Safe Standing

Apparently Shrewsbury Town are about to convert part of their ground to safe standing, and they hope to be playing in the Championship next season. How is that allowed...?

If we have standing where will they stuff my clacker?

I have an issue with safe standing. And its related to widespread increases in football hooliganism. I fear safe standing will just further fuel this atmosphere inside grounds and take the game back decades.

CCTV and banning orders prevent any risk of a widespread return of hopligans to football grounds in the UK, it's just a handful of hobby teenagers and idiots that haven't grown up giving it large these days. Outside the grounds it's pretty much the same act like a moron at or near a football match and you will get caught and banned these days not like the 70's and 80's.

Safe standing is exactly that, safe. It's just not happening in England as the Lessons have never really been learned following Hillsborough sll seater stadium see the sledge hammer to crack the nut!

If we have standing where will they stuff my clacker?

Safe standing has lot of places to attach it. Plus it also can be turned back into seating...

It is hard to see how anyone can object to standing like that. Every single row has a bar in front of it, people cannot be crushed forward with lots of people behind them as the bars get in the way.

Apparently Shrewsbury Town are about to convert part of their ground to safe standing, and they hope to be playing in the Championship next season. How is that allowed...?

I believe newly promoted clubs get a certain period of leeway with stadium issues. I think after a couple of years they have to comply fully with regulations.

I would have more respect for the authorities on this if no standing was actually enforced. The fact is that people stand at every all seater football stadium in this country, and nothing is done about it. The rail seats shown in the photo above would actually make grounds safer.

German clubs, with massive attendances, have them. Why not us?

I don't see how it is supposed to increase capacity either?

I don't see how it is supposed to increase capacity either?

http://www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk/the-case-for-safe-standing/case-for-3

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/safe-standing-qa-91188

Hard to get extra people in standing areas in grounds Taylor made (pun intended) for seating as rows aren't deep enough. In Germany for example clubs like Hamburg get approx 80% more fans in standing areas than when they revert back to seating. This would change for new grounds/ upgrades. Spurs have future proofed themselves for this though, deeper seating areas will allow a minimum 1800 extra capacity if common sense prevails and the law is changed.

Can you please provide examples of how standing has increased/ will increase hooliganism?

I'm disappointed Saints aren't publicly getting behind this. Obvious PR win (huge majority of fans want it and any sane safety debate would be won by the safe standing lot without breaking a sweat) and would help the atmosphere at St Mary's (something they are keen to do judging by the clackers).

I believe newly promoted clubs get a certain period of leeway with stadium issues. I think after a couple of years they have to comply fully with regulations.

I can see the couple of years allowed to bring your ground into line with modern regulations. However, to change your ground so as not to comply, just as you go up, would seem nonsensical......

http://www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk/the-case-for-safe-standing/case-for-3

 

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/safe-standing-qa-91188

 

Hard to get extra people in standing areas in grounds Taylor made (pun intended) for seating as rows aren't deep enough. In Germany for example clubs like Hamburg get approx 80% more fans in standing areas than when they revert back to seating. This would change for new grounds/ upgrades. Spurs have future proofed themselves for this though, deeper seating areas will allow a minimum 1800 extra capacity if common sense prevails and the law is changed.

 

Can you please provide examples of how standing has increased/ will increase hooliganism?

 

I'm disappointed Saints aren't publicly getting behind this. Obvious PR win (huge majority of fans want it and any sane safety debate would be won by the safe standing lot without breaking a sweat) and would help the atmosphere at St Mary's (something they are keen to do judging by the clackers).

Fair enough. So basically it will increase atmosphere only (based on a different set of fans buying the tickets presumably). But have zero impact on capacity or ticket price for the vast majority of UK grounds?

Fair enough. So basically it will increase atmosphere only (based on a different set of fans buying the tickets presumably). But have zero impact on capacity or ticket price for the vast majority of UK grounds?

No, although that reason alone would be good enough for me, it would also stop the endless and frankly boring "stand up/ sit down" arguments and is far safer (surely everyone's main priority) than standing in seated areas. The stadium safety team at Celtic Park say all of these points have made it a huge success there.

I've done some pretty extensive research on this (at least 10 mins on Google) and have yet to see a single study showing a link between standing at football and hooliganism, can you share your findings please fella? I'd love to meet anyone that thought they could act up in an assigned position in a stadium with hundreds of CCTV cameras and get away with it with any more ease than a assign seat in a stadium with hundreds of CCTV cameras?

Yeh because standing up makes people turn into thugs

And it's much better to have unsafe standing like the Northam and parts of every other Premiership ground.

A fair amount of people want to stand so why not make sure that it's safe to do so rather than turning a blind eye as at present.

