Government ‘safe standing’ pilot scheme for Premier League will start at Liverpool game

Five clubs will take part in a safe standing trial from January next year, the Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has announced
Standing sections are to return to English football next year, with the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd getting the go-ahead to have fans on their feet from January 1. Standing sections are to return to English football next year, with the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd getting the go-ahead to have fans on their feet from January 1.
Standing sections are to return to English football next year, with the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd getting the go-ahead to have fans on their feet from January 1.

Chelsea’s Premier League game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on 2 January will mark the formal return of standing to top English games after nearly 30 years.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Cardiff are the clubs whose applications to operate licensed safe standing areas have been approved.

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The trial marks the end of a blanket ban on standing in the top two tiers of English football which has been in place for more than 25 years.

Huddleston said: “I’m pleased to approve these five clubs as early adopters of licensed safe standing areas for the second half of the season.

“The time is now right to properly trial safe standing in the Premier League and EFL Championship ahead of a decision on a widespread roll-out.

CHESTENING: Norwich City lost their last game 7-0 at Chelsea's Stamford BridgeCHESTENING: Norwich City lost their last game 7-0 at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
CHESTENING: Norwich City lost their last game 7-0 at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge

“Safety is absolutely paramount and the SGSA (Sports Grounds Safety Authority) is working hand-in-glove with the clubs on this.

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“Fans deserve different options on how they can enjoy a live match and I will be watching the progress of these trials with interest.”

The pilot will be monitored by the independent firm CFE Research, and its findings will be provided to the Government for it to make a decision on a possible wider roll-out of safe standing for next season.

It is understood Liverpool did not apply to take part in the pilot, because they are already running their own trial with two areas of rail seating at Anfield.

The Merseyside club’s current trial is only designed to allow safe standing at particular moments of excitement in a game, rather than throughout.

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The Reds will then review their trial at the end of the season.

Standing areas in what is now the Premier League and Championship were outlawed by legislation passed in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, when 97 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed.

Hillsborough survivor view

Peter Scarfe, chair of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, told LiverpoolWorld: “I survived Hillsborough myself and my personal view is that finding a way to stand safely would be a good idea.

“The truth of the matter is the Hillsborough was nothing to do specifically with safe standing, it was to do with the police not doing their job on the day and many, many other matters.

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“In the Kop you have the loudest singers and to be able to give that rally cry you really do need to be standing up. Those who try to stand up without a safety rail might fall over, so a permanent safety rail would definitely be better.”

Mr Scarfe acknowledged that not everyone in the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance would have the same view.

“I know other survivors who are part of this group who have suffered and lost friends to suicide because of what happened at Hillsborough and they do not agree with safe standing.

“I do think it would have been right for survivors groups to be approached about the game on January 2 to see if the Chelsea v Liverpool match was the correct game to launch the government pilot.”

View of the former chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group

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Liverpool FC have been in regular dialogue with representatives and wrote to all the families about the club’s own pilot.

In June, Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James and is the former chair of the disbanded Hillsborough Family Support Group, gave her support.

“I can’t speak for the families because they will have their own opinions but I’ve no issues at all with that because we’ve always campaigned for fans’ safety,” she told the PA news agency.

Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Trevor Hicks address the media. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesMargaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Trevor Hicks address the media. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Trevor Hicks address the media. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“I think it is important after you heard about the lad at Wembley who fell (from a stand at England’s Euro 2020 match against Croatia on Sunday).

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“At first I didn’t want any form of safe standing but I have changed my opinion because you see people standing, only at certain times, and the seat is still there for them to sit back down again and the rails are there to stop them falling over.

“I would have a different opinion if all the seating was taken out. I had seen rail seating previously and I disagreed with them at the time but you come to realise the paying fans get excited.

“I am guilty myself; at a game when Liverpool scored I stood up, excited, so I’m no different from anyone else.”

Jurgen Klopp’s view

At a pre-match press conference in September Jurgen Klopp gave his views on safe standing.

