Is Standing to be reintroduced to the Premier League?

I had a look and search for an original topic about standing being introduced, and failed. If any one can find a designated topic please feel free to post the link.

So, it looks like standing will be introduced after a number of EPL clubs have indicated that they are willing to "trial" the concept.

I do not know how they will trial it as it may have major cost implications.

Removal of seats, installation of new seating/barriers.

The new builds will need H&S assessment for the increased crowd control. etc.

Aston Villa are the latest Club to say that they are willing to introduce standing.

Aston Villa keen to trial standing area at Villa Park

Aston Villa have told the BBC that almost half the clubs in the Premier League are interested in reintroducing standing at their stadiums.

Villa have offered to conduct a trial of 'rail-seats' at Villa Park.

Their football operations manager Lee Preece said: "We'd be interested in a trial at Villa Park if that would help.

"We've identified areas we could use for a small-scale trial so the rest of football could see if it works within a Premier League environment."

He added: "There's at least seven or eight clubs that have come forward to say they are also interested in furthering the debate."

Preece was speaking at Ashton Gate where League One Bristol City plan to become the first club in the United Kingdom to install rail seats, which have been pioneered in the German Bundesliga.

The seats can either be unlocked or locked to create a standing or seated area inside a stadium.

Regulations currently prohibit their use in English football, so they will initially be used for rugby games at Ashton Gate.
"The desire to further the debate is moving quickly," said Preece.

"But we're keen to support the Football Supporters' Federation and advance the debate so we can get to the point where we can decide if we're going to do this or not.

"The supporters will see the benefits of their own matchday experience in terms of atmosphere.

"For us as a club, perhaps the biggest advantage is around the issue of fans standing in areas that are licensed for seating only. "

The Football League has agreed to lobby the Government in a bid to permit "safe standing" areas in the game.

All-seater stadiums have been compulsory in the Premier League and Championship since an inquiry into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.

The disaster occurred when 96 supporters died after being crushed within Sheffield Wednesday's stadium during their FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James in the tragedy and is the chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, called the timing of the trial "insensitive" and claimed the idea was a backward step for English football.

The group is currently preparing for new inquests into the tragedy to start and Aspinall said they would be writing to every league club to urge them to reject any plans to introduce safe standing areas.

"I find it very insensitive at this moment in time because obviously the most important thing for the families is these inquests," Aspinall told BBC Sport.

"We've got the 25th anniversary coming up, now we feel as if this is like another battle. We feel as if 'why bring it up at this time when we've not had any accountability whatsoever for the 96 deaths'.

"I just wish them 96 could have been at an all-seater stadium. It cost them their lives for us to try and make it safe for everybody else, so please try and understand our position. We are not opposing. We are not against you. All we want is your safety."

Standing is allowed in Leagues One and Two, but Championship grounds must be all-seater at clubs that have played in the second tier for at least three seasons.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26158044

As stated in the article the timing of this is poor, with the 25th Anniversary of Hillsborough just around the corner, why they could not not wait a few months for the summer recess I cannot fathom.

So why now?

Is it for "The supporters will see the benefits of their own matchday experience in terms of atmosphere"?

Or is it to bet more money from an increased attendance?

The more cynical side of me tends to lean towards the latter, but saying that I have been to games where I have been standing, and sitting, and to be honest, I would rather be standing, even now at my age, I still rather be standing.

But saying that, it is a small price to pay for my safety and the safety of others.

So how do you feel about the standing being introduced to EPL grounds?

I am for the reintroduction of standing. For clarity when I say I am for standing I am not for the free standing that was prevalent before Hillsborough. We should never return to that but as we've seen in Germany, the notion of safe allocated standing with rail seats (where seating remains an option) is an immense success and makes for a more enhanced fan experience.

The debate is untimely as has been stated but as some have already said on this forum alone and others it was not standing that caused Hillsborough. It was the incompetence and recklessness of the authorities - the police, the FA, the government, Sheffield Wednesday themselves. I've always been weary of emphasising the notion of standing as a major fault because, in my opinion, it has been used as an avenue by which those filthy and cowardly liars could excuse themselves and hide from their irresponsible actions on that day.

Regardless what you prefer, the debate is irrelevant. I accept that the proposed arrangements are relatively safe. But that's not the point.

