Celtic bring in safe standing Last Updated: 09/06/15 14:34 please log in to view this image Celtic Park where safe standing will be introduced prior to the 2016-17 season. Celtic will become the first British club to introduce safe-standing areas of rail seating. Having been at the forefront of attempts to introduce a facility that has become increasingly popular in continental Europe, the Scottish champions have announced plans to put rail seats in place for the 2016-17 season. An initial 2,600 supporters will be accommodated within these areas at Celtic Park after extensive dialogue with relevant authorities for the past five years, and lengthy consultation with supporters. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: “We have worked tirelessly on this issue and we are delighted that permission has finally been granted. “Across football globally, the reality is that some supporters are choosing to stand at matches. This is something we must accept and manage and also understand the positive effect which these areas have on atmosphere at matches. “The introduction of rail seating at Celtic Park represents an investment in spectator safety. Celtic’s primary objective will always be the safety and comfort of its supporters and this new system will now allow fans to stand safely at matches. “Rail seating has been in place in European football for some time and there has been considerable demand for some form of safe standing within the UK and particularly from our supporters. We are sure the rail seating section will prove very popular with supporters and we look forward to its introduction.” Currently, the Football Spectators Act 1989 requires safety authorities to ensure fans attending games in England's top two divisions are seated. All-seater stadiums were introduced in the UK following the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989, but in many European countries football fans are allowed to stand at top-level games, with Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in Germany a prime example of the effective use of rail seating. Independent Safety and Security expert Dr Steve Frosdick has been closely involved in Celtic’s work in this area and in the application to the Glasgow City Council. 'Approval' He said: "This is a great day for the club and its fans. This is a pioneering move by Celtic and one which has spectator safety at its core. “For the first time in the UK, football fans will be able to stand to watch the game from purpose-built accommodation which is demonstrably safe. "The club and its fans are to be congratulated for the way they have worked together to make the case to the authorities. Glasgow City Council and the emergency services are also to be commended, firstly for their rigorous scrutiny of the proposal and secondly for having the courage to grant the first approval. “Although standing up throughout the match has become increasingly common, persistent standing between rows of seats has been a concern for football clubs and the authorities. Clearly the club was keen to find a better way of safely accommodating those fans who wanted to stand. “There was of course no question of going back to the standing terraces of old. However, the new style rail seating found in Germany and Austria provides the solution the club was seeking. The seat folds away and each fan stands in their own designated space behind a waist-high rail. “This is a system which has operated successfully in Europe for a number of years and I am convinced it is one which will prove to be highly successful and popular at Celtic Park.” ................................... I think more British clubs will do the same now Celtic have made the first move. I'd love to see this happen at the SOL. Atmospheres were so much better in the olden days before all seater stadiums. Maybes we could bring the old Roker roar back!
Wholly in favour. If we can send a man to the moon we can solve the safety issues with regard to this one
Would the EPL allow it though? I would welcome it as it allows everyone to sit with their mates. Surely it will be more cash generative for clubs too.
Great idea, maybe behind both goals at the SOL and our capacity would go to about 56,000 for the derby games etc. And they could install small bogs on each row !
The capacity would not change Monty, as safe standing entails everyone having their designated space which can be used for standing or sitting..
See raw's comment, it would be the same system as seating, you wont just be able to stand with who you want unless you've bought places together.
Makes me laugh this standing thing how many incidents has there been in all the years of football. U can go to a music concert/festival and have 70k people stood with no problems. Bring back standing how it used to be, make standing areas ticket only that way u can control it. Hillsborough was horrendous but surely 26 years on were much more equipt to control standing at football.
And the you get someone who is 6'6 standing in front of a bairn and the bairn cannot see anything. Standing areas should be restricted to the rear of the stands or ii blocks to minimise the impact upon those who choose to sit.
sit in a standing area or stand in a sitting area....as long as it is ticketed and people stick to their standing area(and there lies the problem) then there should be no Hillsbrough repeats.
