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Safe Standing – What Are Rail Seats

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Safe Standing – What Are Rail Seats © Stadionwelt.de What Are Rail Seats? Robust metal seats with a high back forming Rail seats are widely used in Germany. a sturdy rail for safe standing. Fitted in place UK distribution is via the supplier of all of normal seats they link together to create a 60,000 seats for the Emirates Stadium. continuous, strong rail right along the row. The hihistorystory of rail seats Height and strength comply with government German football clubs see standing as requirements. They are also approved for an integral part of fan culture. Every use as seats by UEFA and FIFA, e.g. for ground provides standing areas. At World Cup and Champions League matches. 2011 champions Borussia Dortmund, for instance, there is standing for 27,000 The seats fold up flush between the uprights, fans, a third of the stadium capacity. thus creating wider clearways than along rows of normal seats. In 2000, the clubs faced a challenge. UEFA stipulated that grounds staging BENEFITS OF THE RAIL SEAT SOLUTION Champions League and UEFA Cup • Answers fans’ call for choice games had to be all-seater. What to do? • Makes football more socially inclusive The clubs were committed to standing • Counters problems of ageing fan base but had to comply with UEFA’s new • Safer than standing at low-backed seats rules. They found three solutions. One • Saves money on seat repairs was ‘Variositze’, ‘rail seats’ to us. • Better access for paramedics / stewards • Rails make it harder for offenders to flee Some clubs with rail seats: Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, • Stadium remains UEFA / FIFA compliant Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and HSV. A solution for the UK? We believe that rail seats now present a solution to the situation in the UK, where sizable numbers of fans want to stand, the authorities need to ensure maximum safety and top clubs need to comply with UEFA/FIFA requirements. While seats can remain locked in the ‘up’ position for standing use, club staff can quickly unlock them in advance of UEFA/ FIFA games with a special key (right). Limited numbers Standing areas representing 10-15% of stadium capacity might be appropriate. 85-90% would thus remain exclusively for fans who prefer to sit. Numbers could be limited to one fan per rail seat or, if clubs wished, a second row of fans could be accommodated by adding a rear step along each row. Why rail seats are a good idea Rail seat crosscross----sectionsection views Three popular myths: Creating designated safe standing MythMyth: “ Standing is unsafe .” Not truetrue. areas in grounds that are currently Looking along a row all-seater by installing rail seats has The Government’s Green Guide to numerous benefits: Seats fold up flush between safety at sports grounds recognises the uprights, leaving a wide that standing is safe. It sets out due • clearway with no trip hazards Choice safety standards for standing areas. A Football Fans Census in 2007 We do not want these abolished or showed that 92% of fans want the weakened, but applied consistently to choice to sit or stand. football at all levels. • Enhanced enjoyment Many opponents of safe standing cite In a Premier League survey in 2008 Hillsborough as evidence of standing 15% of over 30,000 respondents said being unsafe. Yet the tragedy was not standing enhanced their enjoyment caused by standing; the Taylor Report of the game. In line with this, we’re primarily blamed overcrowding, poor suggesting 10-15% of a stadium policing and bad stadium layout. might be designated for standing. MythMyth: “ There’s no appetite from fans • Increased crowd safety for standing areas and it’s unfair on The reality in many Premier League those who wish to sit .” Not truetrue. and Championship grounds today – despite the all-seater requirements – Every week thousands of fans stand in is that hundreds, if not thousands, of front of their seats for the duration of fans stand at every game and many the game - attempts to stop this have clubs turn a blind eye. failed. Surveys regularly show the vast majority of supporters** back having a These fans are standing in areas not Between the uprights the choice to sit or stand. Nor is this issue designed for the purpose. They are space can be configured for just about those who prefer to stand. standing behind seats with low backs one row of fans (above) or for By giving supporters the choice, all or sometimes no backs at all. Any two rows (below) fans benefit. Those who wish to stand slight push can send them toppling can do so, while those who prefer to forward. Indeed, a report in 2009 for sit no longer have to worry about their the Premier League concluded that view being blocked. "standing in seated areas must be regarded as a significant risk". Myth - “ Statistics show that standing areas are less safe than seated ones .” Allocating fans who wish to stand a Not truetrue. designated standing area designed specifically for the purpose with rails The Football Licensing Authority (FLA) along every row of seats removes collects statistics giving numbers of this risk and fulfils the club’s duty of injuries for each ground. The injury care to its customers. rates are very low and, although slightly higher in grounds that retain • Improved social inclusion standing accommodation, they do not 74% of Premier League fans come distinguish where injuries occurred from the top two social classes, their (seats, standing area, concourse etc). average age is 42 and they’ve been Nor do they correlate that area with going to games for 22 years*. Rail the type of injury (e.g. wasp stings are seats offer clubs an opportunity to not related to standing or seating) or redress this demographic imbalance. take into account other factors such An optional extra line of fans on each For occasional UEFA/FIFA as the age of the stand. Although it row permits more socially inclusive games the seat is unlocked has previously been claimed that the pricing, while still maintaining or and lowered figures show that sitting is safer than even increasing overall revenue. standing, the FLA now agrees that the • Greater crowd control statistical analysis is not detailed Admission to areas of rail seats will enough to draw that conclusion. be controlled just as for normal seats by numbered, barcoded tickets. Any Contact: individual who misbehaves and tries to elude apprehension will find their Jon Darch - Safe Standing Roadshow T: 01761 463100 E: [email protected] movement restricted by the rails - W: www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk more so than in areas of normal Malcolm Clarke - Football Supporters Federation seats or on lower league terraces. T: 0330 44 000 44 E: [email protected] W: www.fsf.org.uk • Easier paramedic access Rail seats fold up flush between the Michael Burnett – Ferco Seating Systems Ltd T: 08458 123100 E: [email protected] uprights, which are just 50mm deep. W: www.fercoseating.co.uk The clearway space along a row of a typical grandstand is thus 750mm, * Premier League National Fan Survey, season more than twice that along many 2006/07 (sample: 26,014) rows of normal seats, thus making it much easier to access and exit. ** FSF National Supporters Survey, 90% back choice .
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