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He said: “In Germany, there were a few discussions in the past where we might have to change a bit. We cannot have 27,000 in one stand and these kind of things.

“The reason why in England and the Premier League was for good reasons and things had to be reconsidered.

“After quite a long time, it’s a good moment about how to get back to where we were.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Liverpool FC/  YoutubeLiverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Liverpool FC/  Youtube
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Liverpool FC/ Youtube

“Football is really about atmosphere and the more people in the stadium, the better the atmosphere. The more people who are in the right position, the better the atmosphere.

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“People on the Kop, I’m pretty sure, stand most of the time anyway. It’s good we talk about it again and might reintroduce and test it again.

“I’m pretty sure the people are responsible enough to do it the right way.

“The stadiums are completely different to when all the sad, sad things happened. The construction is different and I like the idea and really excited about how much better the atmosphere could be at Anfield if we had safe standing.”

Anfield pilot

Earlier this year Liverpool FC announced a 12-month trial, starting this season, of seats with safety rails in two areas of the stadium after an SGSA safety review.

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The review highlighted that during matches persistent standing in the Kop and Anfield Road lower tier was an issue that needed to be addressed to ensure supporters safety.

A total of 7,800 seats are to be updated in the trial. Around 1,800 new seats located in the back of the Kop and 6,000 in the Anfield Road Stand lower tier.

Liverpool has said that Anfield will remain and all-seater stadium and the trialled areas with the new seats and safety rails are not ‘safe standing’ areas.

Introduction of the standing areas in the Government pilot

The introduction of the standing areas follows a commitment by the Government in its 2019 General Election manifesto, and it is a move which has cross-party support.

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However, the UK’s football policing lead, Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police, has criticised what he sees as a “headlong rush” to reintroduce standing areas.

He told The Times last week: “My concern is that you get over-migration into the area because it is attractive to some supporters and it is easier when they are stood up.

“You are potentially going to get issues of overcrowding. You will potentially get a more male-dominated crowd, fewer children and older people. That’s going to drive more exclusionary behaviour in terms of the language and behaviour.”

A safe standing campaigner, Jon Darch, has also warned that “red tape” around the all-seater policy which requires an unlocked seat for every supporter creates a safety risk.

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He says the situation in England will be different from Europe or Scotland, where rail seats are tipped up and locked out of the way to leave each row completely free of any obstruction.

“Due to Westminster red tape, conditions for standing fans will be unduly cramped and access in an emergency for paramedics will be impeded,” he wrote.

“That’s hugely disappointing and if the Premier League is to be a beacon of stadium safety best practice it requires urgent attention.

“The red tape is not only preventing clubs from providing as much space as their European or Scottish counterparts, it is also introducing a wholly new safety hazard to standing areas: the obligatory presence of a seat that may not be locked upright, out of harm’s way - a seat that can be stood on, and fallen off.

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“It is clearly bonkers that for one type of standing, conventional terraces, the safety guidelines call for all structures to be “non-climbable”, while for another type, deemed ‘safe’ standing, the guidelines have to say, due to that red tape, that seats must be accessible.

“And they, of course, can be climbed on. In fact, can even be used as steps to climb up onto the rails themselves, as is already happening.

“And that is clearly not safe. I personally believe that if they had not had one hand tied behind their back by the red tape of the Westminster all-seater policy, the authors of the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds would have written the guidelines differently.”

A spokesperson for the SGSA said in response to Darch’s comments: “The introduction of licensed standing is an historic change that will improve the safety for those fans whose choice is to stand when watching the game.

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“However, we know many fans will still wish to use their seats before the match begins, at half-time and during lulls in the game.

“Making a seat available is a requirement for UEFA and FIFA competitions and will also be vital for those who enjoy the atmosphere in standing areas but cannot stand for the duration of a match. We are commissioning an independent evaluation to ensure we learn any lessons from the first clubs to offer licensed standing areas before Government decides on next steps.”