A new report calling for safe standing areas at football grounds in England and Wales has been launched by the Football Supporters' Federation.

Standing areas were outlawed after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans died in a crush.

 

FSF head of development Steven Powell said the report had a "well-argued case" for a return to standing.

 

But the Hillsborough Families Support Group described the call as a "step backwards" for supporters.

 

A poll of 2,100 fans by the Football Fans Census in March found that 92% of those supporters surveyed wanted clubs to bring back standing areas.

 

The idea also has the backing of former Sports Minister Kate Hoey, who has said a rational reappraisal of this issue is overdue.

 

The official inquiry into the Hillsborough tragedy, conducted by Lord Taylor, blamed poor policing and inadequate facilities but the main recommendation was for the introduction of all-seater stadia and the removal of perimeter fencing.

 

Standing areas are in operation in certain parts of Europe, including Germany's Bundesliga.

 

Mr Powell added: "I think it's a very well-argued case for safe standing.

 

"I only hope that the Government and the football authorities sit up and take notice."

 

But Phil Hammond, who lost his 14-year-old son in the Hillsborough disaster described the association's stance as "unbelievable".

 

"I am disgusted that they are a football supporters' association," said Mr Hammond.

 

"They're supposed to be taking the game forward for supporters. Now it looks like they're taking a step back by wanting to go back to standing.

 

"What they have to respect as well is that when you put standing in stadiums Uefa's rules and regulations say that fencing has got to go up. So do they want us behind fences again?"

 

But according to the chairman of the FSF, Malcolm Clarke, a return to standing would not mean a return to risking the lives of supporters.

 

"Hillsborough was caused by pens into which there was no control over the numbers that went into them, fences at the front and poor management," he said.

 

"There is no reason why those problems shouldn't be addressed just as they have done in Germany to ensure an appropriate level of safety for the risk that there is."

 

 

from bbc sport!

 

If they don't re-introduce the perimeter fencing then I don't see why re-introducing standing is such a problem. Yes, all-seater stadia is a legacy of Hillsborough, but it was not the fact that it was standing that killed anyone. With fencing up in an all-seater stadium even more people may have died...and this very spectre could have occurred at the Champions League due to black market tickets, opportunist fans and abysmal policing.

 

I have sympathy for the Hillsborough Families Support Group but they are being unreasonable here.

I'm 100% against this concept of going back to the dark ages of Standing areas, which result in crowd surges, people being crushed against the fencing, losing their balance & being trampled underfoot to death.

 

But then again England have a captain with a conviction for GBH, and a national team that suddenly no longer looks like an automatic World & European Quarter-Finalists to a side that can't qualify for a major tournament (like in the 1970s).

Dont forget two or three of the current england team filmed themselves in there own little sex tape.

No, standing in footie stadiums behind cages is a thing of the past and should stay there... It's totally uncivilised... If UEFA's rules and regs say that fencing has to go up if standing is allowed then it cannot even be contemplated, we WILL have another Hillsborough if that happens...

Yes

 

Hillsborough was a tragedy and a terrible event but out of the thousands of games of professional football that had been played every year for centuries before Hillsborough incidents like Hillsborough were exceptionally rare, standing was still is safe despite this freak event

 

There must have been close to 1m games of professional football played in England to standing up crowds I still consider it safe despite Hillsborough, its like banning aviation because of 1 plane crash

Standing should be allowed! If there is no cage, hardly any danger. The big Premiership teams won't want it of course, they're happy with there all-seater stadiums.

 

Standing areas sometimes have a fantastic atmosphere, more so than seating areas. When I go to watch York I choose standing over seating every time. Although with new grounds, many will be all-seater, especially higher the football pyramid you go, so this addition to safe-standing won't make much difference.

Standing areas sometimes have a fantastic atmosphere, more so than seating areas.

 

Yeah, fantastic atmosphere, with drunk blokes p***ing and vomiting all over the standing areas as I vividly recall as a youngster going to footie matches.... Lovely.... :puke2:

 

Sorry, but stadia were turned all-seater for damned good reasons if you ask me....

 

Taking away terraces ruins the atmposphere at games now Scott

 

When I went to WHL and stood on The Shelf like I did for years the atmosphere was fantastic as it was too at away grounds and everyone having a great time now stadiums are lacking in passion and the hardcore fan has by and large been replaced with Tarquin's munching their prawn sandwiches saying "jolly good shot old boy" which is not what football should be about mate.

 

Times I have been to WHL recently I have been told to "sit down" by stewards and fellow fans when I have stood up out of my seat to cheer on the team and so on so a combination of passionless Tarquin's and petty officialdom now make going to football matches a bad experience compared with the days of old

the hardcore fan has by and large been replaced with Tarquin's munching their prawn sandwiches saying "jolly good shot old boy" which is not what football should be about mate.

 

Erm, I think that's more to do with the extortionate gate prices so that the clubs can pay their overpaid "star players" though.... I cant see the big clubs lowering their prices just because people are standing...

