Northam End to be home fans only + safe standing (new updates)

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

14 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Hmmmm, one of those things we’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out. Interested to see how they get the away fans travelling by train to their section other than via St Mary’s Street or walking all the way around the stadium so they mix with home fans. 

Shame they couldn’t have had the Kingsland Northam corner which would have been best for atmosphere and we wouldn’t have to give up the whole Northam for FA Cup matches.

I’m also interested to see how they deal with away fans trying to get back to Central. Equally though, the Kingsland/Northam corner would cause issues getting them back to the coaches and would have likely ruled out use of the railway bridge for home fans.

It’s clearly all happening now so everyone just needs to accept it and see how it goes - I’m happy the club are at least actively doing something to improve what’s been a mostly crap atmosphere inside St Mary’s.

[Dragon_man]

On 15/04/2024 at 13:39, LuckyNumber7 said:

Safe standing/rail seating still has seats, so they can still sit down if they wish.

So is it the same number of supporters? I thought part the benefit of safe standing is that you cram in more people, so ground capacity increased? 

[Dragon_man]

On 15/04/2024 at 17:15, eurosaint said:

Block 29 at the end of the row where a net is likely to be, meaning that I would have to go all the way along to block 28 to exit for a pee etc.. also directly next to the away support which I don’t want.

Cup games we could be moved !

Access south towards the buses and on to the quay is likely to be denied so I will have to get a later ferry.

The level of comfort which I currently have will cease to exist therefore I’ll pack it in if it changes !

Same for me, block 29.

Wouldn't mind the move for cup games as tend to get tickets elsewhere for variety anyway.

But ...

Imagine being next to that drone from the Millwall supporters. Jesus.

I park to the south and walk through the industrial area too. That could become problematic. Pompey game will be a war zone around there.

Well lose the Chapel Arms to away supporters. Enjoy a pre game beer in there most games.

Could go directly opposite but then you get the sun in your eyes for half a season.

Oh, and 15% dearer too! If we don't go up, I don't see next season being as good either (for all reasons discussed elsewhere).

No good for me at all.

[wadesmith]

10 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

So is it the same number of supporters? I thought part the benefit of safe standing is that you cram in more people, so ground capacity increased? 

I don’t think so. I believe the benefit was to give the option of people being able to stand. ‘Safely’...and of course  there is a perceived notion that the more people standing will in turn create a better atmosphere in the ground. Whether that is true or not I do not know. 😊 

[whelk]

So away fans going to be walking out over the bridge or get ushered down to St Mary’s?

[jamesfp1]

21 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

So is it the same number of supporters? I thought part the benefit of safe standing is that you cram in more people, so ground capacity increased? 

Safe standing

[Nordic Saint]

25 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

I’m also interested to see how they deal with away fans trying to get back to Central. Equally though, the Kingsland/Northam corner would cause issues getting them back to the coaches and would have likely ruled out use of the railway bridge for home fans.

It’s clearly all happening now so everyone just needs to accept it and see how it goes - I’m happy the club are at least actively doing something to improve what’s been a mostly crap atmosphere inside St Mary’s.

Have you ever walked to and from the station? Home and away fans mingle all the way. The new setup will be easier to police.

[Dragon_man]

4 minutes ago, jamesfp1 said:

Safe standing

But that's a fallacy. At away games many groups just get together tighly packed and seat allocation becomes irrelevant.

At least there will be the barriers, but people will be more densley packed than with seating.

If it's the same number of supporters as there are currently seats, then there will probably be 'open' ish areas to the sides.

 

[ant]

4 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

But that's a fallacy. At away games many groups just get together tighly packed and seat allocation becomes irrelevant.

At least there will be the barriers, but people will be more densley packed than with seating.

If it's the same number of supporters as there are currently seats, then there will probably be 'open' ish areas to the sides.

 

Depends to what extent people cram in, really.

Save for some feeble efforts from the stewards in League One, we've never sat on my row. Yet it still feels pretty tightly packed; I don't actually know how people deal with sitting - I'm much more tall than I am broad, yet the seats seem tiny.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

5 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Have you ever walked to and from the station? Home and away fans mingle all the way. The new setup will be easier to police.

