Sitting Room Only

[bright1064]

Is standing up in a seated area now and again a taboo thing to do?

I've heard people saying that it's getting worse in all grounds now, in terms of rules in seated areas.

Obviously if you are standing for long periods of the game then thats not right. But if you get up to cheer or shout and get bollocked by a steward, that's PC gone mad right

After all this is football, a game of passion! I just hope we don't lose, or aren't allowed to use that passion for the clubs we love.

Thoughts pls...

 

[Marc]

well it is stated quite clearly in the rules that standing is not permitted, yes we all do it and dont like to sit down but we simply have to when asked too. I'm amazed the FA hav'nt dished out as many fines to clubs than they have for this mainly due to all the H&S law crap, even though its safer to stand in a seated area than stand in a standing area and get crushed when your team scores!

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

"After all this is football, a game of passion!"

Umm, no, not at Withdean.

 

[steward 433]

Is standing up in a seated area now and again a taboo thing to do?

I've heard people saying that it's getting worse in all grounds now, in terms of rules in seated areas.

Obviously if you are standing for long periods of the game then thats not right. But if you get up to cheer or shout and get bollocked by a steward, that's PC gone mad right

After all this is football, a game of passion! I just hope we don't lose, or aren't allowed to use that passion for the clubs we love.

Thoughts pls...

i agree we give the supporters 5 minutes to sit back down after we score if you dont then we ask you to.

p.s. Brighton have already been warned if the standing carries on we will be fined and that is something we really cant afford

 

[bright1064]

i agree we give the supporters 5 minutes to sit back down after we score if you dont then we ask you to.

p.s. Brighton have already been warned if the standing carries on we will be fined and that is something we really cant afford

I think the 5 minute rule is fair enough, and I think the majority of us will sit down within a minute of the goal being scored.

Thanks for your reply

 

[steward 433]

I think the 5 minute rule is fair enough, and I think the majority of us will sit down within a minute of the goal being scored.

Thanks for your reply

yeah no worries most of you guys are brilliant but there has been extensive problems in H&J blocks this year that the F.A. have picked up on. I am a fan as much as all of you and i just dont want to see the club lose money we cant afford to lose.
We give u guys the chance but a few just take the piss.

 

[Kukev31]

I would be extremely surprised if the FLA do anything (it's not up to the FA). It is just propaganda by them to try and get people to sit. There are grounds up and down the country where supporters stand far more regularly than at Withdean, and no fines have ever been handed out.

 

[steward 433]

I would be extremely surprised if the FLA do anything (it's not up to the FA). It is just propaganda by them to try and get people to sit. There are grounds up and down the country where supporters stand far more regularly than at Withdean, and no fines have ever been handed out.

Section J
ground regulation 10 (F.A.) nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. persistent standing in seating areas whilst play is in progress is strictly forbidden and will result in ejection and possibly banning from the ground.
10.1 clubs may be fined if sutable measures are not taken by the ground safety staff to reseat the players (oldham £10,000 april 07)

 

[Kukev31]

Fair play if Oldham have been fined, but I can't find any reference to this anywhere.

 

[steward 433]

Fair play if Oldham have been fined, but I can't find any reference to this anywhere.

dont know if it was ever made public ? but we were informed about it during this seasons training

 

[Gully]

Wasn't a threat made against Man Utd last season that part of their ground would be shut down, on the order of the local council, due to persistant standing by supporters.

 

[steward 433]

Wasn't a threat made against Man Utd last season that part of their ground would be shut down, on the order of the local council, due to persistant standing by supporters.

local council complained about it and yes man utd were threatened with a fine and possibly closed stadium matches (wasnt west ham playing behind closed doors for a while)

 

[Kukev31]

Wasn't a threat made against Man Utd last season that part of their ground would be shut down, on the order of the local council, due to persistant standing by supporters.

I don't know about last season, but apparently around 4/5 seasons ago this happened. The Council and the FLA backed down, because it was unlikely that there argument would hold up in court, if United had of taken it that far.

I'm not sure whether I believe the bit about Oldham to be 100% true, whether you were told about it or not. But there are many clubs across the country where fans stand consistently every week, without as much hassle. Notably, Tottenham, Swindon, United, Villa, Man City, Newcastle, Portsmouth, West Ham, Blackpool Hull, Palace, Millwall, Southampton, Leeds and Lincoln to name but a few.

 

[Stand Up Sit Down]

I'm 99.9% certain that nobody has the juristiction to fine a club whose supporters do not adhere to the ground regulations that say supporters must be seated - although the Football Licensing Authority do concede that supporters will stand "at moments of high excitement".

Stand Up Sit Down and the Football Supporters Federation have correspondened with the DCMS, the FLA, the Premier and Football League, clubs, police, safety officers and local authorities for approaching five years. Not once has it been brought to our attention that clubs are liable for financial penalties if their supporters stand.

And as a West Ham fan I can confirm that the idea we have played behind closed doors due the standing issue - or any other in recent memory - is also a fabrication.

Finally, while local authorities can and do insist the numbers of away fans is reduced due to their standing, the threat of partial ground closure is one that is frequently used but never carried out. Those wishing to close any part of a ground due to persistent standing would first have to prove that the danger of standing was in proportion to closing any part of the ground and do so in Court. The fact that there is a minimal chance of proving this could be why this oft used threat has never been carried out...