Safe Standing at the AMEX: Yes or No?

[leigull]

Terrible post by the club. To rule it out completely straight away and not even see how it develops with other clubs is really sad to see

 

[Hyperion]

it was apalling in the fact it seemed so final, remember as a child how we'd clutch at straws with the response "we'll see"

Jeez. Apalling

 

[Commander]

So what we need is someone who's got a decent track record of protests and has some half decent contacts with supporter groups. Someone who can organise a march, write a song that gets into the Top 20, a letter and postcard writing campaign. Hmmmmmm... any ideas?

I don't really see what there is to protest about yet. If and when other clubs introduce safe standing and the Albion don't, surely that is the time to protest? You're not going to get that many people actively protesting to get the club to consider the possibility of thinking about talking about trialling safe standing. There needs to be a clear end result in sight for it to work. I think it's too early for protests.

 

[Surrey Phil]

IBF - you are a prize pillock. Safe standing is curently illegal in stadiums & anyway the club have spent over £100m to date and are not going to spend millions more making changes to The Amex bercause of 300 hundred of you or so. You need to be realistic.

 

[The Large One]

I'm puzzled as to the comment about being inclusive regardless of age or sex. I can understand the issue with height to a certain extent but specifically age or sex - have the club actually asked older people and women if they prefer to sit or stand or have they made a massive assumption on their behalf?

I've got to say that response from the club is appallingly written and comes across as extremely authoritarian. It doesn't bode well for those in the North Stand who are currently battling (figuratively) with the powers that be about standing.

I'd go further.

I'd suggest it implies an assumption of guilt (in terms of bad behaviour) on the part of those who wish to stand.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Two points:

1. The club have a duty to at least listen to the Safe Standing Campaign presentation.
2. I sit and still sing. It IS possible.

I'd be interested to know whether the reintroduction of standing terraces does always result in the 'improvement' in the atmosphere. Does the 'Kop' end act as a cheerleading catalyst for the rest of the stadium, or will the casual singing fans now leave it up to the 'nutters in the North Stand'.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

IBF - you are a prize pillock. Safe standing is curently illegal in stadiums & anyway the club have spent over £100m to date and are not going to spend millions more making changes to The Amex bercause of 300 hundred of you or so. You need to be realistic.

Oh is it illegal?

 

[SussexHoop]

Isn't there already a safe standing area at the Amex? The away end?

 

[Acker79]

Wouldnt call it appalling, they just put it bluntly.

Perhaps they saw the thread calling Poyet a filthy liar and have decided to go with brutal honesty, thinking that was what we wanted?

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I don't really see what there is to protest about yet. If and when other clubs introduce safe standing and the Albion don't, surely that is the time to protest? You're not going to get that many people actively protesting to get the club to consider the possibility of thinking about talking about trialling safe standing. There needs to be a clear end result in sight for it to work. I think it's too early for protests.

Fair point.

 

[leigull]

It's the fact they've ruled it out from EVER happening that is annoying bit. No one is saying it needs to be us driving it forwards, but to not accept that it could be considered at some point down the line is a shame.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I'd go further.

I'd suggest it implies an assumption of guilt (in terms of bad behaviour) on the part of those who wish to stand.

Which might explain their complete overreaction at the Bristol City game to the people standing in the North.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Safe standing is curently illegal in stadiums

Errr .... no it isn't but agree with the rest of your post.

1. The club have a duty to at least listen to the Safe Standing Campaign presentation.

Why ?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I don't really see what there is to protest about yet. If and when other clubs introduce safe standing and the Albion don't, surely that is the time to protest? You're not going to get that many people actively protesting to get the club to consider the possibility of thinking about talking about trialling safe standing. There needs to be a clear end result in sight for it to work. I think it's too early for protests.

Absolutely this.

And we certainly don't need any POEMS.

 

[sully]

As some folk can't work out the apalling bit of the response, I've chopped it out for you:

In turn, standing areas create the potential for poor behaviour to go undetected and unresolved. As a club that is doing all it can to promote a family event atmosphere within the stadium and on its approaches, this would be a backward step.

Backward step? Backward thinking, more like!

 

[The Large One]

I don't incidentally think we've 'lost our club'. That's not true in the slightest.

It's just that if and when this sort of thing becomes a proposal, then a plan, a trial and then possibly a reality, we know what the club's stance is. Their starting point is pretty disappointing, and would make any future discussions a bit harder than they would be at other clubs - but we're only at the start of this journey.

There is a long way to go yet.

 

[The Large One]

I don't think we've 'lost our club'. That's not true in the slightest.

It's just that if and when this sort of thing becomes a proposal, then a plan, a trial and then possibly a reality, we know what the club's stance is. Their starting point is pretty disappointing, and would make any future discussions a bit harder than they would be at other clubs - but we're only at the start of this journey.

There is a long way to go yet.

 

[SafeStandingRoadshow]

Well, that is a surprise.

That makes Brighton and Hove Albion the first and only club in the land to publicly state that it is against any club even running a trial of safe standing - despite the clear wishes of the majority of the paying public to have this idea explored further and the support of a third of the Championship clubs for this approach ... with more to follow.

Don't give up the fight! Even if your club may be slow to come to the party, you as fans can continue to support the call on the Government to permit safe standing trials elsewhere. When they succeed, as they surely will, perhaps BHA will have a change of heart.

E-mail your MPs here!

 

[sully]

I don't incidentally think we've 'lost our club'. That's not true in the slightest.

It's just that if and when this sort of thing becomes a proposal, then a plan, a trial and then possibly a reality, we know what the club's stance is. Their starting point is pretty disappointing, and would make any future discussions a bit harder than they would be at other clubs - but we're only at the start of this journey.

There is a long way to go yet.

It does suggest somewhat that they are no longer prepared to take on board the wishes of the supporters, though. I think it is in this sense that the statement "lost our club" was made, though it is a bit of an overreaction, I'd agree.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I don't think we've 'lost our club'. That's not true in the slightest.

It's just that if and when this sort of thing becomes a proposal, then a plan, a trial and then possibly a reality, we know what the club's stance is. Their starting point is pretty disappointing, and would make any future discussions a bit harder than they would be at other clubs - but we're only at the start of this journey.

There is a long way to go yet.

Indeed. I also think the timing of this question could have been better, considering the ongoing issue of standing in the North Stand. Ask again in 6 months time and the response may be different.