Regularly. I’m not actually knocking the idea (I prefer old school-type support from a few decades ago but accept this has changed) and hope it eventually proves a good move but it makes a tough Policing job a little more tricky.

If we’re still in this division next season the skate fixtures will likely be bubble games, if promoted then those Northam prices are very good for PL (and no shortage of takers).

[Give it to Ron]

10 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Have you ever walked to and from the station? Home and away fans mingle all the way. The new setup will be easier to police.

…..and at away game’s Millwall apart. I have walked miles this season from coaches and trains nowhere near ground on match day Watford,QPR , Millwall was a frog march miles at least our ground is accessible not like Brighton! 

[Dragon_man]

On 17/04/2024 at 12:13, franniesTache said:

The club have properly fucked this one up, they should've kept the ground as it is but put in safe standing from block 3 round to the kingsland north (including away fans)

Such a bleeding obvious solution! 

Simples.

[SaintsLoyal]

If you’re tight on cash you don’t go blowing it on needless cosmetic changes to the stadium.

its proven this season with 15 home wins that away fans in the northam stand changes nothing.

The financial outlay on safe seating shouldn’t be happening until PL finances secured.

[franniesTache]

22 hours ago, Noodles34 said:

anyone know who are in the elite fans consultation group? 

It was us outside the pub mush, full consultation, just as the club wanted it. We were told what was going to happen, and how the fans were going to be ignored, doesn't get much more elite than that

Anyway the pricing seems pretty shit to me, they've effectively dropped prices in six blocks for early bird then increased them everywhere else and dropped the genuinely cheap prices in the chapel. Proper "dead cat" behaviour to hide that they're screwing 90% of the match going fans.

 

1 hour ago, Nordic Saint said:

It's only a few nimbies.  The improvement in home support this new setup will bring is bound to upset them. They won't be able to whinge about how poor the home atmosphere is any more.  One of them has posted about a thousand times on here because he wants to gawk at the away fans but doesn't want any vocal Saints fans near him. Maybe he can get a special needs seat in the away section as he loves the away fans and hates Saints fans so much. 

Assume that's aimed at me, it has nothing to do with "gawping at away fans" for (i actually find that embarrassing) instead it's that I dislike the culture in the northam because it's really fucking noddy and two bit, and for the same reason i disliked the new arrivals to the itchen north and turned it into a creche (hence why we moved out of block 1/2 into block 3).

I do however want to stand and this takes away my option of standing without being next to a collective who i find annoying and means i have to put up with shit songs copied from other clubs, no sense of humour from our fans, people taking football far, far too seriously and repeated songs about the skates.

Splitting two sections actually has the benefit of allowing two cultures, which satisfies more people. But i guess calling folk nimbies is easier than understanding that

Edited April 18 by franniesTache

[LuckyNumber7]

You can never please everyone so some people will moan, and there are some legit concerns, but I applaud the club for making these changes which should have been done a long time ago. Almost every proper stadium has a proper vocal home end, the fact that we are finally getting one and it will be all standing is exciting. However it's the fans that will make it work or not so I hope it gets good buy-in. I will be relocating from Kingsland North. With the whole Northam singing we should be able to make good noise reverberate around the stadium. I often hear those in the Chapel say they can only hear the away fans.

The cheaper tickets and standing should appeal to the younger and more energetic fans which has to be good for the future.

52 minutes ago, Dragon_man said:

So is it the same number of supporters? I thought part the benefit of safe standing is that you cram in more people, so ground capacity increased? 

It's a like for like basis so the same number. Main difference is that there's a rail in front of each row.

[St Louis]

4 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

Anyway the pricing seems pretty shit to me, they've effectively dropped prices in six blocks for early bird then increased them everywhere else and dropped the genuinely cheap prices in the chapel. Proper "dead cat" behaviour to hide that they're screwing 90% of the match going fans.

The club is a 'business' too, and one that loses money currently.
Given we've had 6 years of price freezes (and even drops this year), I dont think its too bad and was expected. I dont think the club have hidden it either, its all over the club statement that prices will go up on average 10-15%. The new fan zones and safe standing all come at a cost too, so I personally dont mind having to pay <£100 extra for that.

