IM WRITING THIS MESSAGE TO THE PERSON OR PEOPLE WHO LOBBIED THE RFL TO STOP REDUCED SEASON TICKETS FOR DISABLED RUGBY LEAGUE FANS . IVE JUST ENQUIRED WITH MY CLUB SALFORD ABOUT NEXT SEASONS SEASON TICKET PRICES BECAUSE IM UNDER 60 I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE FULL PRICE £180 I CANNOT WORK SO I CANNOT AFFORD THIS SO AFTER 25 YEARS OF FOLLOWING MY TEAM I WILL N LONGER ABLE TO WATCH THEM ANY MORE. I HOPE YOUR ENJOY WATCHING YOUR TEAM NEXT SEASON AND DO ENJOY THE SICK PERVERTED PLEASURE YOU PROBALLY GET FROM THIS DECISION I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING MORE RIDICULOUS THAN TOO MAKE A RULE CHANGE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY MORE . I DO NOT BELIVE THAT SUPPORT GROUPS FOR OTHER GROUPS WHO GET CONCESSIONS IE OVER 60-65S STUDENTSWOULD EVEN CONSIDER THE THOUGHT OF ASKING TO PAY MORE ESPICIALLY WHEN WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLD WIDE RECCESION. FORMER RUGBY LEAGUE FAN.

I don't want to be rude but why would you want a concession on the price of your season ticket because you have a disability, if needed you will be entitled to a carer/assistant/companion ticket free of charge but no disabled person unless they are a junior or senior is entitled to a concession.

Since the Disability Discrimination Act came into force Clubs and indeed the RFL have to treat people equally, we can now expect better access and facilities even demand them under the DDA but we can't ask them to treat us as equals and expect special treatment like concessions, the days of those are long gone.

This is down right insulting but I have not deleted it as I feel it makes a point as this is the first time this has ever been asked here and the pricing system just introduced at Salford has been in place at the majority of Super League Clubs for several years now.

What do we as disabled people want, equal treatment or special treatment, its now open for discussion.

To add to to Gills post, [iAntwerp Red, why does being disabled entitle you to cheaper admission? So by your original post, if a disabled person goes for a meal, should they pay less? Should my weekly shopping bill be reduced by 50% at the checkout as I use a wheelchair?[/i Therefore, why should a sports stadium give you a discount? I personally would feel embarrassed and uncomfortable if given a 'special' concession merely for being a disabled 40+ guy in a wheelchair.
99.9% of disabled rugby league fans pay the relevent stadium admission price with heads held high as being disabled is immaterial, we're rugby league fans going to watch the team/game we love.
The RLDSA work tirelessly to break down barriers and acheive equality for all disabled supporters.

On checking the Salford City Reds website, the 2010 season ticket prices for adults are £130 (before 30/11/09) and £ 143 (before 19/12/09) Now that equates to £8.60 & £9.50 per game respectively! In 2010 a single 'adult' match tickets will cost £17 so in effect by buying a season pass you'll only be paying roughly half that. I believe that to be a cracking deal for 13 rounds of Super League & 2 rounds of the challenge cup.

FROM THE SALFORD REDS WEBSITE.....
DISABLED ADMISSION POLICY
The Willows is licensed to cater for 25 wheelchair-bound supporters, with a dedicated wheelchair area providing superior views from a raised platform (these are in fact some of the best views in the house!) for 10 wheelchair-bound supporters and their carers. Tickets for this section will be sold on a first come, first served basis, so it’s always best to contact the club early to reserve your place.

In accordance with the official RFL Code of Conduct for spectators with disabilities Salford City Reds charges full Ground Admission price (or concession where applicable) for the disabled supporter, and allows a carer to accompany them free of charge.

Pricing for disabled spectators is as follows:

Disabled Adult: £17
Disabled Child: £10
Carers: FREE

Thanks for that Lee, pretty much says it all really Salford are trying to get the pricing structure right and it is a cracking offer for a Season Ticket, if I were a Salford fan I'd bite their hand off.

I'd really like to hear from the OP again though.

the price for a season ticket is £180 . £130 for the ticket plus £50 membership card that is the price which steve mcnally the ticketing and marketing director of salford city reds told me yesterday friday 2nd october 2009. i assume your in full time employment? im unable too work for at least another 12 -18 months . are you intending to lobby the goverment so they end the mobility car scheme and blue badge because it discriminates against disabled people?

I'm partially sighted and so can only see part of the field and can hardly tell which player has the ball.

I am still in the ground and enjoy the atmosphere and been part of supporting my club (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats), so why should I get it cheaper.

I too don't have a full time income due to my eyesight but as so many people do I try to make ends meet and if i am lucky enough to have the money left over to afford a game I go to it and enjoy it. So again why should I pay less, isnt it the same for any fan, disability or not.

