Not very family friendly club

As the Club removed the facility to request a "disabled" pitch from on line booking many years back (a bad move IMHO) , we now have to ring each site a few days ahead of arrival to make the request, and each time we are told that they will do their best to set aside a pitch, but that they only do it on the day of arrival. However, like ET, we have seen that the wardens sometimes come and put a marker on our pitch well before we leave.

We only make the request if the site is such that there are pitches which are a long way from the facilities and it is a busy time of year.  There are also a few sites where, having used them several times, we know we would not like to be close to the facilities, then we use our own shower, as we do "over there" where dedicated unisex disabled rooms are not always available.

There is no requirement to take the reserved pitch, though usually it will be an OK pitch.  We have only not taken it on one occasion, at Cirencester, it was actually too small and too sloping, we took one opposite and just as close to the facilities. You just need to let the warden know in a timely manner, and get the correct barrier dongle if appropriate.

That sounds like good forward thinking, this ensures that pitches are in effect ready for the future arrival of a disabled person who has requested to be close to the facilities. Again you would not see empty pitches 'coned' off for days prior, this is the warden allocating for that morning of arrival and deciding which to use, not the member and for me this is acceptable. 

Exeter Racecourse Site has a couple of designated disabled pitches, complete with the wheelchair sign. Noticed them in September because we were on a pitch next to one. Closest pitches to facility block. Can be a long walk to facilities there from some pitches. We were only up there as our preferred grass pitches were out of use, it was last week of season.

+1

Well Ludensian, I’m afraid all the comments about your post prove that it is indeed a club that is unfriendly towards young families with children. Comments like “use a CL” or go to a commercial site prove the club sites don’t want you. As a grandparent I think you’ve made a good point where it would not be difficult to be flexible about the rules. If your family is going to arrive in the next couple of hours, just stick a car on the next pitch and politely move it if someone is so desperate to split your family up. But let’s all be a bit more understanding of each others needs.

As a grandparent myself I think that my offspring and grandkids are well able to walk thankfully. If there is an issue with a member needing support with children or others with a medical need then I am sure that arrangements can be made.

You forget, TB, that to give a concession to one person usually disadvantages many others.

Stick a car on the pitch?  

I agree with Tony that the club appears to be unfriendly and feel for Ludensian.  They obviously live a distance away from each other and want to be next to each other when they meet on site.  Surely one pitch less to choose from doesn't hurt or is it like most things in this day and age, 'me, me, me, I wanted that!!'  For goodness sake does it matter if there is one less pitch to choose from. 

I think too that it depends which warden is on duty at the time and this could be at their discretion.

Surely one pitch less to choose from doesn't hurt or is it like most things in this day and age, 'me, me, me, I wanted that!!' 

It does seem to be Me. Me, Me when somebody is asking for special treatment when there is not a medical reason.