University Project - Safe Standing at Football

Hi guys and girls,

I am a student at Southampton Solent University and am currently doing a radio piece on Safe Standing at Football, which touches on the horrific events of the Hillsborough disaster. I was just wondering whether any of you felt strongly against re-introducing standing at football, they would want to do a phone interview with me - it will only go to my tutors - or if not be able to put in me touch with someone who might?

Thanks for you time and have a good season.

Hi guys and girls,

I am a student at Southampton Solent University and am currently doing a radio piece on Safe Standing at Football, which touches on the horrific events of the Hillsborough disaster. I was just wondering whether any of you felt strongly against re-introducing standing at football, they would want to do a phone interview with me - it will only go to my tutors - or if not be able to put in me touch with someone who might?

Thanks for you time and have a good season.

Hi mate.

This is always going to be a strong subject of course but I'll throw my side over.

While I was too young to be at Hillsborough (only 4 at the time) my family and those around me have been effected.

My fathers best friend, Eric Hughes died at Hillsborough and after he and my Mum divorced he had a long term relationship with a lady who lost her oldest son and husband there.  I am friends with her youngest son and for as long as I can remember I've attended The Hillsborough Memorial Service.

Standing wasn't the issue at Hillsborough, it was god awful carelessness by the police.

Standing, in the modern day stadium (Germany) has, is and will continue to be safe.

I can only speak for myself in favour of bringing it back, of course this will never happen.

I feel the same way as nnilswerdna. Many in the justice campaign feel strongly against this topic as does Kenny who quoted something along the lines that the re-introduction of standing would be an insult to the lives and families of the 96. I understand those views but personally I would be for the introduction of safe standing in the way they have done so successfully in Germany. Let's remember - the issue of standing at football matches wasn't the cause of Hillsborough. The culprits were and always have been the incompetent and deceiving individuals who were put in charge of that match from the FA to the police.

To be honest the way in which supporters are treated at football matches has always been the problem in my opinion. Maybe this is more relevant to away supporters but being met by a police presence that threatens and treats you like a criminal from the second you enter an area that's close to the stadium to the second you are marched away from it has never been a good trait. That and the segregation that follows is then going to enact tribalism before anything else.

I work in London a lot and talk to Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, etc, supporters in the pubs that I go to and have a laugh and talk like adults and generally have a craic. Put me 50 yards away from these same people but with the difference being we are separated by barriers in a tribal type atmosphere at a match and I'll be pointing and shouting all sorts of obscenities at them. I might even offer them out in a fight, knowing quite well that I'll mix into the crowd and disappear and not have to have the fight.

Football supporters have been treated wrong for too long now but it's gone too far too change. Whether you are sitting on your arse or standing up the police will still treat you the same wherever you go.

We wouldn't accept this treatment off the police if we went to a boxing match, a concert, the theatre, the rugby, the tennis but its acceptable when we go to the football?

A lot of things need to change before we stand people up but I'm not sure they can.

A very emotive subject this for most Liverpool fans.

I too can understand how a lot of us are totally against it but I tend to agree with other posters. 

It wasn't standing at Hillsborough that caused the deaths of so many, it was bad management by the police, a total lack of humanity by the police, it was a massive f**k up by the police.

The idea of safe standing is a good one but I doubt it'll have the same effect (better atmosphere) here as in Germany.  Our nanny state won't allow such raucous behaviour in a confined space, ffs we can't even use smoke bombs