Opinion Piece | We Need To Talk About Safe Standing In English Football

The slogan “Football Without Fans is Nothing” has become ubiquitous in the world of football culture. Football quite simply needs fans. Fans are the lifeblood of a football club and without them in the stadium, the game can seem rather soulless. They create an atmosphere, they leave us with fantastic imagery and they add to the intensity of any game. 

Have you watched a game recently on TV which was played behind closed doors? I absolutely dare anybody who has, to try to tell me that something didn’t feel a little off. 

In order to create the famous atmospheres which clubs and TV companies are only so happy to use in their marketing strategies, fans need to stand. Think of the iconic images that you associate with football fans. You probably have images of fans waving flags, jumping up and down in unison or fervently celebrating a goal together. 

In all of these images, these football fans are standing. These famous images are used by football clubs themselves and the media to sell season tickets, TV subscriptions, newspaper headlines and so on. 

Crystal Palace Ultras the ‘Holmesdale Fanatics’ creating an atmosphere inside Selhurst Park | Photo Credit

So why does England fail to address the topic then? 

In England and Wales, it is a requirement for top-flight clubs to have all-seater stadiums. Additionally, any side who has been in the English Championship for more than three seasons is also subject to this rule. This catalyst for this ruling was the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989, where 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives. I understand why the decision was made back then and I can also fully appreciate why some of the families of those affected by Hillsborough have their reservations about a return to standing in stadiums. 

Since the disturbing events at Hillsborough, it has emerged through reports and studies that the disaster was caused by mismanagement of a moving crowd. That said, any discussion on the matter in Liverpool understandably has the potential to become quite emotive. The general consensus around Liverpool is that any decision regarding a standing area at Anfield would have to first of all be approved by the Hillsborough Family Support Group. I personally agree with this and believe that it would be remiss of the club to make any decision on the matter without the green light from HFSG and other groups. 

The Liverpool situation is unique and whilst Liverpool should make their own decision on the affair, I do not believe that it would be disrespectful from other clubs in the UK to approach the topic of Safe Standing. If you go to any English stadium, you are bound to see groups of supporters standing together in certain sections of the stadium. In many cases, fans will stand for the entire duration of the game. 

At Old Trafford for example, the Stretford End, which houses the more vocal Man United fans, tends to have fans standing for 90 Minutes. At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace’s self-styled ultras group, the ‘Holmesdale Fanatics’ stand together in the corner of the Holmesdale End. Whilst there are isolated incidents of fans being ejected from the stadium for persistent standing, most stadiums in England do have a section where a blind eye is turned to constant standing. 

Somehow however, many English clubs are very quick to shut down the conversation when it comes to ‘Safe Standing’. In my opinion, a huge reason for this is either a lack of knowledge as to what exactly ‘Safe Standing’ is or outright failure to acknowledge that it is in fact safe. It seems that those in charge tend to automatically think of the terraces of yesteryear whenever the topic is brought up. 

A return to the old terrace style is not what is being pitched here however. 

Old-style terracing at the Clock End of Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium | Photo Credit

What people such as John Darch are fighting for is in fact a far cry from the likes of the old Clock End at Highbury Stadium. The old style terraces which were once commonplace across the UK simply would not be fit-for-purpose in the modern day. What is being proposed however, is an alternative which would be just as effective as the old style but with no risk. See the below example of a ‘Safe Standing’ section. Such sections are also referred to as ‘Rail Seating’ areas.

An example of Rail Seating in Hannover, Germany | Photo Credit

Any claim that such a section would be unsafe is quite frankly ludicrous.

A rail in front and behind, prevents fans from falling either forward or backwards into another row. Additionally, each fan still has their own ‘seat’ / area to stand in. As you can see in the photo, there is ample room for each supporter. Assigning each fan their own area also serves to prevent overcrowding in any one particular row which was most definitely a problem on the old-style terrace. 

How could anybody look at this photograph and suggest that such a section could be unsafe? May I even be as bold to say that such a section would in fact be safer than the current set up in England? 

We have already established that football fans want to and will stand at football games. Can you honestly argue that standing in front of your seat, where the only protection between you and the row in front of you is the back of a seat, which barely covers your shin, is safer than ‘Rail Seating’?

I have lost count of the number of times that I have been in an English stadium and have fallen a few rows forward, whilst celebrating a goal. Those who argue that a return to standing would be unsafe, need to wake up and realise that it is in fact the current set up which is unsafe. 

If England needs a relevant case study as to how to implement Safe Standing, they don’t have to look too far. The Rail Seating section at Celtic Park has been a huge success since its introduction in 2016 and can serve as a blueprint for clubs in the English Premier League and Championship.

The Safe Standing section of Celtic Park is home to Celtic Ultras the ‘Green Brigade’ | Photo Credit

Let me make another thing clear: I am not proposing that stadiums become 100% standing. There will be plenty of supporters who do not wish to stand and that is perfectly reasonable. What is unreasonable however, is to fail to provide those who wish to stand with a safe environment in which they can do so.

Let those who wish to sit, sit and let those who wish to stand, do so safely in a dedicated area of the stadium.

There are some positive signs however. Earlier in the season, I attended a game at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The area behind the goal, where I had my ticket, appears to be designed with a switch to Safe Standing in mind. Jon Darch, Safe Standing advocate, believes that there could be Safe Standing sections in some Premier League stadiums as soon as the 2021-22 season. 

The evidence is there. It’s now over to those in charge to wake up.