Sex-law problems for British courses

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34045, 8 January 1976, Page 6

Sex-law problems for British courses

t By

DAVID BARBER.

N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

LOX DON. “Sex is rearing its ugly head at the races • • - and the dogs” reads a headline in the “Sporting Life,” Britain’s leading daily racing newspaper. It tells the story—there will he no more free-entry tickets for women to racecourses and greyhound-racing tracks.

The reason is Britain’s new Sex Discrimination Act which rules that men and women (are equal. As a result, horse and dogracing officials have been told they must stop their practice of giving ladies free admission to tracks on selected days. “This is discrimination against men,” is the official message. More than 60 race courses throughout Britain are affected. They have been told that, their regular “ladies days,” designed to boost attendances, are now illegal, and clubs are even being forced to examine the legality of issuing ladies’ badges for admission to official enclosures. The same applies to Britain’s 49 greyhound-racing tracks, which have all been instructed to end their regular ladies’ nights immediately. At such nights, they admit ladies free, and often give them presents and flowers. This will have to stop unless the tracks give bouquets to male racegoers as well. Doncaster will be one of the first racecourses affected. The manager of the course, Mr Tim Thompson, wrote to the “Sporting Life” saying he had been advised that newspaper advertisements saying: “Accompanied ladies admitted free, January 30” were now illegal. “Doncaster were told that this would have to read: ‘Accompanied persons admitted free’, which, quite apart from discriminating against bachelors and widowers, would obviously destroy the whole purpose of *

v the promotion—to give thei hjladies a day away from the! □ sink,” he wrote. The secretary of the I -National Greyhound Racing JiClub, Mr Fred Underhill, said,! e!“The Equal Opportunities! - Commission have advised me j that it is illegal to promote! i special meetings which dis-; 11 criminate against men in fav-i our of females. s “This affects all our tracks.! g because at one time or an-1 :l!other, they have all held! s ladies' nights. It is a pity] -i because men were encour-l , aged to bring along their ? wives and girl friends to race ,• nights. Now they will all r.have to pay and it will be Ijone price for everyone," The unisex law is also having its effect in dance halls , ; and discotheques. The Equal Commission

isays it. has had manv complaints from men about a ■ common rule that they must [wear a tie. Girls do not have |to wear ties, the men say, and that means discrimina- ■ tion. In Walsall, in the MidHands. anyone wearing a skirt lor dress will get free admisision to a town disco on Saturday night. Previously, the [owners used to offer free ad-' mission to girls. I “If a man arrives in a dress [we will have to waive the 50 (pence admission fee,” said the organiser Mike Holland, “but he will have to stay in drag all night."