The Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) has today launched an on-line petition on Safe Standing, something dear to the hearts of many fans who’d like the choice to sit or stand in safety as they wish. Every independent survey of supporter opinion shows huge majorities in favour of this choice.
To sign the petition, click here.
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Don Foster currently has a back-bench Private Member’s Bill before the House of Commons which if passed would permit (but NOT require) clubs in the Premier League and Football League Championship to have licensed safe standing areas if they wished. Foster also guided a motion through the Liberal Democrat annual party conference in 2008 in support of safe standing areas.
Foster organised a round table discussion earlier this week involving the Football Licensing Authority, Football Association, Football League, Premier League, the Football Supporters’ Federation and other safety experts. Amongst those attending was Liverpool supporter Anne Eyre, a Hillsborough survivor and an advocate of safe standing. She wrote the foreword to the FSF’s report “The case for safe standing at major football stadia in England & Wales — A 21st century solution”
David Conn of “The Guardian” newspaper has a good blog on Safe Standing today.
The FA and Premier League say that there’s no demand for standing amongst supporters. However, tens of thousands of fans at all-seated grounds vote on this issue with their feet every week, literally. By standing up to watch the game. Unfortunately amongst them are fans who would much rather sit, either due to disability or simple preference. If we were to introduce properly designed and managed safe standing areas then supporters could make an adult choice for themselves.
The experience in Germany where standing is permitted at domestic games is that supporters choose to sit or stand as they prefer by buying tickets in the appropriate part of the ground. The idea is spreading rapidly. New or redeveloped stadia in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and the USA have or are opening with safe standing
areas. Amongst them is Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the current reigning champions of Major League Soccer in the USA & Canada, the Colorado Rapids, which has the first ever purpose-designed “supporters’ terrace” standing area.
UEFA and FIFA haven’t got with the programme yet but even they’re bound to see sense eventually!? Meanwhile you’ve got a chance to have a real influence on this issue. Sign the FSF on-line petition AND take the time to write a letter (rather than an email, it shows you really do care about an issue if you write by snail-mail and invest in a stamp) to:
1) Randy Lerner & Paul Faulkner
2) The Premier League
Richard Scudamore Esq
Chief Executive
Premier League
30 Gloucester Place
London W1U 8PL
3) The Football Association
Alex Horne Esq
General Secretary
The Football Association
Wembley Stadium
PO Box 1966
London SW19 9EQ
Lastly if you live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland you need to write to your MP to ask them to support Don Foster MP’s Private Member’s Bill on safe standing when it comes back to the House of Commons for a second reading in June. You can find your MPs name and contact details by typing your home postcode into the following website: http://www.writetot hem.org
