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Standing at matches


The King

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The Premier League will oppose moves to introduce standing areas at top-flight matches.The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) has launched an online petition calling for the return of standing areas in the top two divisions of English football. Terraces were banned following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, and the Premier League claims that all-seat grounds are safer and better for fans.

Dan Johnson , a Premier League spokesman, said: "Our view is that the benefits of all-seater stadia far outweigh the return of standing areas. They have led to more women and more children attending the games and no matter how safe standing can be made, seating is always safer. We will not be encouraging the government to change the law."

The issue of allowing some standing areas has been revisited a number of times since all-seat stadiums became compulsory in 1994. Kate Hoey tried to back a scheme when she was sports minister in 2001 but the-then government blocked it.

The FSF held a meeting on Monday with representatives from the police, government and football authorities. Malcolm Clarke, the FSF chairman, argued that many fans already stand all match, despite having seats which is viewed as a safety risk.

Clarke told the Guardian: "Fans do believe they have lost something in the move to all-seating. We will be doing further research to respond to the concerns of those who are not yet convinced."

Hugh Robertson, the sports minister, said he would examine the evidence for safe standing area, but played down any likelihood of a change to the law.

Proposals to bring back standing areas at top-flight football grounds in England have been condemned by the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG).

As reported by the Guardian, The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) have launched an online petition calling for the return of standing areas in the top two divisions of English football. The campaign already looks to be foundering, however, with the HFSG and Premier League opposing the move, and the government saying there has been no compelling case to bring back terraces.

Standing at matches in the top two divisions was banned following theHillsborough disaster in 1989, and the HFSG chairman Margaret Aspinall said: "The Hillsborough Family Support Group are totally against any form of standing whatsoever. We are absolutely against it and always will be. Our football clubs should remain all-seater stadiums.

"People always say they have standing areas in Germany, but we don't play any part over what happens in that country – we just believe there's no such thing as safe standing in this country. We will not be encouraging the government to change the law."

The issue of allowing some standing areas has been revisited a number of times since all-seat stadiums became compulsory in 1994. Kate Hoey tried to back a scheme when she was sports minister in 2001 but the then Government blocked it.

The FSF held a meeting on Monday with representatives from the police, government and football authorities. In attendance, the sports minister, Hugh Robertson, said he would examine the evidence for safe standing but played down any likelihood of a change to the law.

Would love to see it brought back personally.

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  • 1 year later...

Now the issue of fans standing at games has been proven to of been not to blame for what happened at Hillsborough, will this debate be open for discussion,

Should it be?

Will the Families weaken their stiff stance against it?

What are the thoughts of people on here?

Top flight stadiums have two main issues IMO,

1, sh*t Atmosphere compared to what it was.

2, tickets are too expensive.

The introduction of safe standing areas with cheaper tickets could address both issues.

Thoughts?

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I think safety is the main barrier but then again at away games. I spend most of the game standing anyway and it's not really that bad. Never feel like I'm about to get thrown down a few rows. But the atmosphere is more hostile. Also the issues with tall people standing obstructing people's view would be a problem.

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This is the thing though, any claims that standing is unsafe could be argued and put forward successfully.

Fans stand regardless, so clubs can either eject and ban everyone, or sensibly implement "safe standing" areas.

All it'll take is one club and the others will follow.

It's a very simple choice, un-safe standing or safe standing areas. What we have now is far more dangerous, than the sections they have in Germany.

Nobody is saying let's go back to the 70's and have a free for all on the turnstiles and 20,000 go into a area for standing designed for 5,000

You set up the area, decide how many fans can be safely housed in the area and you sell tickets accordingly,

Having these areas would also make it easier to be harsher in terms of policing the un-safe standing in other areas of the ground.

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Lol pretty much

Depending on how cuntish the stewards are its quite easy to stand for 90mins, especially in Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Fulham. But the jobsworths at grounds like Anfield and the Etihad, ruins the match, the lane is awful for it as well, every f*ckin minute got that tall plonker "sit down...sit down...etc."

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Lol pretty much

Depending on how cuntish the stewards are its quite easy to stand for 90mins, especially in Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Fulham. But the jobsworths at grounds like Anfield and the Etihad, ruins the match, the lane is awful for it as well, every f*ckin minute got that tall plonker "sit down...sit down...etc."

U get 5 minute exercises loool

f*ck a steward they don't hold much weight in a match

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Away days = racist abuse central though. One game I remember being in the away end against stoke. Hear someone call Faye a black c*nt. I turned round and say what was that. His boy jumps in and is like he didn't mean it he's really sorry. Nearly wrapped the guy right there.

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We re hates at southampton, 3 of their stewards got knocked out a couple yeard back

And at villa after some of our lads killed a steward.

the stewards at rangers are clowns, always try to make you sit down,take down flags etc etc anyone been to a qpr game and had to deal with that big fat dyke of a steward? how shes never been hit i dont know

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