Premier League supporters want return to the terraces
by Tom Anstey | 20 Dec 2013
The rail seat system has worked in European countries
Supporters’ groups from more than half of the Premier League’s clubs say they would like the option to be allowed to stand at football matches again, according to a BBC report.
Groups from the league’s top clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle, say it would improve the atmosphere at games and that the adoption of German-style “rail seats” could prevent injury to fans who currently stand.
A rail seat comprises of a rail going across every row in place of a seat which in effect means people cannot fall forward – something that can still happen with the current low-back plastic or wooden seats – and it has proved effective across Europe in countries such as Sweden, Austria and Germany.
The government says that all-seater stadiums remain the best way to ensure fans’ safety, with all-seaters having been made compulsory in both the Premier League and Championship following an inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
The tragedy saw 96 Liverpool fans die in an FA Cup semi-final match after a crush on the steel-fenced terraces at the home of Sheffield Wednesday.
Liverpool’s supporters union has said it have not yet adopted a position on designated standing zones but 12 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs say they do back a trial of standing areas.
Clubs in England and Wales would need Government approval to carry out such trials, but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said in a statement: “We do not believe there has been a compelling case made for the policy to change.”
Laws in Scotland and Northern Ireland are different, however, with Scottish Premier League champions Celtic stating that they are considering a standing area in part of their ground.
Supporters’ groups from more than half of the Premier League’s clubs say they would like the option to be allowed to stand at football matches again, according to a BBC report. Groups from the league’s top clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle, say it would improve the atmosphere at games and that the adoption of German-style “rail seats” could prevent injury to fans who currently stand. A
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