Further to my View from the South report on the Millwall game on Saturday, those of you that read it will know that I brought up the important issue of lack of adequate facilities in the toilets at a football ground. St Andrew’s has inadequate facilities but there were simply no towel dispensers or hand dryers in the gents at Millwall. My cousin sent me a text this morning having read my report stating that he thought that he felt there was a campaign coming on.
I reflected on this and it has inspired me to at least try and do something about what I feel in a wholly unacceptable situation. Clubs spend ridiculous amounts of money on players and their wages and yet can’t find the funds to put in places basic standards of hygiene and catering for fans who pay top dollar through the turnstiles.
I resolved to write to Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and have sent a copy to Nadine Dorries MP Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is appalling that we as fans have to put up with these insanitary conditions in a so-called civilised society.
My letter is as follows:
The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
United Kingdom
Dear Mr Javid,
RE: BASIC HANDWASHING FACILITIES AT SPORTS ARENAS
I attended The New Den Stadium, the home of Millwall Football Club on Saturday afternoon to watch the game against Birmingham City, the team I support. I write regularly for a blog site called Joys and Sorrows and I comment on the whole day’s experience in addition to the game itself. One of the comments I felt compelled to make was that having entered the ground and gone to use the gents that in addition to only having freezing cold water to wash my hands with, there were no facilities for drying them. There were no towel dispensers or air dryers available. There were soap dispensers at least that did contain liquid soap. Whilst the toilets were clean, I found it incredible that users were unable to sanitise their hands properly. This is not an uncommon problem and I am bound to say that St Andrew’s Stadium, Birmingham is little better although paper towels are usually available and although alternate air dryers are present, they are lacking in both number and quality to dry hands washed in cold water on a winter’s day! There are numerous other examples of poor facilities of this type throughout the EFL. I would point out that all football grounds provide food and drink in variable quality catering areas next to these inadequate toileting facilities.
I am certain that it is not lost on you that these standards are wholly unacceptable at the best of times but given that we are in the middle of a pandemic, the issue comes into sharper focus. The amounts of money being spent by football clubs on players transfer fees and their wages are eye-watering and whilst that is a separate issue it does seem ironic that spending does not run to providing the most basic facilities to the paying customer! I am certain that the Health and Safety Commission and your Department must have a view on this and I assume that there must be regulations regarding the issues raised? If sporting arenas are in breech of these regulations then why are the clubs concerned not being held to account? If they are not in breech then clearly rules need to be put in place to rectify what is a glaring deficiency.
I am grateful on behalf of football fans everywhere for your consideration and that of your colleague at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP, of this serious matter.
I look forward to your response at your earliest convenience.
Barrie Price
Great letter Bazza. You held back on mentioning your medical qualifications. Tricky one that one. In some ways it makes you better qualified, but in others it makes zero difference to you as the supporter. I wonder how the facilities of “box supporters” differ?
KRO
My qualifications were on the letterhead Russ which naturally, this being a public arena, I redacted.