The Sports Ground Safety Authority is looking for fan feedback on safe standing at the five grounds currently taking part in the ‘early adopter’ programme.
So, if you’ve been in any of the safe standing areas – either as a home or away fan – at Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Cardiff City this year, they would like to hear from you.
As a long-time campaigner for safe standing, I’m naturally delighted that we’re finally taking these tentative steps forward. In my own humble opinion, however, what we have at present is a bit of a compromise. It’s not what I’d call ‘proper’ safe standing, like you might have experienced in Europe, at Celtic or even at Shrewsbury.
Because the seats at the early adopter grounds are not secured upright, there is a temptation for fans to stand on them. And that, of course, negates the whole point of the rails and can lead to them falling off and getting hurt.
A standing area with seats secured upright so that there is nothing that you can climb up on is clearly safer (and will in many cases mean that you have more room and that there are no protruding parts for you to bash your shins or calves against!).
Anyway, whatever your views, here’s the survey link. It doesn’t take long to complete.
John Darch
Safe Standing Campaigner.