[franniesTache]

2 minutes ago, St Louis said:

The club is a 'business' too, and one that loses money currently.
Given we've had 6 years of price freezes (and even drops this year), I dont think its too bad and was expected. I dont think the club have hidden it either, its all over the club statement that prices will go up on average 10-15%. The new fan zones and safe standing all come at a cost too, so I personally dont mind having to pay <£100 extra for that.

Yeah but football is meant to be the working man's game, and to increase prices during a cost of living crisis by that much is a joke. It's just another example of how they want private school kids from Trowbridge over nippers from the Northam estate.

To be honest the one that really stinks is completely getting rid of the cheap tickets in the chapel, they could've at least offered one block in the new banter wall at a similar price so those people could still afford to go

[St Louis]

12 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

Yeah but football is meant to be the working man's game, and to increase prices during a cost of living crisis by that much is a joke. It's just another example of how they want private school kids from Trowbridge over nippers from the Northam estate.

To be honest the one that really stinks is completely getting rid of the cheap tickets in the chapel, they could've at least offered one block in the new banter wall at a similar price so those people could still afford to go

I do get your point and I do agree, I just think the reality is that football is eating itself now... and sadly the wages, transfers, stadium improvements, etc are all out of control and cost clubs millions just to keep up! Sadly its us that get hit with the bill. I dont know the answer really. I think a lot of 'proper' football fans will be tempted to lower league and non-league football in the not too distant future.

[Ken Tone]

1 hour ago, Dragon_man said:

Same for me, block 29.

Wouldn't mind the move for cup games as tend to get tickets elsewhere for variety anyway.

But ...

Imagine being next to that drone from the Millwall supporters. Jesus.

I park to the south and walk through the industrial area too. That could become problematic. Pompey game will be a war zone around there.

Well lose the Chapel Arms to away supporters. Enjoy a pre game beer in there most games.

Could go directly opposite but then you get the sun in your eyes for half a season.

Oh, and 15% dearer too! If we don't go up, I don't see next season being as good either (for all reasons discussed elsewhere).

No good for me at all.

And me ....block 29. Think we've been royally screwed. I doubt we'll be a priority group for relocating, since our seats aren't actually been removed, but we'll have away fans just at the end of our row, only a few yards away, with all the abuse and noise that implies. So it will be a completelydifferent experience. Had my time with all that when I was young. Now I go to watch football, not fans. 

[Wurzel]

28 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

It was us outside the pub mush, full consultation, just as the club wanted it. We were told what was going to happen, and how the fans were going to be ignored, doesn't get much more elite than that

Anyway the pricing seems pretty shit to me, they've effectively dropped prices in six blocks for early bird then increased them everywhere else and dropped the genuinely cheap prices in the chapel. Proper "dead cat" behaviour to hide that they're screwing 90% of the match going fans.

 

Assume that's aimed at me, it has nothing to do with "gawping at away fans" for (i actually find that embarrassing) instead it's that I dislike the culture in the northam because it's really fucking noddy and two bit, and for the same reason i disliked the new arrivals to the itchen north and turned it into a creche (hence why we moved out of block 1/2 into block 3).

I do however want to stand and this takes away my option of standing without being next to a collective who i find annoying and means i have to put up with shit songs copied from other clubs, no sense of humour from our fans, people taking football far, far too seriously and repeated songs about the skates.

Splitting two sections actually has the benefit of allowing two cultures, which satisfies more people. But i guess calling folk nimbies is easier than understanding that

I'm with you on that bit, but to be fair they probably don't even amount to half of one block. Glass half empty, extending the home fans section right across the end will attract more of them, glass half full it'll end up with the noddy tw@ts outnumbered by those around them that wish they'd shut the f*** up and they'll finally get the message. Me, I'm always a glass half full guy. 😛

[beatlesaint]

So basically then any seated season ticket holders will be subsidising this offer for the safe standing early bird renewals with their 10-15% increase?

Theres loyalty !

[Bob60]

1 hour ago, Dragon_man said:

Same for me, block 29.

