Clubs pushing to bring standing back to football stadia

[ONEDUNME]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20679867

Thirteen English league clubs support reintroducing standing at football grounds, according to a fans' group.
On Tuesday, the Football Supporters' Federation is hoping to win the backing of MPs for its plans for a small-scale trial at Premier League clubs.
It believes the pilot scheme would show standing - outlawed after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 - is now a safe way to watch football.

English league clubs backing trial

• Aston Villa
• Brentford
• Bristol City
• Burnley
• Cardiff City
• Crystal Palace
• Derby County
• Doncaster Rovers
• Hull City
• Peterborough United
• Plymouth Argyle
• Watford
• AFC Wimbledon

The Premier League have released a statement opposing the idea.
FSF's Peter Daykin said: "We need to find out if it can work and the only way to do that is to trial it."
But a Premier League statement says they will "not be encouraging the Government to change the law".
It reads: "Since the introduction of all-seater stadia the supporter experience has improved significantly and we have seen more diverse crowds attending Premier League matches, including more women and children.
"The police, safety officers and licensing authorities remain clear and have consistently informed us that crowd management has improved as a result of all-seater stadiums being in place in the top two divisions in this country."
All-seater stadiums have been compulsory in the Premier League since 1994, following Lord Justice Taylor's report after the Hillsborough disaster.
But MP Roger Godsiff has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for government approval of a pilot scheme.
The FSF says the idea has the support of Aston Villa and the Scottish Premier League plus 12 Football League clubs, including Peterborough United, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Derby County and Hull City.

 

[ONEDUNME]

Everyone will have their view, based on their age and whether they would prefer to stand or sit.

Last year the Hillsborough Family Support Group opposed any move to bring back standing areas.
HFSG spokesman Margaret Aspinall said then: 'The Hillsborough Family Support Group are totally against any form of standing whatsoever. We are absolutely against it and always will be. Our football clubs should remain all-seater stadiums.

Can anyone explain to me what right these people have to dictate to football fans who want the right to stand and watch matches?

 

[ONEDUNME]

I've never heard of rail seating to be honest but apparently it's used in Germany. Here's a shitty picture of what it looks like to give you some idea

http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/safety-expert-backs-rail-seating-model.php

 

[winrew]

Might be handy at a Villa match , it would be a lot easier to turn away from the pitch ..

 

[traeth]

It showed a clip on the news of how this rail seating worked , showing how they unlocked the seats to make it compliant with Champions League and Europa Cup rules.
I go to watch Welsh League football and I always stand, like I did when I watched Wolves in the 80s.

p.s. at games I go and watch now you could walk around the pitch and have a chat with everyone , have a mug of tea and it would still be the first half

 

[slick]

There's no reason it wouldn't work, it was only bad policing at Hillsborough that caused the disaster, saying that that's not to say it couldn't happen again I suppose and there was many a time as a youngster I thought I was going to cop for it whenever the crowd surged forward and I got pinned against a crush barrier, then the crowd would naturally sway back which was pretty amazing but frightening at the time, especially as I was only knee high to a grasshopper then.

 

[swooperman]

Quite surprised Villa are backing it as the only Prem club.....at the moment, anyway, depends when the trial is
What i mean is, Villa tend to be quite safe, middle of the road type thing, not a pioneer

 

[Punter]

I'd like to see it, one end of the ground only (home end). With 3 other stands there is plenty of seating for the 'more diverse crowds' to still go and enjoy. Other fans like to jump up and down and have a sing song. I just think when we lost standing we lost a fair bit of the atmosphere.

In the past i have stood in the Holte end and then years later sat in it. It went from me having to cover my ears from the noise standing, to like being sat in church seated. I can say the same about Anfield, though i only ever stood close to the old Kop, never in it until seating was introduced.

I've been stood watching Hereford v Cheltenham tonight, (fucking freezing btw and i've only just got my dick back ) but the good thing about standing i was able to move, move from some horrible little gobshite that was doing my head in, i didnt have to sit by the fucker for all the game. I'm in favour of the trial.