Safe standing: L1 Shrewsbury Town first in England to apply for rail seats

[Guy Fawkes]

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.

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.

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.

Read the full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40413087

Fingers crossed this could be the start of Safe standing for all the clubs in England (should they wish to install it)

(sorry if posted before, couldn't find anything via a quick search)

 

[Captain Sensible]

More will follow. Shame, the club gave us the chance to be at the forefront of this but supporter apathy towards it means, we will only get safe standing when half the other clubs have it.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

If clubs can get more people in without them losing money it will go ahead over time,if not it won't.

 

[ewe2]

So much hot air ,on this.Every away match with Brighton i have been to, i have had to stand.No one makes anybody sit down.IMO this is much much more dangerous than what is being proposed.

 

[reigate]

If clubs can get more people in without them losing money it will go ahead over time,if not it won't.

I don't think capacity goes up with safe standing?

 

[Wilko]

I don't think capacity goes up with safe standing?

It can do. We were looking at the 1:1 seating but there are possible 1:2 and 1:1.5 systems used in Germany.

 

[El Presidente]

It can do. We were looking at the 1:1 seating but there are possible 1:2 and 1:1.5 systems used in Germany.

I'm pretty sure PB has said it would be 1:1 at the Amex due to safety limits on the number of people than can be on the concourse.

I must confess I'm one who meant to lobby in respect of a return to standing, but was too distracted/disorganised to do so.

The benefits are intangible (potentially better atmosphere, more comfortable, less dangerous than standing in a seated area).

The costs are mainly financial, and it would require a legislative change from a government who are at best indifferent, at worst ignorant of the interests of fans (there wasn't a single reference to football in the Conservative manifesto).

It's unrealistic to expect a reduction in ticket prices given the 1:1 swap of seats for standing places. This doesn't bother me as I regularly attend gigs and choose to stand, paying the same as those who sit, as I prefer throwing some shapes when the likes of Rick Astley or Matt Bianco lay down some pop beat combo sounds.

 

[Wilko]

I'm pretty sure PB has said it would be 1:1 at the Amex due to safety limits on the number of people than can be on the concourse.

I must confess I'm one who meant to lobby in respect of a return to standing, but was too distracted/disorganised to do so.

The benefits are intangible (potentially better atmosphere, more comfortable, less dangerous than standing in a seated area).

The costs are mainly financial, and it would require a legislative change from a government who are at best indifferent, at worst ignorant of the interests of fans (there wasn't a single reference to football in the Conservative manifesto).

It's unrealistic to expect a reduction in ticket prices given the 1:1 swap of seats for standing places. This doesn't bother me as I regularly attend gigs and choose to stand, paying the same as those who sit, as I prefer throwing some shapes when the likes of Rick Astley or Matt Bianco lay down some pop beat combo sounds.

Yes. PB said it would be 1:1 and the seats (that you can fold down) would also have to be a lower quality than the padded ones we have now. I still would be in favour though for atmosphere reasons, north stand would be the obvious choice of course.

 

[Bozza]

Celtic closing their safe standing for two games due to bad behaviour there.

 

[el punal]

It can do. We were looking at the 1:1 seating but there are possible 1:2 and 1:1.5 systems used in Germany.

It's Germany for goodness sakes, they're years ahead on all of this. We still haven't learnt how to take penalties.