks of life as no different from anyone else and I’m sure a gay Rangers player would be judged on his playing performance alone.

I could go on, but my point here is we seem to be pandering to moral crusades railing against discriminations, that, as far as I can see don’t really exist.

Whilst at the same time there is real, tangible discrimination going on under our noses that gets no attention, high profile campaigns or celebrity endorsement.

Let’s be honest, banging the drum for more wheelchair accessible place at football isn’t cool or hip it won’t get you on TV or invited to glitzy charity balls but wearing a rainbow badge and exaggerating a discriminatory perception probably will.

 

The solution to this is in the clubs own hands all they have to do is create more spaces, simple, it may be technically challenging and indeed expensive but it must be done, and done sooner rather than later, come on Rangers FC if you are going to endorse make-believe discrimination, do the decent thing and address the real ones as well.

Edited December 2, 2017 by gaspard

[pete 2,499]

Totally agree with this and after being with FS for a day this is not just at football stadiums but in our everyday life. It certainly opened my eyes to the problem. Entry to buses,trains and Restaurants and pubs where the toilets are up a flight of stairs. Any building planning permission should now take wheel chair use into account.

[Gonzo79 13,748]

Good luck to the lad.

 

With wheelchair access and similar initiatives, I'd suspect it probably boils down to costs rather than discrimination. It's free to wear rainbow laces and the club has better recruitment opportunities if we can sign people regardless of religion or ethnicity. It costs money to provide facilities for some disabled fans. I'm not suggesting it is in any way correct or ethical not to do so - I'm just stating a reason for it not happening to the extent required. And I apologise if that bothers anyone - I'm trying to be reasonable but also sticking up for Rangers.

[pete 2,499]

Good luck to the lad.

 

With wheelchair access and similar initiatives, I'd suspect it probably boils down to costs rather than discrimination. It's free to wear rainbow laces and the club has better recruitment opportunities if we can sign people regardless of religion or ethnicity. It costs money to provide facilities for some disabled fans. I'm not suggesting it is in any way correct or ethical not to do so - I'm just stating a reason for it not happening to the extent required. And I apologise if that bothers anyone - I'm trying to be reasonable but also sticking up for Rangers.

 

Not putting Rangers to blame but we have built a total new stadium. Why was this not taken into account back then? I am not pointing this question at you Gonzo just in general.

[gaspard 562]

Good luck to the lad.

 

With wheelchair access and similar initiatives, I'd suspect it probably boils down to costs rather than discrimination. It's free to wear rainbow laces and the club has better recruitment opportunities if we can sign people regardless of religion or ethnicity. It costs money to provide facilities for some disabled fans. I'm not suggesting it is in any way correct or ethical not to do so - I'm just stating a reason for it not happening to the extent required. And I apologise if that bothers anyone - I'm trying to be reasonable but also sticking up for Rangers.

 

no need to apologise, what you say is spot on, but I would add that discrimination on the grounds of cost is still discrimination.

 

I have no doubt that those who opposed abolition of slavery did so on the grounds of costs rather than ethics.

 

where there's a will there's a way.

[Gonzo79 13,748]

Not putting Rangers to blame but we have built a total new stadium. Why was this not taken into account back then? I am not pointing this question at you Gonzo just in general.

 

The world was a rather different place in the 70s. Again, not a defence but maybe a reason.

 

Hopefully things improve at Ibrox for people who require disabled access. I don't think any Bear would want to see another Bear unable to attend.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Totally agree with this and after being with FS for a day this is not just at football stadiums but in our everyday life. It certainly opened my eyes to the problem. Entry to buses,trains and Restaurants and pubs where the toilets are up a flight of stairs. Any building planning permission should now take wheel chair use into account.

It does.

 

 

[BEARGER 1,829]

Totally agree with this and after being with FS for a day this is not just at football stadiums but in our everyday life. It certainly opened my eyes to the problem. Entry to buses,trains and Restaurants and pubs where the toilets are up a flight of stairs. Any building planning permission should now take wheel chair use into account.

 

It’s realy simple, all it takes is politicians to legislate. Why they don’t?

[compo 6,214]

I think all planning applications for public buildings has to take into account wheelchair access and egress .