http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26158044# Villa have offered to trial a standing area and apparently 50% of PL clubs have expressed an interest. I'm surprised and thought most fans had moved on. Would you still opt to stand at Saints if you could?
Nope...a seat guarantees that you can watch the game that you paid for. Also protects women, children, aged and infirm from being knocked about. Also after a certain age, you probably can't stand for a couple of hours. If they could prove it was safe, I have no problem with a designated area. Most of the ground should remain seating....don't believe for one minute that the demand is strong...it's just that people who want it are vociferous. Chap on Sky has just said that Germany has had an increase in trouble at grounds since standing was introduced.
You not been to a game in the last ten years? 3000 people stand every week. Adding a safe standing section in the Northam makes complete sense to me
Agree with this - In Germany it has been used safely for years. Plus you can flip the seat down during half time!
I wouldn't use it. I'm fine with it if they put one in provided it's safe and all that, but I'm much happier sitting down these days.
I do stand at Saints every game, as do about 3-4,000 people around me. I love it and it's part of my enjoyment - I simply don't feel the same when sitting. The only thing making it dangerous is that the ground isn't designed with standing in mind. Goal celebrations around me have gone wrong because it's a bit easy to flip over the back of the seat cunningly placed at trip level in front. Admitting that people like to stand would allow well-designed standing to be introduced. From what I've seen (see the German ones at http://tinyurl.com/nakonfp ) they aren't talking about a return to open terraces with occasional barriers but standing in rows with bars in front of each row. It wouldn't increase the capacity of the ground but would allow people to stand in safety. Why not? Vin
Same, I don't think I'd be there (too short lol), I would support it happening though. I'm not sure whether it would be adopted by Saints (or other PL teams), but that's another question really.
It may well, but just because people stand, doesn't mean it should be done. Some of those may stand only because others do and looking at the person in front's backside is not what is paid for normally.
I'd be amazed if many people go in the Northam without the expectation of standing. If they want to sit behind a goal they can go and watch in the graveyard/Chapel. Vin
Safe standing increases the capacity(1.8 standing places for every 1 normal seat space) and they pay for themselves in a single season(assuming you sell all the tickets). It's coming and I expect most clubs will introduce it in parts of their ground.
Anyone 'old school' enough to remember standing in the Milton will agree that they should come back. The terraces are where the real football atmosphere is, all seater stadiums have killed it. These days there is really not much difference between sitting in a stadium, and sitting in front of a telly. In fact, the latter has replays and a beer-stocked fridge just a few seconds away. Sometimes these days, I think I only really attend out of a sense of duty.
I wouldn't want to be in a squished up place and squashed when we score and everyone's jumping about. I'm either claustrophobic or hate being touched
