The Premier League has confirmed that it has written to all 20 clubs in the league to query them on the prospect of introducing safe standing. Last year Celtic introduced a safe standing section at Celtic Park which divided opinion amongst their fans. A year on and the majority have rave reviews about their new safe standing section claiming that it is very spacious and a million miles away from the dangerous terraces of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
The most common form of safe standing is the rail seating that Celtic have, the seats are locked into and upright position to allow space for standing but they can also be unlocked to allow seating, which is crucial as all UEFA matches have to be all-seater. For Liverpool fans, the prospect of safe standing is a touchy subject with both arguments for and against.
Against
Standing at stadiums was ended following the tragic Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives. And it is the belief amongst many that the old fashioned standing and fencing were a key cause of this disaster and many view reintroducing safe standing as a step backwards, especially the Hillsborough Family Support Group who are firmly against any form of standing in stadiums- especially at Anfield.
Despite Hillsborough being an obvious point against, there are also other reasons why safe standing may not be the right move for the Premier League teams. You only have to look at videos of the old Kop to see just how dangerous standing in stadiums is: thousands of people shoulder on shoulder swaying recklessly from side to side. It is something that would be ripped apart nowadays by health and safety authorities and doesn’t matter how safe you make the standing, the potential for danger is always going to be there.
Standing also appears an unfair move for younger supporters as depending on the location of the safe standing area, youngsters may not be able to see and that ruins the whole matchday experience and in a time when people are worried about the lack of interest that kids have in supporting their sides this could be a move that has potentially negative effects on the future fanbase.
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For
Over the last few years, it has become incredibly apparent that the atmosphere in the Premier League’s top stadiums has been fading. Some blame the increase in ticket prices and others the increase of tourism, however, there is an argument that introducing safe standing could be the boost that clubs need to improve their atmosphere.
The biggest example for this is at Anfield: When the majority of the Kop are sat down songs hardly ever spread around the stadium and Anfield appears a quiet place. However, when the Kop is stood up (mainly in important games) it is in full voice and the atmosphere is unbeatable at times. Safe standing is a common feature in many foreign countries and the effects of this on the atmosphere is most prominent in Germany.
It does not matter which stadium you go to – you are always bound for a good atmosphere and loud cheering fans which is what appears to be missing in the Premier League with most clubs now singing a traditional anthem at the beginning of the game and cheering whenever a goal goes in.
Apart from the atmosphere difference safe standing can make, there is also a case for the fact that the standing areas are called safe for a reason. In this day and age, it would be merely impossible for clubs to put fans at that big of a risk so the standing must be safe otherwise it would not currently be a discussion taking place in the Premier League.
Most recently, League One side Shrewsbury have applied to have safe-standing at their ground. There is an all-seater stadiums legislation that allows clubs from League One and below have standing areas within their stadiums, but should they be promoted, the standing would have to be removed as all Championship and Premier League stadiums must be all-seater stadiums.
The survey proposed to the clubs is just the beginning of what is expected to be a long investigation into whether safe standing is viable in England and whether it would be a popular move amongst clubs and fans meaning that any introduction of the safe standing is a long way off. One thing that is for certain is that it will definitely divide opinion but even if it does get approved it would not be something that all clubs would have to instil, but rather and option.
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