SAFE STANDING at London Road Stadium
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SAFE STANDING at London Road Stadium “..standing is not intrinsically unsafe” Lord Justice Taylor in his report on the Hillsborough disaster 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand Results of both Football Fans Census 2007 and Guardian Poll 2010 “The IFC recommends that something is done to resolve this ludicrous situation... To do nothing is no longer an option.” The conclusion to the Independent Football Commission’s 2007 report A presentation by: The Posh Supporters’ Trust PISA 2000 Forever Posh With support from the Football Supporters’ Federation 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand SAFE STANDING at London Road Stadium Introduction What Are Rail Seats? Financial Considerations Key Points The Case for Safe Standing at London Road Stadium Notes and Sources Links To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand Introduction The redevelopment of the London Road Stadium provides an opportunity to address and resolve a significant source of dissatisfaction amongst football supporters – the loss of the ability to stand, with the accompanying loss of atmosphere, inherent within the provision of an all-seater stadium. The Posh Supporters’ Trust, the Posh Independent Supporters’ Association and ForeverPosh supported by the Football Supporters’ Federation seek to demonstrate that the provision of their preferred system of ‘rail seats’, is a viable option for consideration by the planners and developers of the new stadium. The perception is that any club that is in, or has aspirations to be in, the Championship or Premier leagues must have all-seater, that is all fixed seat, stands within their stadia. We believe that is misconception and that for any club or developer that has the desire to incorporate rail seats there is no obstacle to them doing so even if they are making provision for playing in the top two leagues. There is no legislative reason why the new stadium, in present circumstances, cannot incorporate standing areas which can be achieved with rail seats. We hope that this presentation anticipates and answers most of the questions that may be raised but representatives of the presenters will answer further queries or are available to attend meetings to discuss the matter further. To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand What are rail seats? A redeveloped stadium can bring great benefits both for the clubs and their supporters. But problems are also created due to the lack of standing areas in most new stands. Every week, thousands of people stand in front of their seats for the duration of the game. Attempts to remove this practice have largely failed. As a result, many who would like to sit down find their view blocked and are forced to stand. Safe Standing is as much about protecting the freedoms of those who wish to sit as those who wish to stand. By segregating the two groups, everyone benefits. In England and Wales, standing is permitted at rugby union and rugby league venues, at speedway, horse-racing and rock/pop concerts within football stadiums. It is allowed at football grounds outside the top two divisions, subject to the stringent standards laid down in the Government’s Green Guide. We are not proposing to abolish or weaken these standards but believe that the idea that safety within a ground depends on the type of sport, or quality of football, played on the pitch is absurd. It is for these reasons that safe standing areas are advocated and rail seats are the means of achieving this objective. In researching soulutions to the problem we have seen two other designs which have been used; these are the clip- on and foldaway seat systems. These have drawbacks, however, in terms of change preparation time, visibility and cost. A third design, however, is altogether more ingenious. It involves the installation of seats with handrails along the full length of each row (see photographs on cover and above) – this is the ‘rail seat’ system which we support. This design is used in modern stadia such as Innsbruck’s Tivoli stadium, Austria (used during Euro 2008) where for domestic games the seats are typically locked with supporters standing two deep between the barriers and for European games, the seats are simply unlocked and the capacity reduced. When in standing mode, the capacity is approximately 1.8 times higher than when in seated mode, as seated supporters take up more space. To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand Financial considerations: traditional seats vs rail seats We have obtained quotes from the Italian and German companies who have installed rail seats in European stadia. The indications are that this would work out around £85 per seat, which may seem expensive against the cost of around £60 for a traditional seat. This £25 premium should, however, be offset against a number of other financial considerations. When the ground is in standing mode (for example, if the club is playing below the Championship, or where other non football events such as concerts are held in the stadium) rail seats offer a higher capacity than traditional seats. With more people, ticket revenues, along with expenditure on merchandising, food and drink and so forth, rise. It would take only one or two such events to pay for the seating. Beyond the break-even point, rail seats are more remunerative than traditional seats. The evidence shows that where supporters who wish to stand are offered designated standing areas, instances of persistent standing in seated areas are largely eliminated. This means clubs do not incur additional stewarding costs of trying to seat supporters against their will. Through the increased enjoyment of those who prefer to stand and the better ground atmosphere, supporters are likely to attend more matches and spend more money. Amongst FSF members, we are aware that providing an option to stand can increase attendance. By becoming the first major club in England to use rail seats, we believe that the redeveloped London Road stadium can generate positive publicity for all those involved. In conclusion We hope that you will consider rail seats and the FSF would be delighted to assist the club and stadium architects with matters such as arranging trips abroad to meet construction companies or to see rail seats in use. To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand KEY POINTS The problems with all fixed seat stadiums Cause of dissatisfaction amongst fans who wish to stand. Conflict between fans sitting and those frequently standing and obstructing their view. Higher crowd control costs due to lack of clarity on definition of ‘persistent’ standing which leads to disputes with stewards. Traditional atmosphere is diminished. Capacity is reduced in a stand occupying the same ‘footprint’ as one with standing terraces. Club loses the ability to maximise attendances, and hence income, for ‘big’ fixtures. The benefits of rail seats Dedicated standing and seated areas reduce conflict between fans with different requirements. Where people have the choice those in seated areas tend to remain seated with unobstructed views. Clarity as to where standing and sitting are acceptable and permitted means fewer disputes with stewards – and potentially fewer stewards. Removal of one of the causes of crowd trouble leads to better atmosphere Strong barriers and flip-down seats give flexibility to change arrangements to suit the needs of the club – capacity is increased by a ratio of 18 standing to 10 seated in Rail Seat areas. Proven technology that has been used on the continent for many years. Positive publicity for Peterborough council and the club for pioneering the system in England. Rail Seat terraces do not mean standing in seated areas. These are standing areas (with the seats locked up) and tickets are sold as standing spaces. To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand KEY POINTS The disadvantages of rail seats Higher initial installation cost (approximately £85 per seating space compared with £60 per seat space in traditional manner). However, that is a relatively small addition compared with the cost that would be incurred if a later adaption to the stands were deemed desirable. The perceived obstacles to the introduction of rail seats Clubs promoted to the Championship/Premiership must have all-seater stadiums. [Rail Seats do not breach this requirement]. Standing in seated areas is illegal. [Not true. The law only provides that clubs, in the top two leagues, provide seats for all supporters, not that they must sit in them]. To do nothing is no longer an option 92% of football fans want the choice to sit or stand The case for safe standing rail seat areas at London Road Stadium The majority of fans are in favour. The stadium is for the fans. The stadium is not (or should not be) being redeveloped as an architectural exercise. The stadium is not (or should not be) being redeveloped solely as a venue for two teams to play a game of football, they can do that as well on the local recreation ground. The stadium is (or should be) being redeveloped to provide the facilities for fans to watch football, and possibly other sporting, events. The whole point of a stadium is to provide for spectators to spectate in a reasonable degree of comfort. Hence, the over-riding priority and consideration in the design of the redevelopment should be to provide, as far as is reasonable, what the fans want.