Wouldn't mind the move for cup games as tend to get tickets elsewhere for variety anyway.

But ...

Imagine being next to that drone from the Millwall supporters. Jesus.

I park to the south and walk through the industrial area too. That could become problematic. Pompey game will be a war zone around there.

Well lose the Chapel Arms to away supporters. Enjoy a pre game beer in there most games.

Could go directly opposite but then you get the sun in your eyes for half a season.

Oh, and 15% dearer too! If we don't go up, I don't see next season being as good either (for all reasons discussed elsewhere).

No good for me at all.

I'm in block 11 row r almost opposite you and never in over ten years had a problem with the sun.

[Chez]

35 minutes ago, St Louis said:

I do get your point and I do agree, I just think the reality is that football is eating itself now... and sadly the wages, transfers, stadium improvements, etc are all out of control and cost clubs millions just to keep up! Sadly its us that get hit with the bill. I dont know the answer really. I think a lot of 'proper' football fans will be tempted to lower league and non-league football in the not too distant future.

Perhaps if they didn't spunk £10m a year on interest payments fans wouldn't have to cover their rising `operational costs'.

Some already have been.

I seem to recall a match day ticket at SMS for Sains Man City was about £52. Laughable. My Fareham Town season ticket is less than that. The standard is shite, but the day out with a couple of friends and a beer or two is pretty good. When you step away from religiously buying a Saints season ticket, it becomes very apparent how much it costs and the value you get back.

Hopefully, Saints will go up and then the ST price will seem pretty reasonable (in modern times). If we don't, it's only a couple more seasons until we get the begging sales emails and them telling us how much they value us supporters etc.

 

[Chez]

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

[team-saint]

I expect my season ticket price to increase by about 50% as a result of this, which I suppose clouds my judgement, but even so, this is a significant disruption to a high proportion of fans in the pursuit of highly uncertain benefits. It stinks frankly

[Saint Fan CaM]

Think the club are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Fact is the atmosphere at SMS is directly proportional to the teams performance and ultimately whether we’re winning some games, preferably more than losing. The last season in the Prem was just agonisingly shit and one I didn’t enjoy one bit thanks for the most part to a terrible atmosphere in the stadium not helped by away supporters decimating the most vocal part of the home support.  It’s improved a bit this season admittedly, but the aspiration is to get back to the Prem when a higher number of away fans will attend typically.

Whether these changes help to rectify the issue is really up to our vocal Saints supporters.  It will interesting to see if it makes a difference, but I’m not expecting big changes in week one…this will be a slow burn…perhaps even generational.

[captainchris]

Well done the club, this is a good decision. A packed home end is the way it should be and should have been from the start at St Mary’s.

Love the club’s ‘can do’ attitude these days.
 

[iansums]

Not high on most peoples priority list, but it will nicer to see (hopefully) a full Northam end on the TV, often when the camera pans to that end the fan segregation and small away following makes the stadium look half empty.

[Graffito]

43 minutes ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

No discernible difference. As you know, away fans tend to stand anyway. 

[LGTL]

2 hours ago, franniesTache said:

It was us outside the pub mush, full consultation, just as the club wanted it. We were told what was going to happen, and how the fans were going to be ignored, doesn't get much more elite than that

Anyway the pricing seems pretty shit to me, they've effectively dropped prices in six blocks for early bird then increased them everywhere else and dropped the genuinely cheap prices in the chapel. Proper "dead cat" behaviour to hide that they're screwing 90% of the match going fans.

 

Assume that's aimed at me, it has nothing to do with "gawping at away fans" for (i actually find that embarrassing) instead it's that I dislike the culture in the northam because it's really fucking noddy and two bit, and for the same reason i disliked the new arrivals to the itchen north and turned it into a creche (hence why we moved out of block 1/2 into block 3).

I do however want to stand and this takes away my option of standing without being next to a collective who i find annoying and means i have to put up with shit songs copied from other clubs, no sense of humour from our fans, people taking football far, far too seriously and repeated songs about the skates.

