Gillingham Chairman Paul Scally has spoken of his desire for a return to 'safe standing areas' once plans for a new stadium have been finalised. Speaking to kentnews.co.uk the Chairman admitted he was a fan of Germany's return to 'safe standing' but ruled out any possibility of this happening while Gillingham still play their football at Priestfield. He told the Kent News website: âI saw the one in Schalkeâs stadium a few years ago â itâs very impressive and well constructed. I wouldnât create standing areas in our current stadium, but when we build our new stadium we would consider what the public want and try to incorporate it.â Despite new stadiums normally opting for what is now a traditional all seater scenario, Germany have paved the way in a return to having standing areas, with measures in place to ensure they're safe and proving lessons have been learnt from tragedies suffered like at Hillsborough. This is perfected at the Westfalenstadion, home of Borussia Dortmund by placing a rail every two rows ensuring that crowd surges are prevented and spectators aren't crushed. Dortmund's standing area can hold up to 24,454 and is Europe's largest standing area. Despite the fact that many stadiums in League 2 and 1 still possess standing areas, no English team yet has really fully incorporated a large standing area once deciding to build a new stadium. I'm sure there will be a divide among fans when a decision is set to be made whether Gillingham decide to implement a standing area into their eventual new home, but I for one would like to see the club and many others across the country who are looking to build a new stadium, back the standing areas. This implementation would allow for far greater spectator choice, whereby fans can choose which method of viewing a game they prefer and if priced accordingly, with standing slightly lower than seating areas, could prove to eradicate issues of unaffordable ticketing. There are of course always going to be safety concerns what with the tragedies that have been well documented from the 80's but with the right safety measures in place, mimicking the construction optimised by Dortmund, safety can be ensured and aim for a more versatile breed of stadia. As has been well publicised, the German model allows for seats to be added and removed depending on demand and the situation. In terms of financial implications, it's a no brainer. Standing areas are far cheaper to build and maintain, thus allowing for cheaper ticketing prices which i'm sure would create a positive reaction for the clubs respective fans. I think I speak for many fans (correct me if i'm wrong) when I say that some of my favourite away days supporting Gillingham have been when in a standing area. It's worth pointing out that this isn't neccessarily because of the result (although it helps) but just generally the superior atmosphere that is apparent when the crowd are standing. Without being able to pinpoint exactly what makes standing allow for a better atmosphere, it is certainly plain to see and i'm sure clubs up and down the country could benefit from this added incentive. It's worth adding that back in 2008, the Liberal Democrat party supported a return to terraced areas accepting that if there were measures to ensure it was done safely, then spectators should have that choice. So what's the verdict? Would you like to see safe standing return to English football? Have your say on the Gillingham board's poll, the link is available below. http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/214309-Safe-Standing-the-Vote You can also read the full interview with Paul Scally on the Kent News Website: http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/traditionalist_scally_not_ruling_out_terrace_return_1_2217895?
