• Lord Holmes will call on sponsors to consider ethics of supporting clubs • He is set to tell Lords: ‘The time for the same old feeble excuses has passed’

The disability commissioner at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is to call on Premier League sponsors to reconsider their financial support for the league unless its clubs urgently improve their provision for disabled people.

Disabled fans short-changed at Premier League grounds despite riches pouring in Read more

Lord Holmes, who as Chris Holmes was a nine-times Paralympic Games swimming gold medallist, is expected to fiercely criticise clubs for failing to provide minimum standards of access for disabled fans, and question whether it is ethical for sponsors to support the Premier League, in a speech to the House of Lords on Friday.

Holmes’s letter to Premier League sponsors, which he will write personally as a Conservative peer rather than officially on behalf of the EHRC, is the latest move in an increasingly heated campaign for clubs to fulfil their obligations not to discriminate against disabled supporters. As reported by the Guardian in March, the overwhelming majority of Premier League clubs do not provide the minimum number of wheelchair places in their stadiums recommended by the Home Office green guide for new grounds, agreed by the 1998 Football Task Force to apply to existing grounds too. In the 17 years since that report – of which the Premier League was a signatory – a succession of campaigns, including by the disabled fans’ organisation Level Playing Field, have been frustrated by clubs’ failure to comply.

This season newly-promoted Bournemouth do provide the appropriate number of wheelchair places, so join only Swansea and Leicester City, out of the 20 clubs. Others, including Chelsea, have argued the age of their grounds prevents the necessary adjustments being practical, and promise to provide excellent facilities, such as those at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium which has 96% of the recommended wheelchair places, when they build new or refurbished grounds.

Holmes, however, has lost patience with that argument, pointing out that when new TV facilities are required, clubs find ways to make the physical adjustments immediately. He will make his criticisms in support of a bill moved by the Labour peer Lord Faulkner, formerly secretary of the Football Trust, that says stadiums should effectively be closed down by not being given safety certificates if they fail to comply.

Last month the EHRC wrote to the Premier League threatening to take legal action unless clubs improve their treatment of disabled supporters.

“Whether it’s the Fifa debacle, casual sexism or the national scandal of discrimination against disabled fans, the need for football to discover its moral compass has never been greater,” Lord Holmes is expected to say. “Poor access and discrimination against disabled fans has tarnished the reputation of football for too long. Unless action is taken soon to address the glacial speed of progress, major sponsors should think long and hard about whether it remains ethical to continue their relationship with football.

“The time for the same old feeble excuses has passed, particularly hiding behind the age of stadiums to explain inaction.”

Complaints received by the EHRC include disabled fans being prevented from buying season tickets – Manchester United operate this policy for new disabled supporters, arguing more people in total are given access to matches – the lack of adequate space for wheelchair users, and families with disabled children being unable to sit together.

Holmes will also cite two specific incidents, including the alleged abuse of a disabled supporter by another fan at Liverpool last season, which police are investigating with the cooperation of the club. The other incident involved Arsenal supporters initially being turned away at United for having crutches and a walking stick, then having these walking aids taken away during the match, which United said was a safety measure.

Holmes will say the treatment of disabled supporters “should make football ashamed and shows attitudes at some clubs is still stuck in the dark ages”.

The Premier League is understood to be visiting its clubs to discuss how grounds can be modified. A spokesman said: “Clubs are working to identify scope for improvement of disabled supporter access in their grounds.”

The league argues that Faulkner’s bill is misguided, because the safety of grounds is not currently compromised by the inadequacy of some disabled facilities. The Premier League spokesman added: “This is not a safety issue but about working to enhance facilities and access for disabled fans, with a focus on the clubs with older facilities assessing what further reasonable adjustments can be achieved.”