Safe standing - time to act

[BenTheFox]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

The game has moved on from the dark days and there is no room for so-called "safe standing areas" in the modern era.

 

If you want to stand go to a 17th tier game and enjoy yourself.

Yeah... apart from in countries where they have Standing sections. 

[yorkie1999]

1 minute ago, BenTheFox said:

Yeah... apart from in countries where they have Standing sections. 

Actually, i think it's this country that's stuck in the dark ages. It seems everything is out of date or falling apart. 

[Corky]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

The game has moved on from the dark days and there is no room for so-called "safe standing areas" in the modern era.

 

If you want to stand go to a 17th tier game and enjoy yourself.

So there's no room for standing in the modern era but go somewhere else and you'll find a place to stand?

 

Yes, football has moved on from the dark days. This isn't a return to that time. It is about giving people choice about how they view their football without being told ludicrous things such as "Persistent standing is not allowed and could result in ejection from the ground". Standing up is an offence- How is that even possible?

 

What about the people under 30 who weren't part of the dark days, have no inclination to do anything remotely similar but are denied the opportunity to watch football in a different way through no fault of their own? I've been able to watch my team from terraces (and amazingly I didn't turn into a hooligan either) but only because my club was relegated. If we'd not been relegated we probably wouldn't know what standing at football is like and that isn't right.

[David Hankey]

4 minutes ago, Corky said:

So there's no room for standing in the modern era but go somewhere else and you'll find a place to stand?

 

Yes, football has moved on from the dark days. This isn't a return to that time. It is about giving people choice about how they view their football without being told ludicrous things such as "Persistent standing is not allowed and could result in ejection from the ground". Standing up is an offence- How is that even possible?

 

What about the people under 30 who weren't part of the dark days, have no inclination to do anything remotely similar but are denied the opportunity to watch football in a different way through no fault of their own? I've been able to watch my team from terraces (and amazingly I didn't turn into a hooligan either) but only because my club was relegated. If we'd not been relegated we probably wouldn't know what standing at football is like and that isn't right.

Accept the fact that this is life in the Premiership and Championship. Yes, I used to stand on the 'Popular Side' at Filbert Street because that's the way it was. I don't remember folk shouting that seats should be installed. Berate the hooligans whose antics brought about the change in stadium designs and all seating environments.

[steveherbe]

5 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

Accept the fact that this is life in the Premiership and Championship. Yes, I used to stand on the 'Popular Side' at Filbert Street because that's the way it was. I don't remember folk shouting that seats should be installed. Berate the hooligans whose antics brought about the change in stadium designs and all seating environments.

I think I may have found Cheeses dinosaur.

In my opinion of course, to which I am apparently entitled

Edited 9 April 2018 by steveherbe

[FraserSorensen]

I have just sent the below email to Tracey Crouch, Secretary of State for Sport, and I would urge everyone who is in support of safe standing to send the same email with your contact information, so that she can see that simply rejecting this proposal without any discussion is ignoring the problem. Please send all emails to [email protected].

 

'

Hi Tracey,

 

I have recently been reading about the governments response to West Bromwich Albion's rejected proposal to introduce safe-standing at the Hawthorns. I have read your comments regarding the governments position that there are no plans to change the all seater policy at football stadiums.

 

It is inherently clear that persistent standing is still common throughout the football league, with many sections of supporters choosing to stand throughout the game. In England and Wales, standing is permitted at rugby union and league venues, as well as at speedway and horse-racing. It is also permitted at football grounds outside the Premier League and Football League Championship. Can you please explain why it deemed safe to stand in safe standing fixtures to be installed at Shrewsbury town, but not at West Bromwich Albion?

 

A recent statment from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport stated that 'before any change in the legislation, there would have to be a very clear demand, as well as very clear evidence that any such change meets stringent safety standards, presented from all the relevant authorities responsible for stadium safety, including the police, as well as it being clear that this is something that all parties want'.

 

Polls of football supporters repeatedly show a clear majority favouring the choice to stand, with an average of around 80% supporting the introduction of standing areas in the top divisions (source: Stand Up Sit Down - A Choice to Watch Football by Peter Caton (published 2012) (ISBN 978-1-780788-177-5) (Chapter 15)). Similarly, 92% of over 2,000 respondants voted that fans should be given the choice to stand in safe standing areas (source: The Football Fans Census (January 2009)). The most recent conclusive and thorough survey from 2015 shows that 96% of football fans in the UK backed a safe standing pilot to trial modern stadium technology. It is clear that 'clear demand' is not an issue.

 

Safe standing has been in place across Europe and even as close as Scotland (Celtic) for several years now, providing very clear evidence that safe standing meets stringent safety standards, however, it appears as though the mindset of the government is to simply turn a blind eye and point to legislation put in place over 25 years ago based on a tragic event which had more to do with overcrowding than standing.

 

Clearly this is an emotive issue, but it is clear that demand is higher than ever, and simply rejecting a proposal without discussion is something which disappoints a lot of people. I would like to be contacted further to discuss this issue so that I can better understand the governments rejection of a reasonable proposal which is purely designed to increase the safety of a section of supporters who will already be standing for the duration of a football match.

 

Please contact me on BLANK or BLANK to discuss this further.