Splitting two sections actually has the benefit of allowing two cultures, which satisfies more people. But i guess calling folk nimbies is easier than understanding that

Move across to Block 38. It’s not too bad in there, slightly older crowd but a decent atmosphere and no nonsense. It’ll be hopefully far enough away from the Northam ultra gimps too. 

I was pleased they included Block 38 in the standing section as I didn’t fancy moving and they’re bound to police standing more robustly elsewhere now. 

[Give it to Ron]

52 minutes ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

Birmingham had it but didn’t seem especially loud to me and they scored 3 times!

I get what they are doing but to charge us old gits that can’t stand all game extra 10-15% to pay for it rankles a bit but I’ll still pay it no doubt 

Edited April 18 by Give it to Ron

[Give it to Ron]

So a bit of realism now Eastleigh charge 20-22 pre match my ST will be £24 if it goes up 10% block 35 in Championship 

[St Steve]

Do you pay for just the one season ticket?

[Saint Matty 76]

25 minutes ago, iansums said:

Not high on most peoples priority list, but it will nicer to see (hopefully) a full Northam end on the TV, often when the camera pans to that end the fan segregation and small away following makes the stadium look half empty.

Like you say, it doesn't matter too much but I've always thought this looked ridiculous.

[markr27]

Looks like I'll be in the kids zone now...!

[jamesfp1]

3 hours ago, Dragon_man said:

But that's a fallacy. At away games many groups just get together tighly packed and seat allocation becomes irrelevant.

At least there will be the barriers, but people will be more densley packed than with seating.

If it's the same number of supporters as there are currently seats, then there will probably be 'open' ish areas to the sides.

 

Correct 

[stevegrant]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

I seem to recall a match day ticket at SMS for Sains Man City was about £52.

Tickets in the very central blocks of the Itchen and Kingsland for the Stoke game are (somehow) £50!

I get the idea, and I like that rather than spending years on studies and focus groups, the club seem to be happy to just get shit done for once. Ultimately if it doesn't work out, they can hold their hands up and say "sorry, we thought it was a good idea, it didn't work, we can roll it back for next season". I think there are some concerns - not least the pricing for other areas of the ground (as yet unspecified but definitely rising) and the undoubted hassle of thousands of people moving seats for one reason or another - but people have been crying out for the club to do something about the away end and finally they've done it and yet people are still fucking moaning, they can't win.

What appears to be a big focus - and this isn't isolated to us at all - is increasing the amount of time fans want to be at or around the ground. Rather than turn up at 2:55 and leave on the final whistle (or, as seemingly in the case of a LOT of people these days, 85 minutes), they are looking to create things that make fans want to get to the ground at lunchtime and stick around after the game for an hour or two. I think the latter will always be largely result-driven and they'll never ever be able to get away from that, but if they're able to put some decent entertainment on, with a variety of actually nice food options and a non-shit beer selection, maybe it'll work. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, certainly, but we'll see how it goes.

[Jimmy_D]

2 hours ago, SaintsLoyal said:

If you’re tight on cash you don’t go blowing it on needless cosmetic changes to the stadium.

its proven this season with 15 home wins that away fans in the northam stand changes nothing.

The financial outlay on safe seating shouldn’t be happening until PL finances secured.

We’re tighter on FFP than we are on cash, or at least the owner is. Stadium improvements don’t affect FFP.

[SambaMaverick]

Club are making an effort to improve things and stumping up the cash to do so, what's to moan about? Hope it's a success

[The Cat]

11 minutes ago, stevegrant said:

Tickets in the very central blocks of the Itchen and Kingsland for the Stoke game are (somehow) £50!

I get the idea, and I like that rather than spending years on studies and focus groups, the club seem to be happy to just get shit done for once. Ultimately if it doesn't work out, they can hold their hands up and say "sorry, we thought it was a good idea, it didn't work, we can roll it back for next season". I think there are some concerns - not least the pricing for other areas of the ground (as yet unspecified but definitely rising) and the undoubted hassle of thousands of people moving seats for one reason or another - but people have been crying out for the club to do something about the away end and finally they've done it and yet people are still fucking moaning, they can't win.