Yes

 

Hillsborough was a tragedy and a terrible event but out of the thousands of games of professional football that had been played every year for centuries before Hillsborough incidents like Hillsborough were exceptionally rare, standing was still is safe despite this freak event

 

There must have been close to 1m games of professional football played in England to standing up crowds I still consider it safe despite Hillsborough, its like banning aviation because of 1 plane crash

 

I can't seriously believe wghat I'm reading. Next you be saying that Kelvin MacKenzie & The Sun newspaper & The Chief Attendent of The South Yorkshire police told the truth about the Hillsborough disaster!. :rolleyes:

 

As for it being a one off event, here are just a handful of the biggest Football stadium disasters all in standing-room stadia in the last 40+ years:

 

1964

May 24, Lima, Peru: more than 300 soccer fans killed and over 500 injured during riot and panic following unpopular ruling by referee in Peru vs. Argentina soccer game. It is worst soccer disaster on record.

1971

Jan. 2, Glasgow, Scotland: 66 killed in crush at Glasgow Rangers home stadium when soccer fans trying to leave encountered fans trying to return to stadium after hearing that a late goal had been scored.

1980

Jan. 20, Sincelejo, Colombia: crushing at a bullring collapsed due to fans rushing back after a late goal, leaving 222 dead.

1982

Oct. 20, Moscow: according to Sovietsky Sport, as many as 340 died at Lenin Stadium when exiting soccer fans collided with returning fans after final goal was scored. All the fans had been crowded into one section of stadium by police.

1985

May 29, Brussels, Belgium: when British Liverpool club fans attacked rival Italian supporters of Juventus team at the Heysel Stadium before the European Champion's Cup final, a concrete retaining wall collapsed and 39 people were trampled to death. More than 400 people were injured.

1988

March 12, Katmandu, Nepal: some 80 soccer fans seeking cover during a violent hail storm at the national stadium were trampled to death in a stampede because the stadium doors were locked.

1989

April 15, Sheffield, England: 96 people were killed at Hillsborough stadium during a semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Most of the victims, who were Liverpool fans, were crushed against a barrier on an overcrowded area behind one of the goals. It is Britain's worst soccer disaster.

1996

Oct. 16, Guatemala City: at least 84 killed and 147 injured by stampeding soccer fans before a 1998 World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica held at Mateo Flores National Stadium.

2001

May 9, Accra, Ghana: at least 120 people were killed in a stampede at a soccer match. It was Africa's worst soccer-related disaster.

I can't seriously believe wghat I'm reading. Next you be saying that Kelvin MacKenzie & The Sun newspaper & The Chief Attendent of The South Yorkshire police told the truth about the Hillsborough disaster!. :rolleyes:

 

As for it being a one off event, here are just a handful of the biggest Football stadium disasters all in standing-room stadia in the last 40+ years:

 

1964

May 24, Lima, Peru: more than 300 soccer fans killed and over 500 injured during riot and panic following unpopular ruling by referee in Peru vs. Argentina soccer game. It is worst soccer disaster on record.

1971

Jan. 2, Glasgow, Scotland: 66 killed in crush at Glasgow Rangers home stadium when soccer fans trying to leave encountered fans trying to return to stadium after hearing that a late goal had been scored.

1980

Jan. 20, Sincelejo, Colombia: crushing at a bullring collapsed due to fans rushing back after a late goal, leaving 222 dead.

1982

Oct. 20, Moscow: according to Sovietsky Sport, as many as 340 died at Lenin Stadium when exiting soccer fans collided with returning fans after final goal was scored. All the fans had been crowded into one section of stadium by police.

1985

May 29, Brussels, Belgium: when British Liverpool club fans attacked rival Italian supporters of Juventus team at the Heysel Stadium before the European Champion's Cup final, a concrete retaining wall collapsed and 39 people were trampled to death. More than 400 people were injured.

1988

March 12, Katmandu, Nepal: some 80 soccer fans seeking cover during a violent hail storm at the national stadium were trampled to death in a stampede because the stadium doors were locked.

1989

April 15, Sheffield, England: 96 people were killed at Hillsborough stadium during a semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Most of the victims, who were Liverpool fans, were crushed against a barrier on an overcrowded area behind one of the goals. It is Britain's worst soccer disaster.

1996

Oct. 16, Guatemala City: at least 84 killed and 147 injured by stampeding soccer fans before a 1998 World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica held at Mateo Flores National Stadium.

2001

May 9, Accra, Ghana: at least 120 people were killed in a stampede at a soccer match. It was Africa's worst soccer-related disaster.

 

Hillsborough was a tragic event but I am merely putting it into perspective, pre Hillsborough there was 46 games played 38 times a year plus internationals plus non league matches and so on so that is several thousand in England alone that passed without incident per season and looking back how long pro football has been going on in England 1 tragic incident is not enough evidence that terraces are essentially dangerous, what caused Hillsborough was incompetent policing

 

 

 

Hillsborough was a tragic event but I am merely putting it into perspective, pre Hillsborough there was 46 games played 38 times a year plus internationals plus non league matches and so on so that is several thousand in England alone that passed without incident per season and looking back how long pro football has been going on in England 1 tragic incident is not enough evidence that terraces are essentially dangerous, what caused Hillsborough was incompetent policing

 

Now that I do agree on. The South Yorkshire Police were responsible for the Hillsborough disaster, although the Conservative Government were arguably equally culpable for their cover-up & the lies they encouraged to be pedalled in The Sun & The Daily Mail.