 

I look forward to your response.

 

Kind regards,
Fraser

Edited 9 April 2018 by FraserSorensen

[steveherbe]

Brilliant letter @FraserSorensen, you may however want to correct the typo before too many use it, last paragraph, 'disappoints AT lot of people'.  Other than that, excellent work, I'll be using the corrected version later

 

Oh, and its 'I look forward', no 's':on the end. 

Edited 9 April 2018 by steveherbe

[purpleronnie]

7 hours ago, st albans fox said:

West Brom’s application has been rejected by the government who apparently have no plans to change the law 

Shock horror.  This has been the standard response for a decade or more.  It won't change anytime soon no matter which party is in power.

 

There will be a day (not far off) where every major league in world football will have safe standing areas.....and we''ll still not have them.

 

 

Edited 9 April 2018 by purpleronnie

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 hours ago, David Hankey said:

The game has moved on from the dark days and there is no room for so-called "safe standing areas" in the modern era.

 

If you want to stand go to a 17th tier game and enjoy yourself.

Edit; Dammit beaten to it by the old man

Edited 9 April 2018 by Sol thewall Bamba

[FraserSorensen]

1 hour ago, steveherbe said:

Brilliant letter @FraserSorensen, you may however want to correct the typo before too many use it, last paragraph, 'disappoints AT lot of people'.  Other than that, excellent work, I'll be using the corrected version later

 

Oh, and its 'I look forward', no 's':on the end. 

Cheers - fixed! 

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, David Hankey said:

The game has moved on from the dark days and there is no room for so-called "safe standing areas" in the modern era.

If you want to stand go to a 17th tier game and enjoy yourself.

Or you could watch rugby, cricket, horse racing, motor racing, speedway, athletics, hockey...

[ealingfox]

As someone on Twitter pointed out Shrewsbury and West Brom may well be playing in the same league next season - they've both applied to get safe standing. Shrewsbury will have it and be allowed it, and West Brom won't

 

Joke.

[Daggers]

2 hours ago, FraserSorensen said:

 

Please contact me on BLANK or BLANK to discuss this further.

 

IMO, it was better when Terry Wogan was alive. Even Larry Grayson was better than this.

[yorkie1999]

Needs a fans boycott, nationwide and at every football ground on the same day. The government would soon have a re-think.

[steveherbe]

Cmon chaps, get sending the email to Tracey Crouch, @FraserSorensenhas done all the hard work for us, lets back him up. I've sent mine, expecting the Riot Squad here any minute to arrest me.

[Mr Weller]

Most people are happy with all seater standouts but a few (mostly) young men want football to go back to a time when it was wholly the preserve of white, manual working class young men.

 

Football is now a family game and women and children are as welcome as anyone else. The big money is with this new audience and owners are not going to endanger that.

 

Really, let's all move on...

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 minutes ago, Mr Weller said:

Most people are happy with all seater standouts but a few (mostly) young men want football to go back to a time when it was wholly the preserve of white, manual working class young men.

 

Football is now a family game and women and children are as welcome as anyone else. The big money is with this new audience and owners are not going to endanger that.

 

Really, let's all move on...

Nice WUMing 

[steveherbe]

Young men only? I think not, I'm 60+ and I want safe standing. Another myth from the sitters blown to bits.

[acb]

Lets be about right, safe standing is crap. Back in the day standing was fun, when there were the surges and the bounce akin to the mosh pits at concerts now. Safe standing wont achieve this so in my opinion a waste of time and money. 

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, acb said:

Lets be about right, safe standing is crap. Back in the day standing was fun, when there were the surges and the bounce akin to the mosh pits at concerts now. Safe standing wont achieve this so in my opinion a waste of time and money. 

Anything's got to be better than the status quo. Love a good, proper terrace myself too but rail seating is the best we can realistically hope for here.

[steveherbe]

20 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Anything's got to be better than the status quo. Love a good, proper terrace myself too but rail seating is the best we can realistically hope for here.

There's nothing better than Status Quo. Certainly not Adele!

[Costock_Fox]

21 hours ago, David Hankey said:

The game has moved on from the dark days and there is no room for so-called "safe standing areas" in the modern era.

 

If you want to stand go to a 17th tier game and enjoy yourself.

Mr Hankey talking actual shit? Well I never.

[Ted Maul]

The government obviously rejected the proposal- MPs are so out of touch with the public these days it's untrue.

 

It's gaining momentum and publicity though- surely only a matter of time now.

[Ian Nacho]

The government don't have a bloody clue. I would say especially at away matches 90% of people stand up... 

[orangecity23]

Would be great if the Government or anyone against safe standing could explain what the difference between the current setup below

and this

is which makes the second one sooooo much more dangerous despite the fact it is exactly the same thing with a slightly taller seat rail there to stop people falling over.

 

Eagle eyed viewers may realise that the second picture also looks **** all like this

 

Because some of the other features of the past which made "standing" dangerous are missing from the present day, such as

• Giant fence at the front to trap people
• Unreserved standing, stand where you feel like
• Tickets sold on gate with no idea how many people are already inside and where they are
• Insufficient amounts of entrances or emergency exits
• Weak rails 10s of feet apart the only protection from crushes
• Far too many tickets sold for the amount of space available