Crystal Palace are flying high in the league this season – but when it comes to access for disabled fans, the club is near the bottom of the table.

Research findings released in August by Labour MP Chris Bryant show Selhurst Park comes in at a lowly 17th in the Premier League for wheelchair spaces, providing just 39 per cent of the recommended number.

The Eagles would need to fork out £1.4m to bring the ground up to standard, the report estimates – just 6.4 per cent of the club’s summer transfer spend.

Now the recently formed Crystal Palace Disabled Supporters Association (CPFC DSA) is working with the club to improve access at the stadium.

David Smith, chairman of the CPFC DSA, said: “The association’s role is to take the input from the significant number of disabled supporters we have and try to prioritise and understand what issues can be tackled.

“Some of the big clubs didn’t come out terribly well [in that table]. It’s early days, but certainly in the initial stages the feedback from the club has been positive. I genuinely believe the club do have a commitment to work with us.

“We have to be realistic. It is an ageing infrastructure, so we’re not going to be able to do everything overnight.”

The CPFC DSA was formed with the support of the Level Playing Field charity, and is calling for all disabled Palace fans to join the association.

In an effort to promote its work, members David Smith, Tony Game, Karen Green and Caroline Bland gathered at Selhurst Park on September 25 for a photo in the dugout.

A Crystal Palace spokesman said the club was able to provide facilities for all disabled fans at matches in the 2014/2015 season, but recognised there was still work to be done.

He said: “We assisted with the launch of the Disabled Supporters Association and will be meeting it regularly to discuss ways we can continue to offer the best possible experience for disabled fans in all areas of the ground.

“The club has gone to great lengths to improve the match-day experience for disabled supporters.

“For example, a raised platform in the Arthur Wait Stand and the removal of seats immediately in front of it has improved their vantage point.”