Fans are asked opinion of safe standing at stadium (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Fans are asked opinion of safe standing at stadium
6:00am Saturday 22nd September 2012 in Sport
SWINDON Town fans are being asked to have their say on the potential provision of a safe-standing area at the County Ground .
The County Ground has been an all-seater stadium since Town were relegated from the Premier League in 1994, with terracing in the old Shrivenham Road Stand and the Stratton Bank replaced by seating to comply with a law introduced that year.
The Safe-Standing campaign run by the Football Supporters Federation is seeking to discover if there is an appetite for the return of safe standing areas, which would require a change in Government legislation if it were to happen.
The survey, run by fans site The Washbag, is focused on whether or not Swindon fans would like a safe-standing area to be planned as part of any future development of the County Ground, if the law was to be changed.
To take part in the survey log on to /thewashbag.com/survey.
Comments(17)
Oi Den!
says...
7:44am Sat 22 Sep 12
ciclosporindorset
says...
8:12am Sat 22 Sep 12
SAPFanSTFC
says...
8:16am Sat 22 Sep 12
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Never be quite the same again but it is as close as we'll get.
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Those in favour 98% - Those against 2%.....there will always be a few opposed.
Swindon1984
says...
8:40am Sat 22 Sep 12
Everyone stood at pompey Tuesday for the whole game with no problems, and that without safe standing facilities. Makes for a much better atmosphere.
Redhouse Red
says...
8:48am Sat 22 Sep 12
I've never quite understood the concept of safe standing.... And such is my desire to have it implemented. I suspect I never will.
Quite happy with seating, thanks
old town robin
says...
8:50am Sat 22 Sep 12
Where ever you go or watch games on the TV, you will see sections of the crowd standing, neither the police or the stewards are able to control that, so it makes sense to me to have a non seated area, A bit like easy-jet, you buy a ticket and stand where you want, numbers would still be controlled by ticket sales, If approved by government legislation. I would assume such changes would be limited to behind the goal areas of the ground it would suit all concerned, (even the police on duty would find it easier to marshall.
I will give the FSS support on this, I would never envisage an area having so many people it would become a health and safety issue. Could probably add a couple of thousand to the capacity, but we'll never again see 32k attendance at the CG.
Davethered
says...
8:57am Sat 22 Sep 12
Last step
says...
10:01am Sat 22 Sep 12
Oi Den!
says...
10:15am Sat 22 Sep 12
old town robin wrote:Good post OTR. I think one of the suggestions under serious consideration is that everyone gets a designated space to stand on, so I imagine you would still get a ticket with a row letter and space number.
Being a pensioner, I prefer to sit, however I would support areas in the ground where those that want to stand can do so without blocking the view of supporters with family that have paid to see a game of football sitting on a seat.
Where ever you go or watch games on the TV, you will see sections of the crowd standing, neither the police or the stewards are able to control that, so it makes sense to me to have a non seated area, A bit like easy-jet, you buy a ticket and stand where you want, numbers would still be controlled by ticket sales, If approved by government legislation. I would assume such changes would be limited to behind the goal areas of the ground it would suit all concerned, (even the police on duty would find it easier to marshall.
I will give the FSS support on this, I would never envisage an area having so many people it would become a health and safety issue. Could probably add a couple of thousand to the capacity, but we'll never again see 32k attendance at the CG.
southside7
says...
10:24am Sat 22 Sep 12
Old-Stager, Hilperton
says...
10:39am Sat 22 Sep 12
Now that the cover-up has been revealed to everyone, which means that the fans were not at fault, then surely standing should be permitted once again in parts of Football Stadiums.
At my age I like to sit down at the County Ground, but when I was young I preferred to stand.
Oi Den!
says...
10:54am Sat 22 Sep 12
southside7 wrote:The surges in a packed Town End in the late 60s were fantastic. Sometimes people would fall down several steps, pick themselves up and laugh - and then as if by magic end up back in exactly the same place standing next to the same people. Those days are definitely over. The songs were better and the volume was higher in those days too. I know that sounds like the musing of an old codger, but it's true.
would prefer a section of old style terracing, but any form of standing will get my full support and will be joining the campaign. standing on shrivvy road, backwards and forwards in the surges...best days of my life.
Oi Den!
says...
10:58am Sat 22 Sep 12
Old-Stager, Hilperton wrote:Agree Old Stager. All seater stadiums were a knee jerk reaction. It was a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but people were afraid to oppose it because it would have appeared insensitive to the people involved in the tragic events at Hillsborough.
I always thought that the Taylor Report that followed the Hillsborough disaster was flawed, and it was this that pointed the way to all-seater stadiums.
Now that the cover-up has been revealed to everyone, which means that the fans were not at fault, then surely standing should be permitted once again in parts of Football Stadiums.
At my age I like to sit down at the County Ground, but when I was young I preferred to stand.
therock4u
says...
12:28pm Sat 22 Sep 12
I used to stand in the town end and could hardly raise your hands to cheer.
Never any problems.
Most seem to stand up there now anyway, so whats the problem.
southside7
says...
12:39pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Oi Den! wrote:I agree, it does seem like it's a case of 'the good old days', but it was just so much better in terms of atmosphere and was much more of a laugh. As soon as someone started singing the 'My only Swindon' chant with the 'la la la la la' at the end and you knew you were about to be hit from behind by a mass of people. And of course the occasional 'let's go f+ckin mental'. Just such good fun.
southside7 wrote:The surges in a packed Town End in the late 60s were fantastic. Sometimes people would fall down several steps, pick themselves up and laugh - and then as if by magic end up back in exactly the same place standing next to the same people. Those days are definitely over. The songs were better and the volume was higher in those days too. I know that sounds like the musing of an old codger, but it's true.
would prefer a section of old style terracing, but any form of standing will get my full support and will be joining the campaign. standing on shrivvy road, backwards and forwards in the surges...best days of my life.
macca.y
says...
1:47pm Mon 24 Sep 12
There are still some grounds that have standing area's, so was it a compulsory law to be all seater...
it was brought in after Hillsborough disaster, where the truth has finally came out on that, so really there was no need for every stadium to become all seater...
i would make stands behind the goals safe standing areas..
Last step says...
7:12am Sat 22 Sep 12
Legislation also needs to be changed regarding putting old style terracing back into grounds. At the moment clubs like Luton can't, despite being non-league, which is idiotic. If a club goes below the Championship, they should be able to take their seats back out.