I think it's about time we pushed for a standing area at SJP. They could test it in the Strawberry corner and I reckon it will be do great things for the atmosphere too. Is there a legal impediment to creating one or is it more of a historical thing? We could also squeeze a few more in so Ash will likely see the financial benefit too.
I did stand many years ago corner/scoreboard areas but now I would prefer to sit, but if its done properly and safely I dont see why not...my 16 year old lad would probably give it ago.
Behind both goals for me. Lower leazes and Gallowgate would create a cracking atmosphere. As far as I am aware the Safety of Spectators Act as amended enshrined all seater stadia in law following the Taylor Report via a Statutory Instrument. This would need repealing/ amending via Parliament. Crowd management is on a completely different level to that of the past and modern stadia have safety features in place to minimize a potential disaster. Bring back standing and the atmosphere in our grounds would be terrific. Most away fans stand anyways and a lot of people want to see safe standing.
Celtic are trialling it in a section of their stadium, and a few German clubs do it for league games with foldable seats that they then put down for CL games where you can't stand (know Dortmund definitely do this).
Milburn Paddock was a brilliant place to have standing. I moved there when the Gallowgate got shut down for all seating. It was great and I still count the 4-2 game in the rain against Sheff Wed as one of my three best experiences watching Newcastle (along with Man Utd 5-0 and Barcelona Tino). The atmosphere against Sheff Wed (Monday night) was absolutely electric.
Aye was a cracker. Him and Malcolm Allen were good solid back up signings. Allen in particular was a much better footballer than 500K. Supposedly hit the bottle after injury cut short his career but sorted his life out now.
You could have ticketed/allocated standing and have it be safe and policed easy enough. There is demand for it also, so what is the objection? I guess it would need some ground redevelopment in which case is it worth the money from the clubs' point of view? Possibly not. In the past I was in favour of old style terraces coming back in some way but after a couple of away games the last time we were in the Championship where they had terraces which we were in like sardines and getting bumped around, and taking into account my advancing age, I'd probably prefer to sit given the choice. If it were allocated standing with the same space as a seat has then I'd consider it and welcome the choice. I certainly don't want a return to the rivers of piss, the surges and the crushes though. It was good fun when we were young but I wouldn't put up with it now.
