Statement from an Official of LCFC re Fosse Boys

[1964FOX]

The club are potentially liable for any injury that any of their 'customers' get. But that's no different to any other business such as slipping on Asda's floor. As stated before they seek to put an empasis on standing being the route of all evil. If they were truely good at effective health and safety they would not have removed the trays this season for pies as scalds were one of the biggest contributers to recorded injuries last season.

Lots of time and resources to sort out a minor safety problem but removal of a safety measure for a much bigger safety problem. Someone needs a health and safety management course me thinks

[Stand UP...]

again it comes down to this bullshit between periodic and persistent standing - the level of risk is no different, yet the club and the league are trying to suggest that standing for 90 minutes is a greater threat to safety to standing up occasionally but at times when accidents are mostly likely to occur.

well said mate

[Foxes_Trust]

I can confirm a group member has talked to a Radio Leicester reporter today.

The Foxes Trust Chairman has also been interviewed today

We understand coverage of the story will commence soon after 7am on the breakfast show & an interview with someone from the FSF is also planned

[Guest]

the club would be wary of any such incident , it would only have to happen once. I stood at the Rico last year, not a hint of any problems, but would a club be liable for such an incident ? probably.

No. No they wouldn't. If I was acting for the club in such a case, I would be arguing the injured party voluntarily took the risk of standing.

All this talk of standing in seated areas is just a smoke screen. I've seen people knocked out under a crowd surge in a legitimate terrace before now. I have never seen anyone knocked out standing in seated accommodation.

Plus, if it is dangerous to stand in seated areas, then why is it permissible for the same stadia to allow standing when concerts take place in them? Concerts where spectators don't just stand but also dance about? Whilst drinking alcoholic drinks?

Finally, anyone who has mentioned Hillsborough in this thread has obviously never taken the time to read the Taylor Report. Standing was not the cause of the disaster. Taylor LJ makes recommendations in favour of all seater stadia for a number of reasons ranging from the poor conditions of stadia at the time of the report, the lack of control of numbers entering terracing, through to the naive assumption that fans would grow to love and appreciate nice new seated stands and realise that sitting for 90 minutes is more comfortable than standing. Taylor LJ, realising that converting stands or building new ones/grounds etc would take time, made recommendations in support of safe standing areas. He then went on to assert the benefits of crowd control in seated areas cf. terracing. The following quote best sums up the ideals set out in the Report:

"the Technical Working Party recognises that, whilst standing accommodation is not intrinsically unsafe, the benefits to spectator comfort and crowd control brought about by all-seater stadia are likely to accelerate the move towards such venues"

Whilst the Report recommends all seater stadia, it does not say anywhere that spectators must be seated in it. In fact, Taylor LJ recognised that there would be those who wouldn't want to sit, and he says:

"It is possible that in the early stages of conversion there may be instances of fans standing on the seats or in front of them because they are used to standing or in order to register a protest, but I am satisfied that in England and Wales as in Scotland and abroad spectators will become accustomed and educated to sitting."

This does not suggest forcing fans to sit, but eventually fans will sit of their own accord. It does not advocate banning standing in seated areas. It does not say that standing in seated areas is unsafe, which would surely have been part of the argument if there really was a push towards making fans sit.

Having fans sitting is about crowd control, not our safety. One final quote from the report, and the one I believe police forces around the country must have rubbed their hands in glee over when the Report was published:

"...seating has distinct advantages in achieving crowd control. It is possible to have disturbances in a seated area and they have occurred, but with the assistance of CCTV the police can immediately zoom in with a camera and pinpoint the seats occupied by the trouble-makers as well as the trouble-makers themselves. Moreover, if numbered tickets are issued to named purchasers, the police have a further aid to identifying miscreants."

The police sit on Safety Advisory Groups, who issue the licences that allow games to be played, and which come with conditions.

[The Doctor]

What defines an 'incident'? What level of injury would need to be investigated?

I always think bruises on my shins and other aches post match are a good sign - one that I'd been at a proper football match and celebrated a goal in the correct manner. I'm sure a few will agree with me on that.

not sure about bruises and aches but being at a proper match means when you get home you should be nearly unable to speak (hoarse throat).

[Bellend Sebastian]

not sure about bruises and aches but being at a proper match means when you get home you should be nearly unable to speak (hoarse throat).

I'm often rendered speechless after a trip to the Walkers. Sometimes bordering on comatose

[Poakey]

Forgive me if this question has already been asked(as i cant keep up with all this) but why can people stand freely before kickoff and at halftime? What differce does it make if you stand during a game?

I'm livid about all this, no words can discribe how fuming i am.

[Babylon]

I'm livid about all this, no words can discribe how fuming i am.

I think the words "livid" and "fuming" gave us a good idea to be fair.

[Jimmy]

so did anyone listen to the piece on Radio Leicester?