This article is part of a Herald Sport special on disabled facilities in Scottish football, shining a light on the progress that has been made, the work that still needs to be done, the help that is available to clubs and the barriers to accessibility that disabled fans face.
The Scottish FA can often be a convenient punching bag for the ills in our game, but when it comes to facilities for supporters, the governing body seems determined to show that they are serious about dragging Scottish football into a brighter future.
SFA president Mike Mulraney has spoken in the past of his desire that an improvement in facilities across the board, not only for disabled fans, will be his legacy. And much of the responsibility for ensuring the money gets to where it needs to go falls on the SFA’s chief operating officer, Rucelle Soutar.
Soutar, who is also a trustee of the Scottish Football Partnership Trust, is hopeful that clubs who wish to improve the offering to their disabled fans will seek out the financial help that is available for them to do so.
“The SFP Trust are a partner of Pitching In – a campaign designed to raise £50m for facilities and infrastructural improvements at all levels of the game,” Soutar said.
“President Mike Mulraney has made this area the number one priority for the association to help offset a significant facilities shortfall.
“It will support clubs seeking to put down new 3G pitches, upgrade existing facilities and also to improve infrastructure such as accessibility and making changing rooms more accessible for girls and women and Para footballers.
And Soutar can point to the evidence. The SFP Trust provided vital funding to the building of a disabled platform at St Mirren’s SMiSA Stadium, while she was involved in the delivery of the new raised platform in Hampden’s North Stand.
Both projects were the result of collaboration not only between those bodies, but with the fans who would stand to benefit from their completion.
“It is important football is accessible to all and that is why we have invested significantly in the recent upgrades to the disabled seating deck,” she said.
“This followed the successful installation of a temporary disability seating deck for UEFA EURO 2020 and was part of a wider stadium improvement plan following the Scottish FA’s purchase of the stadium in 2018.
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“This was a six-figure capital investment designed to enhance the experience for disabled fans. During the process we consulted with key groups who provided invaluable insight on behalf of the disabled community.
“The Scottish FA was the first national association to welcome a Para NA [National Association] to the football family, and we consulted with them as well as members of our Scotland Supporters Club to ensure the improvements were practical but also informed.
“We were determined that the upgrades helped create a memorable experience for supporters, not just from the viewing platform but the accessible access points throughout the stadium.
“The feedback has been positive, but this is largely due to the collaboration and input from the outset.”
While some fans have been delighted with the new seating deck, Soutar says that a similar project in the South Stand may not actually be what disabled supporters desire, with others instead being happy to have the option of remaining a bit closer to the action.
“We have received feedback from supporters who love those seats, they’re pitch-side, and the closest fans to the players in the whole stadium,” she said.
“The stadium benefits from being able to offer fans in wheelchairs a range of options, the same as any other fan would have, about where they want to sit.
“Fans with accessibility requests have a choice of experience, which we’ve received really positive feedback on.”
That’s not to say that Soutar is resting on her laurels when it comes to improving the national stadium, with the fact that Hampden is now fully under the SFA’s ownership bringing with it both the opportunity and the responsibility to invest in improving the famous old bowl.
“It's important to stress that Hampden Park’s last significant redevelopment took place in 1997, and now that the national stadium is under the ownership of the Scottish FA, we must take all possible steps to ensure the matchday experience is safe, welcoming and enjoyable for all fans, particularly those who have additional support needs,” she said.
“As the stadium’s last redevelopment was almost 30 years ago, we have an ongoing maintenance plan to ensure we keep step with supporter needs and expectations, while realising that new stadium build costs of Hampden Park’s size and scale are now routinely in excess of £1bn.
“We will continue to engage with partners to enhance the experience in line with tournament regulations but also in line with supporters’ expectations.”