Yes ,you could say I'm employed full time - I work voluntarily, on average 8 hours a day, 7 days a week (along with Gill who answered your post initially) on the Rugby League Disabled Supporters Association. This involves communicating with the RFL and all the rugby league clubs on disabled issues (both good & bad) brought to our attention as well as travelling country-wide for meetings and conferences some 2/3 times a month. On top of that I'm Chairman of, and run the Hull KR Disabled Supporters Group and deal with the responsibilty of that job. ALL VOLUNTARILY, NOT A PENNY PAYMENT IS RECEIVED AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!.
My 2010 Hull KR season pass cost £179 in August + £60 to join the Rovers membership scheme. I willingly buy a season pass as the money goes into the club 'coffers' along with 6,000 other Hull KR fans monies which keeps our club afloat during the 'off season'!

On a personal level, people seem to say I do well despite being 95% rigid, unable to move, restricted to using a powerchair and have the daily [iprivilege[/i of carers carrying out all my personal tasks such as showering, dressing, feeding etc etc but I have the inner drive and passion to work (again, along side Gill) on all matters disablilty related to improve facilities for all disabled rugby league supporters.

Regarding your quoted £180 for a Reds 2010 season pass, that equates to £12 for each game, compared to an individual match day ticket of £17!!

£180.00 is still great value for a seasons Rugby League.

Nope I'm not in full time employment, I don't know if I ever will be, We carefully budget to be able to buy our season tickets every year. There are lots of things we don't do so we can do the things we do do!!

As for the mobility scheme why would I lobby against something which enables me to travel with my wheelchair wherever I want to go, just like everyone else.

you.ve lobbied to force people to have to spend more money so i wouldnt be surprised if you did .students get reduced price season tickets and i dont see the national union of students campaigning to have all there discounts removed. so after 25 years i.ll have to miss this season the £180has to be paid in one lump sum . i do not have that amount of money. i hope you enjoy watching your team next season GOODBYE

Perhaps if you didn't live in Antwerp you wouldn't have such high travel costs.

Wow, thats a massive chip on your shoulder there Antwerp

You sound like the whole world owes you because you are disabled and I'm afraid the world (or Salford City Reds) owes you nothing.

I came across someone like you in an Asda car park once. To cut a long story short he pulled into a disabled bay I was trying to reverse into and he said he needed it more than me because he had no legs and I did, well I'm sorry, but my legs don't work properly either, that makes me no less or no more entitled to that car parking space than him.

Hull FC have always had the carers pass free and disabled person pays full price policy and I'm extremely grateful for that, I need my husband with me to help push my wheelchair and help getting to my seat and no I don't work but will gladly pay £225 for our seasons pass with hubbys free, firstly because it helps my club and secondly because I don't work and only have one wage it helps with the finances. We also know every season when the passes are on sale and save all year for it.

I have never begrudged paying full price, I actually think compared to premier league football we get a far better and exciting game to watch and its better value for money

Just out of interest Antwerp, have you been to any away grounds? Because if you have you know that the full price and carers free policy is every super league clubs policy now and Gill does a lot of hard work (unpaid and unmentioned) to make sure we, disabled people are treated as equals, you can't have it both ways I'm afraid.

Steph

Antwerp maybe a good move would be to talk to Salford about them bringing in a payment plan as many other Super League Clubs have done in the last couple of years. This would a positive move and it would not just benefit you, it would help other people too, we would even help you approach Salford if you wanted us to? You don't state if your a wheelchair user or an ambulant disabled person, maybe another good move would be to at least tell us that. I can empathise with you but my husband and I budget to make sure we have the money come season ticket time, even if its £5.00 we are putting away a week of fortnight we know its going to buy the seasons Rugby League for us and at a much cheaper price than buying a ticket on the day. You have seen here what other disabled fans want and I'm sorry they are the people who just want to be the same as everyone else, they also want to be able to able to make a complaint and campaign for better facilities at grounds without anyone being able to say 'well you got your ticket cheap, what more do you want!!!!'

I think you need to read some of the threads on this board Antwerp, this is no sudden thing its been happening a few years now I’m pleased to say. Disabled people are not seen as an inconvenience anymore and we are starting to see benefits in our game day experiences through the work we have done and the input from other disabled fans. Rugby League has benefitted as more and more disabled fans start to watch Rugby League live and we have benefitted as we are able to travel to any ground to watch our team play should we want to and expect a reasonable standard of facilities and access.
As I have said if you want to discuss how we can help you talk to Salford about the payment plan system for supporters please let me know and please let us know if your a wheelchair user or ambulant.

Well said Gill! Antwerp you want to be grateful you have the choice of opting out! We now live too far away to get to games & I don't get a discount on sky (our only means of watching a game now!) because my son is disabled!

A fantastic job has been done to make every ground accessible to disabled - believe me that was not the case s few years ago when RLDSA started out! I could tell you some wierd wonderful & toe curling stories of the experiences we've had at some grounds in the past!

I cant beleive what im reading on this thread. How dare you assume that you should get into the ground for nothing. It seems to me like your using both the disability card or the umemployed one, either way im disgusted.

Im a Leeds Rhinos fan and dfor the first time in my life this season ive had to use my wheelchair and my club couldnt have been more helpful. Im in the upper tier of the new carnegie and my ticket was only £155. My G/F';s ticket is free because shes my carer. I also am unable to work but would never try to use either my disability to gain an advantage. Get a grip man