Do you want safe standing at the Lane?

We're all aware of current government regulations on persistent standing at football stadia in England. There is no safe standing areas, none that exist officially. We're always made aware of the potential risk of clubs being punished for it by having sections of their ground shut. However there's always that argument any given supporter could give that at times clubs look the other way, say if its a North London derby. It's rare to be asked to be seated. Passions and nerves run high. So persistent standing is not the health and safety risk some would have you imagine however its also not a safe standing area. You're still standing by your seat. So why should supporters and clubs not discuss the potential for an official area, block where football fans are permitted to stand? At the minute, it's just not legally viable. So what can be done about it?

For starters, keep you're eye on the Football Supporters Federation website. There's also a petition you can sign. They will also keep you apprised of other clubs that are currently pushing for safe standing to happen. This includes other Premier League clubs as well as some from the lower leagues.

The issue still remains with the current government legislation. So what can we do about it?

Early day motion.

What is EDM? An EDM is a form of petition amongst the back-bench MP's (minsters are not allowed to sign them). Their purpose is to raise awareness for any given issue and to demonstrate the level of support for that issue in Westminster. So as Tottenham fans, what can we do?

We need to get every MP in the Tottenham catchment area plus those that represent Tottenham fans living elsewhere to support the EDM. You can use this to locate MP's:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/2432632/UK-General-Election-2010-political-map.html

So we need to get MP's to sign the EDM.

Also, keep your eye on the FSF website for the very latest on this.

We also need to get the club to support the EDM and what it's actually asking for. I've included the actual motion details below, in a nutshell it's to oversee a few pilots for safe standing to see if its feasible in practice. The vital part of this is quite obvious. You (Tottenham supporters) need to let the club know that you back this idea that you can to see safe standing piloted in England and possibly even at Spurs so that we all can see if its something that can work in the Premier League as well as it does in Germany. Even if pilots are not run at White Hart Lane there is surely no harm at all for Tottenham to entertain someone else in piloting safe standing by running a trial so that both Spurs and all other clubs can see if its beneficial or not. There is nothing to lose here. However, we need as many football clubs as possible to just agree that this is something worth looking into.

Below is the early day motion as it stands at the time of writing. I'll be sharing the FSF updates once they're available on their website. Please discuss safe standing here and promote the EDM if you're interested in seeing this progress.

Please share this link - http://www.fsf.org.uk/campaigns/safestanding/index.php - to promote the EDM.

Early day motion 573

INTRODUCTION OF A PILOT OF NEW STANDING TECHNOLOGY IN FOOTBALL STADIA

• Session: 2012-13
• Date tabled: 15.10.2012
• Primary sponsor: Godsiff, Roger
• Sponsors:
  • Hancock, Mike
  • Stringer, Graham

Total number of signatures: 3

Godsiff, Roger	Hancock, Mike	Stringer, Graham

That this House urges the Government to accept the case for introducing, on a trial basis, limited standing areas at grounds of clubs in the Premier League and Championship whose management want to participate in such trials; further urges the Government to recognise there is widespread support for such areas and that improvements in stadium design and technology mean that, with rigorous safety specifications, standing areas can be safely introduced; notes the long-term success of new standing technology in many other European leagues, including the German Bundesliga, the availability of this technology in the UK and plans by the Scottish Premier League to initiate trials; and calls on the Government to amend the Football Spectators Act 1989 by statutory instrument to allow this pilot to take place.

Hands up if you want to stand up at football matches

It's back in the news again, standing at football matches. The Prem league are set to oppose a return to designated terracing. Obviously we can't be trusted to stand without seats and the stewards and police can't be trusted to manage the same amount of people that would be present if they were instructed to sit down. They do realise that if something (God forbid) happened - we'd all still need to stand up to leave in an orderly fashion? I can't help but think that the reasons given for not entertaining the potential for standing areas at modern stadia is one born out of laziness. It's all safe and comfortable and easy as it is so why complicate things by risking any potential for trouble when that potential is practically no different to anything that might or might not happen at a football match.

Considering how tight the ticketing system is when purchasing and entering the ground and more so the amount of stewarding, police and CCTV that exists during the ninety minutes that gets played out - the system is already in place to guarantee the safety of fans who wish to stand rather than sit. Fact is, it happens at games anyway. Park Lane lower at Spurs a perfect example. Stewards forever trying to get people to sit down. Threats that the council will close parts of the ground if we don't. Happens elsewhere too. Let's be honest, the clubs go through the motions of asking people to sit and already some (arguably) turn a blind eye at some altogether. Whilst others display a zero-policy to it, removing fans if they persistently refuse to remain seated. It's all very unnecessary and over-policed.

Stop patronising us, we're not hooligans and this is not the 1980s and whether its standing room with seats or a fully fledged no-seat area - it's going to be safe by virtue of the amount of people that are allowed access to it. The very fact stadia are better designed and are far safer environments is not because there is no terracing - it's because of everything else (the aforementioned infrastructure concerning entry to the ground and the fact you can not get away with being stupid/racist/thuggish thanks to said CCTV and the vigilance of other fans).

I'm sure some of the reasoning against it relates to such matters as smoking or drinking or if there is an idiot in amongst the standing fans - it's far easier to imagine gaining access to said person if it was a seated area. In a crowd, you can 'escape'. Not far to be honest, you still have to attempt to leave the ground. And people who cause trouble do so now in seated grounds so that's hardly going to be influenced with a throwback to how we once upon a time enjoyed a game of football.

How about rather than dismissing it for no apparent reason - the Prem send a delegation to Germany and see how they manage to include standing areas at their grounds without any issues at all to safety. Or trial it. Or at the very least speak to fan associations and clubs and gauge opinion. We're the ones spending our money on the game. Ironically, making us consumers - which is where the problem exists.

Football has changed in so many ways. You're not immersed as much as you once was because you're not allowed to be. It's almost frowned upon in some grounds to swear or show intense emotion. It's even got to the point where some fans ask you to keep the noise down as they turn around to face you from the seat in the next row (it's happened to me a couple of times). We'd had to sacrifice a lot because of mistakes made by others and because of a changing society and football itself morphing into a far more accessible pastime (compared to the 80s) for families to attend. The whole footballing landscape in terms of the evolution of the fan and the experience explosion into the mainstream has changed massively in the past 10-20 years. Shame that the more working class elements (whether you are working class or not) are no longer truly respected.

So, to the Prem League - we're not asking for much. So stop pretending we are and try to meet us half way.

For more information and to sign the petition, visit the Football Supporters' Federation.

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