Safe Standing at Spurs again
Interesting news in Scotland for football fans and for Tottenham Hotspur with constant redesigns of the stadium. Could we see safe standing at Spurs? Could we return to the days where football was for the fans? Football's coming home, it needs to and standing room only needs to be a part of that.
Back in the day we all used to stand at football matches, then we had the Hillsborough disaster and my deepest respects to all who lost loved ones and friends on that fateful date. Now everyone has to sit down and to be honest most of us don't like it. Football is a passionate game, football is a game you get involved in, you want to be involved in, yes you see better certainly, but at the cost of the atmosphere, the singing.
Many fans want a designated standing area in grounds so the news from Scotland that Celtic are set to install rail seats into their ground is welcome news. The local Safety Advisory Group have approved Celtic’s request to introduce a safe standing area.
The standing area will accommodate 2,600 and could be in place for the 2016/17 season. Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell was delighted as reported by FSF.
Many Spurs fans has argued for a safe standing end in the new stadium, an end that will provide the atmosphere that has been lost in today's over protective world. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, who I don't always align myself to, are going to ensure this is brought to the attention of the club and no doubt discuss the feasibility of it with the m.
I'm sure as it would bring more people into the ground that Tottenham would be very interested in accommodating such an area. We used to turn up at the ground and 'pay on the door' so a standing area gives the possibility of season ticket holders having their seats and selling standing only tickets via some other means beforehand.
Selling them on the day could create problems if too many people turned up for the area but if the area is large enough then the capacity of the stadium could be significantly increased, giving a 'traditional football experience'.
There I even have the marketing angle sorted out!
I for one believe there should be a standing area, I believe it should be the whole of one end and that tickets should be cheaper for that area. Football then comes back to the fans and we stop being priced out of games. There are problems of course there are but there were thousands of matches without incident and properly managed there shouldn't be a safety problem.
Legislation would need to be changed but it is absurd that rail standing is not allowed at football but is at rugby. Surly that sets a precedent and the law could be challenged anyway. Bristol City installed a demonstration block at Ashton Gate back in February and the Welsh Conservatives back safe standing areas. It has seats and a rail, presumably to get round safety laws but quite frankly we are being over protected, seats are not needed, just the rail.
I appreciate that may be an emotive issue, but the problem at Hillsborough was not the rails it was the Police and their handling of a particular situation, a situation that would rarely, if ever, arise if tickets were pre-sold.
There is some support but it all needs to be brought together to create a loud and consistent voice for change. Each organisation trying to do their own thing would take longer, whereas a coordinated approach can create not just a loud noise but a noise that goes on and on and grows. We are one of the clubs who have surveyed our supporters but how to take the argument forward in a united way has not yet been addressed.
It isn't for everyone but we shouldn't be deprived of the option.
Back in the day we all used to stand at football matches, then we had the Hillsborough disaster and my deepest respects to all who lost loved ones and friends on that fateful date. Now everyone has to sit down and to be honest most of us don't like it. Football is a passionate game, football is a game you get involved in, you want to be involved in, yes you see better certainly, but at the cost of the atmosphere, the singing.
Many fans want a designated standing area in grounds so the news from Scotland that Celtic are set to install rail seats into their ground is welcome news. The local Safety Advisory Group have approved Celtic’s request to introduce a safe standing area.
The standing area will accommodate 2,600 and could be in place for the 2016/17 season. Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell was delighted as reported by FSF.
“Celtic has worked tirelessly on this issue and we are delighted that this permission has finally been granted.
“The introduction of rail seating at Celtic Park represents an investment in spectator safety. Across football globally, the reality is that some supporters are choosing to stand at matches.
"This is something we must accept and manage and also understand the positive effect which these areas have on atmosphere at matches”
Many Spurs fans has argued for a safe standing end in the new stadium, an end that will provide the atmosphere that has been lost in today's over protective world. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, who I don't always align myself to, are going to ensure this is brought to the attention of the club and no doubt discuss the feasibility of it with the m.
I'm sure as it would bring more people into the ground that Tottenham would be very interested in accommodating such an area. We used to turn up at the ground and 'pay on the door' so a standing area gives the possibility of season ticket holders having their seats and selling standing only tickets via some other means beforehand.
Selling them on the day could create problems if too many people turned up for the area but if the area is large enough then the capacity of the stadium could be significantly increased, giving a 'traditional football experience'.
There I even have the marketing angle sorted out!
I for one believe there should be a standing area, I believe it should be the whole of one end and that tickets should be cheaper for that area. Football then comes back to the fans and we stop being priced out of games. There are problems of course there are but there were thousands of matches without incident and properly managed there shouldn't be a safety problem.
Legislation would need to be changed but it is absurd that rail standing is not allowed at football but is at rugby. Surly that sets a precedent and the law could be challenged anyway. Bristol City installed a demonstration block at Ashton Gate back in February and the Welsh Conservatives back safe standing areas. It has seats and a rail, presumably to get round safety laws but quite frankly we are being over protected, seats are not needed, just the rail.
I appreciate that may be an emotive issue, but the problem at Hillsborough was not the rails it was the Police and their handling of a particular situation, a situation that would rarely, if ever, arise if tickets were pre-sold.
There is some support but it all needs to be brought together to create a loud and consistent voice for change. Each organisation trying to do their own thing would take longer, whereas a coordinated approach can create not just a loud noise but a noise that goes on and on and grows. We are one of the clubs who have surveyed our supporters but how to take the argument forward in a united way has not yet been addressed.
It isn't for everyone but we shouldn't be deprived of the option.
Post a Comment