Safe Standing at British Football Grounds

[The Laughing Bluebird]

The Football Supporters' Federation have pubished a paper on this subject today. haven't read it myself, but I know there are plenty of NSC contributors who are interested in this subject, so here's a link:

http://www.fsf.org.uk/media/pdfs/safe-standing-report-web.pdf

 

[wehatepalace]

Web page cannot be found !

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Web page cannot be found !

Sorry. Sorted now.

 

[wehatepalace]

Can't be arsed to read all of it, But i got the general gist of it, and can't see i disagreed with any of it and i believe that yes, we as football supporters should have the choice to sit or stand !

 

[sully]

Clearly many people still want to stand at football matches. The evisdence is there to be seen at EVERY game in an all seater stadium.

We need standing areas to get rid of the constant battles between stewards and fans.

 

[Superphil]

Perhaps a leaf needs to be taken out of our friends in the USA, they are able to get over the "problem" of people standing at matches, by warning that it will go on;

"Sections 137 and 138 are designated Galaxy supporters' sections. Fans who sit in these sections typically stand, sing, chant, and enthusiastically and loudly support the Galaxy throughout the game. Please contact a Galaxy representative at 877-3GALAXY (877-342-5299) if you are considering sitting in or near these two sections. "

Let's not get on one about MLS football, they have 27K crowds, they have the worlds highest profile player joining them soon. They simply advise people sitting in that particualr area that there will be standing, shouting and singing.

How tough would that be to introduce at our grounds. The seats do the job of keeping people out of a crush, the ticket sales ensure the stadium is not over crowded.

Full details on their stadium policies are here;

http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/t106/stadium/

 

[unnameable]

Some clubs have stewards marching around like jackbooted SS men telling the away fans to sit down or be thrown out of the ground. In which respect, Reading take some beating. At other clubs the stewards are more liberal.

Most fans prefer to stand. Lord Justice Popplewell, whose post-Hillsbrough report ushered in compulsory all-seater stadia, has probably never been to a football match in his life.

 

[Superphil]

The Football Supporters' Federation have pubished a paper on this subject today. haven't read it myself, but I know there are plenty of NSC contributors who are interested in this subject, so here's a link:

http://www.fsf.org.uk/media/pdfs/safe-standing-report-web.pdf

Just read that, very well written and extremely compelling. Sadly, I think the "authorities" will just ignore the efforts of the authors, and stand by their misguided rules; "Screw the fans, give us the money".

 

[Lander]

Not sure the answers to the questions help the case a lot due to them being all pretty much no effect to anything.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Some excellent arguments made, but sadly I cannot believe the Government will accept that they could be wrong and retract the law.

I have stood amongst the thousands at the Cheltenham Festival and I have been to Dortmund. Perfectly safe. BUt don't hold your breath waiting for a change.

Have you ever wondered why its the law to wear a seatbelt in your car, and that coaches have to have seatbelts fitted, but that when you pay £30 to go to London on a train, you are not guaranteed a seat let alone a seatbelt.

 

[sten_super]

Have you ever wondered why its the law to wear a seatbelt in your car, and that coaches have to have seatbelts fitted, but that when you pay £30 to go to London on a train, you are not guaranteed a seat let alone a seatbelt.

Most likely because you're far more likely to be involved in an accident on the road than you are in a train I'm guessing.

 

[HAMPSHIRE DAVE]

Having been and watched football in Germany(Dortmund) for me
it's not weather standing is safe or not.
It's the attitude of people attending that's the problem.
Give most football fans the chance to be agressive to away fans
in England and people will jump at the chance.
It's alot harder to do the above and more easy to keep a eye on someone if they are in a seat.

Like everything else in England if you disagree with someone
about something like football then people think starting a fight or being a complete pratt is the answer.

I know it happened in my local last week when I said to a "fake"Liverpool" fan after losing to Milan,"hard luck mate".
The bloke who is a regular in my local pub or though I don't know him by name have seen him many times before.
He gave me pile of abuse and almost threw me against the wall before the Landlord stepped-in.
I can just imagine 5,000 away standing fans after losing a important game in the last minute.

DO YOU THINK PREMEIRSHIP CLUBS WOULD AGREE TO IT??
They would have to charge less for standing!!

Having standing in the lower divisions but not at the top level.
I'm not saying every football fan would turn into a thug cause of terracing but do we not live in a country where anyone could end up in a fight just for having a different view.
HAMPSHIRE DAVE

 

[Cheshire Cat]

but also

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/april/15/newsid_2913000/2913355.stm

http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/

I also remember huge surges in the North Stand which were exciting but terrifying, and with hindsight a distaster waiting to happen, especially with the crappy barriers in place then.

...so I think all things considered I would prefer the seats (with a roof)

 

[JJ McClure]

...so I think all things considered I would prefer the seats (with a roof)

So you can have seats and a roof if you want, but people who want to stand should also be given that choice.
It's not an arguement for the return of terraces like in your pictures, but safe terraces with more barriers and better controlled numbers.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The Hillsborough Families.....something....are stating that it would be a step backwards for football and will oppose the motion.

Safe standing can work, but as others have said, I can't see the relevant bodies backing this.

 

[Brovion]

So you can have seats and a roof if you want, but people who want to stand should also be given that choice.
It's not an arguement for the return of terraces like in your pictures, but safe terraces with more barriers and better controlled numbers.

Absolutely. Reading some of the comments (not necessarily on this thread but previously) you'd think that people who want to stand at football matches are on a par with people who want to fight at football matches.

However, as has been pointed out, those of you who do feel that it would be a return to the dark ages needn't worry as in the current climate it has no chance of being adopted. From my own point of view one of the great things about watching Newcastle away is that almost always you're allowed to stand for the whole game - the stewards know better than to take on the Toon!

 

[Kukev31]

I'm surprised this hasn't had more interest to be honest. This could be a major step in bringing standing area's back at football, but it has gone largely unnoticed.

Part of the reason we don't already have standing area's is the general apathy of people, a lot of people want them, but we just get them saying it will never happen. Well if you believe, and actually start doing something about it then it might.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

So you can have seats and a roof if you want, but people who want to stand should also be given that choice.
It's not an arguement for the return of terraces like in your pictures, but safe terraces with more barriers and better controlled numbers.

Except the terraces pictured used to be at a certain late lamented grounds not far from the Old Shoreham Road and Hove Park, and presumably were thought to be state of the art crowd control in their day. The pictures were taken when this late lamented ground was still open to punters (sorry fans).
Given the lamentable contempt that football clubs show their customers (sorry fans), who is to say that any redesigned and allegedly safer terraces will not be allow to degenerate into the crumbling wrecks pictured.
Also given the fiasco of Athens 2007 European Cup the potential for trouble and disaster remains immense.

 

[seagurn]

I think a freedom of choice on this one as i'd always prefer to stand than sit but when i'm an old(er) man i may prefer to sit on my arse.Also i do think standing creates more of an atmosphere nothing like a good old knees up.

Knees up brighton town
Knees up Brighton town
top of the table ,you must go ei ei ei o

oh great times

 

[Braders]

I think a freedom of choice on this one as i'd always prefer to stand than sit but when i'm an old(er) man i may prefer to sit on my arse.Also i do think standing creates more of an atmosphere nothing like a good old knees up.

Knees up brighton town
Knees up Brighton town
top of the table ,you must go ei ei ei o

oh great times

exactly , something has to be done to suit everyone and it needs to be done FAST

i fully , undividedly welcome anything that stops people moaning about sitting down etc..