The safe standing debate has been going on for quite a while
but very much in the background until recently. I think the break through
moment was when the inquiry into the Hillsborough tragedy was concluded with the verdict that Liverpool supporters were not to blame for the incident
where 96 football fans, like me and probably you, if you are reading this
passed away.
Rightly so, the safe standing debate was put to one side as
the families of those who lost their life were battling to remove blame from
the Liverpool fans in Sheffield that night in 1989. There was an unwritten
agreement that the campaign would only really begin if the families of those 96
Liverpool fans and Liverpool fans in general gave the go ahead.
Last year, the Spirit of Shankly supporters group in
Liverpool surveyed just under approx. 20,000 Liverpool fans with 88% backing
rail seating / safe standing and in a similar poll done by the ArsenalSupporters Trust which reached approx. 15,000 supporters, 96% supported the concept of safe standing.
This was a clear sign that fans wanted safe standing back in
the English game. The families of the 96 Liverpool fans, via the Spirit of
Shankly, visited Celtic who were carrying out a trial for safe standing and some of them were supportive after seeing the facilities in Scotland. Other clubs such as
West Brom and Cardiff have tried to conduct similar things and are working on
appeals, after being initially rejected at government.
Ultimately, the government are in control of the situation
and have the power but in a petition signed by over 100,000 people are now set
to debate / discuss it in parliament on June 25.
Labour, have also recently supported the campaign and the Arsenal Supporters Trust were present in a meeting with the Shadow Sport
Minister, Rosena Alli-Khan, who announced the backing at Loftus Road recently.
The Premier League are also now involved and in a meeting
again where the Arsenal Supporters Trust were present, admitted they have beenasked to review safe standing.
All the signs are that it’s moving in the right direction
and supporters are being urged to contact their MP, if they support the concept
of safe standing with fan groups now contacting their clubs to seek their views
and are beginning to put some pressure on as it’s clear that the majority of
football fans want it.
What would safe
standing mean in my opinion?
Let’s get one thing straight, supporting safe standing doesn’t
mean you have to stand when you go and watch your club play football. A
potential standing section would amount to a small percentage of a ground’s
capacity. At the trial at Celtic, 3,000 seats were replaced by 3,000 people
standing – it was one for one. Long term this may change and Arsene Wenger,
when in charge of Arsenal, spoke highly of safe standing and the potential to
reduce ticket pricing, but we’re a long way away from that.
At the Emirates, even if 5,000 become safe standing, the
rest of the 55,000 would remain as it is (3,000 goes to away fans) so we’re
likely to have more demand than supply which means anyone not part of the
demand, will be unaffected (unless they currently sit in the place where safe
standing comes in – they may need to be moved in that case). I remember at a
football supporters meet up where someone was very passionate about safe
standing because he believed it would improve the atmosphere and be great for
young people but when asked if he would want to stand, he said ‘no, I’m too
old, but just because it won’t direct benefit me, it could benefit others and
benefit the club who in return will get a better match day atmosphere’. That’s
the view, I’m sure, of many supporters who have views on atmosphere, seating,
ticketing but may just not be able to be part of it anymore.
There will be teething problems – safe standing may mean
further and more stricter policing of seated areas and those not lucky enough
to get into the safe standing section, may be forced to sit more than they do
now (it’s pretty common to stand during exciting moments) with persistent
standing to be taken quite seriously. There will be a higher demand for the
standing areas so there would have to be a system in place but if it all
worked, how great would it be to have a section that can go head to head from
an atmosphere side with the away fans?
The atmosphere at the Emirates has always been debated and
while it has improved in my opinion for the big games, it may just need another
injection and safe standing could be that. It may encourage younger people to
get involved more; it may encourage supporters who follow the team away only to
come to home games and we may get a proper singing section to drive the team
forward in games. The old cliché about the 12th man being important
could begin to be a thing at Arsenal again.
I’m all for safe standing, as long as it’s done with no risk
attached and is 100% safe. If there are any doubts, the plug should be pulled
but going all over the country and looking at conditions in the home and away
ends, it’s actually becoming more dangerous to stand in a seated section and
that alone, could end up being more dangerous than having a safe standing
section.
Watch this space….
Up the Arsenal.