What appears to be a big focus - and this isn't isolated to us at all - is increasing the amount of time fans want to be at or around the ground. Rather than turn up at 2:55 and leave on the final whistle (or, as seemingly in the case of a LOT of people these days, 85 minutes), they are looking to create things that make fans want to get to the ground at lunchtime and stick around after the game for an hour or two. I think the latter will always be largely result-driven and they'll never ever be able to get away from that, but if they're able to put some decent entertainment on, with a variety of actually nice food options and a non-shit beer selection, maybe it'll work. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, certainly, but we'll see how it goes.

Agree with all of this.

It's now much better getting to the ground early, having a beer outside and then having the option to do the same at half time.

Fair play to the club for addressing this already and it seems that it will be even better next season.

Granted it's not for everyone but especially on sunny days there's a lot of people down at the ground and hour or so before the game having a beer or some food.

Whether what there is currently counts as decent entertainment is subjective, personally I could do without bands or singers covering terrible songs!

Edited April 18 by The Cat

[iansums]

10 minutes ago, The Cat said:

I could do without bands or singers covering terrible songs!

Or even worse, covering a great song, terribly.

[franniesTache]

 

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

Yeah at a few away grounds, main takeaway for me is that it hurts like fuck when someone sends you over one of the barriers for safestanding, way more than it does going over a seat (i may not have been fully sober)

2 hours ago, Wurzel said:

I'm with you on that bit, but to be fair they probably don't even amount to half of one block. Glass half empty, extending the home fans section right across the end will attract more of them, glass half full it'll end up with the noddy tw@ts outnumbered by those around them that wish they'd shut the f*** up and they'll finally get the message. Me, I'm always a glass half full guy. 😛

Having been to most away games for the last few years i have no faith in our support not being embarrassing dins, in fact at multiple aways this season i've moved away from the library bantz weirdos, and the less said about the noddies that started doing "the poznan" at arsenal away the better

48 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Move across to Block 38. It’s not too bad in there, slightly older crowd but a decent atmosphere and no nonsense. It’ll be hopefully far enough away from the Northam ultra gimps too. 

I was pleased they included Block 38 in the standing section as I didn’t fancy moving and they’re bound to police standing more robustly elsewhere now. 

We were actually looking at block 48 as it's small and self contained, but the club aren't doing the cheap season tickets in there, same as they aren't in 38, so it'd mean paying more to stand there sadly

[Chewy]

As someone who sits in block 29, I’m not going to matches to get involved in Bantz with the away fans.

That said, I’m fully in favour of the changes. Makes sense, should improve the atmosphere and if it’s really cr4p next season I can move easily enough the following.  Not sure why there’s any negativity except for nimbyism.
 

And if we don’t go up I’ll have a good seat for the Pompey game. 

[Scummer]

6 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

We were actually looking at block 48 as it's small and self contained, but the club aren't doing the cheap season tickets in there, same as they aren't in 38, so it'd mean paying more to stand there sadly

What about one of the blocks that's currently the away end? Assuming most of the current Northam season ticket holders stay where they are, you can easily move a block or two to the side.

[spyinthesky]

2 hours ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

Spurs was the only one I have been to.
All fine but think the steps were built specifically for railed standing/seating so that may have helped.

[spyinthesky]

Will a Security Box be built at the away end to replicate the one in the corner at the Northam?

[LGTL]

Assume this means we’ll be regularly shooting towards the Northam second half from next season, as it’ll ultimately be our ‘home end’ from now on. It’s basically what the club wanted from the Chapel, but has taken nearly 25 years to sort out. 

[Monk]

2 hours ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

I work at a club with it 😐

 

It does make a difference. 

[Dragon_man]

2 hours ago, Chez said:

Anyone actually been to a game with safe standing? What's it like? It obviously doesn't offer the same thrills and experience as the packed terraces, but does it lend itself to more singing, more confidence to start a song, make an anonymous comment...

Liverpool away in the cup this season. Was OK, I think the barriers help from a safety perspective but not really that much different for away fans.

[Dragon_man]

Why aren't they putting in safe standing for the away fans? 

Would seem an obvious thing to do as part of the changes, perhaps we aren't bothered about the safety of away fans 😅