Standing at matches?

[bennyboy]

When I've been to matches where seating is provided for me I have been expected to sit in that seat. Recently there has been criticism from supporters, I'll name Liverpool as one where the subject of the price of a seat at Anfield has been highlighted as near on extortionate, this coming from an away fan who paid I think around £70+ for a seat from which he couldn't see anything unless he stood up. Ok I think fans in front were standing, part of the problem.

So on to what I think could be a possible breach of safety regulations at matches with all seater stadiums.
I noted yesterday at Wembley, more and more fans from both sides were standing at that match, not just behind the goals either. Some of this standing was also on the side tiers of seating (lower) Some were even running around right at the front of the stand. My question is why oh why do folk stand at matches, why are they allowed to stand at matches where seating is provided? Re above, safety and I would say the rules and regs of the stadium itself, let alone FA rules etc are breached.

And I wonder how much the fans paid for those seats then stand up, the mind boggles?
It's not just Wembley of course, you may have noticed it at Stamford bridge, Old Trafford, St James park etc, etc..

[Deleted]

I have always stood at matches bennyboy, I really dislike sitting. Unless forced to I stand at away games and all through my time of attending football since 1964 I have always stood. If I occasionally go with friends to the Britannia stadium I stand and have stood on all three occasions I have been to Wembley. I have even had free seating tickets to Eton Park and the Pirelli and have transferred to standing at half time.
I think many of my generation just prefer to stand. I really hope that the trials of the German rail seats are successful and safe standing is re-introduced at all grounds behind the goals.
I am happy for those who want to sit to do so but there is much more atmosphere created in the standing areas. A balance of both would be the ideal scenario in my mind.
With reference to safety its a difficult one, a steward is going to have a near impossible job getting a few hundred to sit down if he tries to enforce the rules, I understand the whys and wherefores of the argument but really think the time has come to re-introduce standing and satisfy the obvious desire of many fans. The Germans and the Austrians are streets ahead of us in this department.

[Deleted]

Feb 29, 2016 18:10:41 GMT @terraceman57 said:

I have always stood at matches bennyboy, I really dislike sitting. Unless forced to I stand at away games and all through my time of attending football since 1964 I have always stood. If I occasionally go with friends to the Britannia stadium I stand and have stood on all three occasions I have been to Wembley. I have even had free seating tickets to Eton Park and the Pirelli and have transferred to standing at half time.
I think many of my generation just prefer to stand. I really hope that the trials of the German rail seats are successful and safe standing is re-introduced at all grounds behind the goals.
I am happy for those who want to sit to do so but there is much more atmosphere created in the standing areas. A balance of both would be the ideal scenario in my mind.
With reference to safety its a difficult one, a steward is going to have a near impossible job getting a few hundred to sit down if he tries to enforce the rules, I understand the whys and wherefores of the argument but really think the time has come to re-introduce standing and satisfy the obvious desire of many fans. The Germans and the Austrians are streets ahead of us in this department.

agree 100%
I rue the day when I will not be able to stand. A guy I know can no longer stand due to health reasons, he won't sit so he stopped going. That is how some people feel about it.

[bennyboy]

I love standing, after years of standing it's almost alien to me to have to sit at a match.
My point though is one of, if the seat is there it should be used. And I mean from a point of view that if I end up sitting behind some standing, how is that right, why should I have to stand as well.
Yes it's an easy one for stewards to say, there's hundreds standing, leave it. But to one or two standing they can and would I guess tell them to sit or out.
A tough one I guess but if anything happened at a match whereas it happened because folk should have remained seated but didn't, who's to blame. Just saying!

[Deleted]

I prefer to stand, but when in seats I prefer to sit.

All seater stadia was a knee-jerk reaction to Hillsborough, albeit an understandable one in the circumstances, but I think most top clubs now get too much revenue from the seats to switch back and I think safe standing does not increase capacity does it? (not studied it closely).

Anyway at Barmy Lane tomorrow won't have a choice, it is impossible for Tom Thumb to sit down in the seats in the lower tier of the Jessica Ennis stand.

[swaddy Dave]

Always standing for me, even at stadiums with seats, as soon as your team gets anywhere near goal its up on your feet, have you ever tried going crazy celebrating a goal sitting down? no chance,
There is nothing wrong with standing as long as the stadiums are geared up for it to make safety the priority.

[Deleted]

I think this is a question that the FA are giving serious thought at present. I'm not 100% sure but I think railseats does increase the capacity but then it drops down again when they have to be used as seats, I could well be wrong though. Its is very popular in the Bundesliga, just one of several factors that they have organised better than here.
They still have big standing areas behind the goals and "kops actual sing there and generate an amazing atmosphere just like the old days here.
A further point of note, you often find on other clubs forums how much they look forward to and enjoy standing in the away end at the Pirelli.

[Deleted]

Feb 29, 2016 19:05:41 GMT swaddy Dave said:

Always standing for me, even at stadiums with seats, as soon as your team gets anywhere near goal its up on your feet, have you ever tried going crazy celebrating a goal sitting down? no chance,
There is nothing wrong with standing as long as the stadiums are geared up for it to make safety the priority.

I have no problem with standing as it gets exciting and for celebrating, but no for the whole game.

Part of it is to do with the fact I've paid for my seat so I will use it!

Also though being a bit tall, I am always aware of blocking people's view behind me. Not so much of an issue on the terrace as people can bob and weave a bit to see around. Not so easy in the seats.

[Frank Ashton]

Have to disagree with most of the comments here about terraces, I think they have become an anachronism and should be consigned to history. If you look at old film footage from the 70's and 80's you see the way fans were herded into the terraces, football stadia looked more like places for imprisoning people than a place for people watch something that they love. It was clear to see that if you treat people like animals they'll behave like animals.

I think that if Ben was planning for the Pirelli today for L1/L2 football it would be all-seater, based on a similar but smaller template to Donny Rovers. What we have now was perfect for 2005, when being a football league club was a distant ambition. I stand at the Pirelli because unfortunately the view is not that good in the seats unless you are in the back row near the half way line.

The only disadvantage against seats is if you end up sitting next to someone who has been in the pub since 10am you cannot just move away as you can on the terraces.