96 brothers gave their lives for your safety. Up to 766 more on that terrace could have met the same fate that day. As a consequence, standing areas in stadiums is illegal. That's how it should stay, so that everyone gets home.

Going back to the OP's original question, there certainly seems to be a drive gaining momentum going by these articles in today's press:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2955405/Safe-standing-football-grounds-receives-backing-96-cent-supporters.html

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/16/safe-standing-areas-football-stadiums-fans

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/96-percent-football-fans-would-5171299

Personally, I think it will in some form or another. Whether that be all stadia standing though, I'm not sure.

Right...

I'm trying to say this in the most respectful way possible and honestly don't intend to offend so apologies if I do.

Anyone who uses the Hillsbourgh argument against standing has a naturally biased view against it and in most cases doesn't look at the problem at its core. The problem is not weather or not standing is safe or not, it's how it's managed and how it's policed. If too many people are let into the ground, then it's going to end badly. If a good system is set in place like it is in the German league, like it for GAA matches at Croke Park on Hill 16, then I see no issues with standing at all. The atmosphere is better, the ticket prices could go down.

But as I say it needs to be run correctly, and a trail is the best way to go. Imagine the kop with 20,000 in it again, immense.

Right...

I'm trying to say this in the most respectful way possible and honestly don't intend to offend so apologies if I do.

Anyone who uses the Hillsbourgh argument against standing has a naturally biased view against it and in most cases doesn't look at the problem at its core. The problem is not weather or not standing is safe or not, it's how it's managed and how it's policed. If too many people are let into the ground, then it's going to end badly. If a good system is set in place like it is in the German league, like it for GAA matches at Croke Park on Hill 16, then I see no issues with standing at all. The atmosphere is better, the ticket prices could go down.

But as I say it needs to be run correctly, and a trail is the best way to go. Imagine the kop with 20,000 in it again, immense.

I'm not sure on this one to be honest.

Part of me thinks that banning all standing was the easiest option for the authorities,
as it took focus away from lack of safety certs and poor policing.

Part of me looks at how fans are starting to complain about policing as things are
and thinks things are starting to strain as it is.

If there was to be a safe standing policy it would have to be for a section of home fans only,
similar to Hill 16 in Croke Park.

If there was to be a safe standing policy it would have to be for a section of home fans only,
similar to Hill 16 in Croke Park.

That's what I had in mind too mate. Maybe just the Kop?

That's what I had in mind too mate. Maybe just the Kop?

Exactly.
Would be a very hard thing for survivors to experience though.

Seems like if the participating parties (club officials, fans, law enforcement, etc...) act in a responsible and measured way, there should be no reason that standing shouldn't be permitted in certain circumstances on a stadium by stadium situation; however, I'd completely understand if people didn't want to see standing re-introduced.

I think yes it should be. The way the modern football ticketing and modern health and safety rules and procedures are, i think the risk of another catastrophe is minuscule in England

Disrespectful from the Daily Mail with the 96% reference.

Don't these cu*ts engage brain first.

Andy Heaton ‏@Andrew_Heaton 
On safe standing, emotive issue, but blaming terraces for the Hillsborough Disaster is like blaming Boeing for 9/11.

I am for safe standing, of course.

It won't happen because ADIDAS, Nike, Reebok or whatever painted onto concrete doesn't look 'pretty'

96 brothers gave their lives for your safety.

They did not give their lives for our safety; their lives were taken by sheer incompetence and irresponsibility by the authorities. Hundreds of people stand in sporting contests every weekend to this day  and occasions such as Hillsborough are thankfully rare, so I think taking it down to purely luck would be stretching things badly.

I am a believer in having a space for everyone in the stadium, so I'm all for partly seated, partly standing stadiums - such as is currently done in Germany. It's an emotive issue for certain and things have to be carefully thought out - but simply refusing to consider the idea because of Hillsborough is, in my opinion, a misunderstanding of the reasons why the disaster occurred in the first place.

The biggest mistake ever made at Anfield was putting seats in the KOP. Sadly I don't think the good old days will ever return.

I am for safe standing, of course.

It won't happen because ADIDAS, Nike, Reebok or whatever painted onto concrete doesn't look 'pretty'

When the Kop was full you could not even see the concrete, .people who never experienced the old standing KOP will never know what they  missed. They are the unlucky ones.