Safe Standing

[spangley1812]

FROM the BEEB

League One side Shrewsbury Town have become the first English club to apply to have safe standing at their ground.

The club aims to have the rail seats fitted and in use, in a section of one stand, before the end of 2017-18.

Shrewsbury's Greenhous Meadow is 10 years old so is not governed by the all-seater stadiums legislation which permits clubs in Leagues One and Two to keep terraces that existed before 1994.

Standing has been banned in England's top two divisions since then.

That law change followed recommendations made in the Taylor Report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.

Last November, Hillsborough Support Group secretary Sue Roberts told BBC Sport it would be a "backwards step" to bring back standing.

Earlier this month, West Bromwich Albion said they were willing to use The Hawthorns as part of the pilot scheme for safe standing - though a change in the law would be needed before that could come to fruition.

Celtic opened a 2,900-capacity safe-standing section last year after the Scottish champions were granted a safe-standing licence by Glasgow City Council.

Brian Caldwell, Shrewsbury Town's chief executive, says the move at Celtic has improved the atmosphere and he expects the same for his club.

"More people are encouraged to sing and get behind the team but also it's a safer environment as well," he told BBC Sport.

"Our safety officer has been up to Celtic to see it in action and was very, very pleased with how safe and secure it was."

The club, which finished 20th in League One in the 2016/17 season, hopes to raise the £50-75,000 required to finance the project through a crowdfunding campaign.

The campaign will be run jointly by the Shrewsbury Town Supporters' Parliament, who first approached the club with the proposal, and the Football Supporters' Federation.

They will invite donations from fans and the public in return for 'rewards' from the club.

Mike Davis, from the Supporters' Parliament, says it will help Shrewsbury Town compete with other sides in League One.

"The issue we tend to have is when we come up against the big clubs - the Sheffield Uniteds, the Boltons - who bring huge away crowds, we get drowned out a little bit," he said.

"So the hope is that bringing our vocal support behind the stand will improve that.

"Some of our fans already stand but they want an area where they can do that safely and also we want to be able to improve the atmosphere within the ground."

The application has been put to the Sports Ground Safety Authority and Shrewsbury say they hope to find out the outcome in a matter of weeks, rather than months.

The club's initial aim is to raise sufficient funds to purchase and install around 400 rail seats but if the target is missed, a smaller safe standing area will be created.

[Ad@m]

Earlier this month, West Bromwich Albion said they were willing to use The Hawthorns as part of the pilot scheme for safe standing - though a change in the law would be needed before that could come to fruition.

We've been at the forefront of bringing back safe standing for years but which tinpot shadow-dwelling club do the Beeb reference in their article about it?!

[dave.woodhall]

Earlier this month, West Bromwich Albion said they were willing to use The Hawthorns as part of the pilot scheme for safe standing - though a change in the law would be needed before that could come to fruition.

We've been at the forefront of bringing back safe standing for years but which tinpot shadow-dwelling club do the Beeb reference in their article about it?!

The one that's just discovered it, therefore it's news. Let them do it first; I'd rather someone else finds all the problems and we come along with a better version than theirs. See also, season cards.   

[cdbearsfan]

In fairness I think they've given us a fair bit of coverage regarding Safe Standing before.

[Tugby Villain]

Fantastic news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40767568

[PeterWithesShin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43701400

West Brom have had a proposal to introduce safe standing at The Hawthorns rejected by the government.

The pilot scheme would have meant 3,600 seats in the Smethwick End were converted to 'rail seats', which can be locked in an upright position.

West Brom - who are bottom of the Premier League - hoped to install them in time for next season.

Sports minister Tracey Crouch says there are no plans to change the all-seater policy at football stadiums.

[Des Little]

How can you trial something when there's no one there to test it?

[LeeS]

How can you trial something when there's no one there to test it?

It would be very safe standing

[Toronto Villa]

How can you trial something when there's no one there to test it?

They couldn’t find an empty stadium for the test so they’re planning it at the Sty next on a matchday. It will be perfectly safe.

Seriously though this is good step forward. To see the bottom Holte and maybe even bottom of the North with safe standing makes for a very good atmosphere. Let’s hope it happens.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Govt say it ain't happening

[Tugby Villain]

Disgrace

[Des Little]

I’m sure they have their reasons, but I think it’s a rather blinkered decision personally.

[wittonwarrior]

 Just shows how out of touch anyone in authority dealing with football really are.

Go to any big Villa game at VP or any away and you will find the Holte End /away section standing from the 1st through to the 90th minute.  This standing  is certainly more of a H & S concern that what safe standing proposals offer.

If the people making decisions understood football and the attendances then they would surely have come to a different conculsion.

[AV82EC]

Think there’s a petition on the govt website to get this debated and hold the govt to account.

[purpletrousers]

Think there’s a petition on the govt website to get this debated and hold the govt to account.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/207040