No, although that reason alone would be good enough for me, it would also stop the endless and frankly boring "stand up/ sit down" arguments and is far safer (surely everyone's main priority) than standing in seated areas. The stadium safety team at Celtic Park say all of these points have made it a huge success there.

 

I've done some pretty extensive research on this (at least 10 mins on Google) and have yet to see a single study showing a link between standing at football and hooliganism, can you share your findings please fella? I'd love to meet anyone that thought they could act up in an assigned position in a stadium with hundreds of CCTV cameras and get away with it with any more ease than a assign seat in a stadium with hundreds of CCTV cameras?

Jack, thank you for the discussion but you can take a less defensive tone you know I never said that it will cause an increase in football hooliganism, only that I fear it will.

I take the safety point of view, but frankly that is neither here nor there because "no standing" should be enforced. Rules are rules. Although, that said, if these rules are to be abandoned then the safety argument is the only grounds for introducing safe standing that stack up - Although I can't think of a single crush in a seated stadium? Boredom over "sit down/stand up" is not a valid reason...

And as for people who act up inside or outside stadiums. This happens year after year and has been on the increase in recent seasons. Flares for example are now everywhere, fans have punch ups inside and outside grounds, missiles thrown on the pitch and at other fans etc. It is very naive to think that football hooliganism is not a growing problem currently. Just look at Roma fans, russian hit squads, Marseille fans having riots at Lyon stadium and outside their own ground last week for example...

Saints were effected when we played Viittesse Arnham or Wigan away a few seasons back. My fear is that this trend will continue and be even easier to commit inside stadiums with fluid movement across rows.

If we have standing where will they stuff my clacker?

I beg your pardon?

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16252672.READER_LETTER____39_Southampton__39_s_safe_standing_campaign_should_hang_their_heads_in_shame__39_/

Some people just don't want to understand what 'Safe Standing' is all about.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16252672.READER_LETTER____39_Southampton__39_s_safe_standing_campaign_should_hang_their_heads_in_shame__39_/

 

Some people just don't want to understand what 'Safe Standing' is all about.

"Paddy Sketcher".

Got to be a wind-up?

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16252672.READER_LETTER____39_Southampton__39_s_safe_standing_campaign_should_hang_their_heads_in_shame__39_/

 

Some people just don't want to understand what 'Safe Standing' is all about.

What a plank.

Looks like old Paddy's been a bit rinsed in the comments section.

Don't hold your breath over SFC getting involved - this Councillor's words from the Echo comments prove the club are showing little interest.

"Thank you for all of the supportive comments for the Safe Standing campaign.

I brought the Safe Standing Roadshow to Southampton, and to the Daily Echo, so that people can see for themselves what Safe Standing looks like. And the comments in response show that the vast majority of fans support the idea.

Sadly the Chairman and the Board, and staff, of the current owners of Southampton FC, did not attend. And they did not agree to hold the Safe Standing Roadshow at St. Mary's Stadium. I did ask them in correspondence I had with Mr Krueger.

If you haven't already, please sign the petition to the owners of Southampton FC, here:

https://www.change.org/p/chairman-ralph-krueger-safe-standing-for-southampton-fans-at-st-mary-s-stadium

I regularly post updates to everyone who has signed.

And you can stay in touch at the Southampton Independents Facebook page and on our website at sotonindies.org.

Thanks again."

Councillor Andrew Pope

Southampton Independents

Getting closer

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44362522

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/safe-standing-moves-closer-to-green-light-9vfvpzgc2

Looks like it's getting nearer https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45341192 would be nice to have the option to stand again but got my doubts it would make much difference to the atmosphere these days, particularly with a Premier League-type 'audience'.

It says in the top two tiers only, a bit galling if you want to stand behind the goal and the stadium has three tiers.

Don't hold your breath over SFC getting involved - this Councillor's words from the Echo comments prove the club are showing little interest.

 

"Thank you for all of the supportive comments for the Safe Standing campaign.

I brought the Safe Standing Roadshow to Southampton, and to the Daily Echo, so that people can see for themselves what Safe Standing looks like. And the comments in response show that the vast majority of fans support the idea.

Sadly the Chairman and the Board, and staff, of the current owners of Southampton FC, did not attend. And they did not agree to hold the Safe Standing Roadshow at St. Mary's Stadium. I did ask them in correspondence I had with Mr Krueger.

If you haven't already, please sign the petition to the owners of Southampton FC, here:

 

https://www.change.org/p/chairman-ralph-krueger-safe-standing-for-southampton-fans-at-st-mary-s-stadium

 

I regularly post updates to everyone who has signed.

And you can stay in touch at the Southampton Independents Facebook page and on our website at sotonindies.org.

Thanks again."

Councillor Andrew Pope

Southampton Independents

Now Cortese has gone, we HAVE our club back!!!

Now Cortese has gone, we HAVE our club back!!!

What has that got to do with one of your heroes?