2011 was a very busy year for the Safe Standing Roadshow, as we toured the country promoting the concept of rail seats as the most appropriate form of safe standing spectator accommodation for current all-seater stadia.
Thanks for your interest in safe standing and rail seats over recent months. Following our visit in May to Celtic and the SPL's subsequent decision to invite requests from members clubs to run trials of safe standing areas using rail seats, 2012 also looks sure to be a busy year. Visits to further clubs in the SPL, the Premier League and the Championship, plus supporters groups and other interested parties, are already lined up for January and February.
Have a great 2012 ... and enjoy browsing the links below to one or two news items from 2011 on our website www.safestandingroadshow.co.uk.
SPL gives green light to safe standing trials
In December the SPL gave a major boost to the safe standing campaign when it announced that it was happy to receive requests from member clubs to pilot safe standing areas in their stadia.
Commenting, chief executive Neil Doncaster said he was happy to be able to respond to fans' wishes: "Since I joined the SPL in 2009, there has been widespread support amongst fans to re-introduce safe standing areas... Read full article
"The law banning standing is an ass", says national newspaper
In October the Daily Star Sunday became the first national newspaper to come out formally in favour of safe standing. In an editorial in its October 16th edition the paper stated: "the law banning standing is an ass" and called on MPs to scrap it.
This editorial call came in response to a survey that the newspaper had conducted among 1,002 fans from over 90 clubs, which showed that 66% supported the introduction of modern, purpose-built standing-only areas in Premier League and Championship grounds and that 73.5% would stand or consider standing in such areas.
Read full article and see other media coverage in our new Press section.
Council and club stand united
In September, the roadshow visited the only ground in the Championship still to have standing, Peterborough United, where club, fans and the ground's owners, Peterborough Council, are working together to try to find a way to retain standing as the ground goes through a process of major redevelopment.
Rail seats were well received by all concerned and the Football Supporters Federation continues to work with club, council and fans to achieve the goal of a modern stadium incorporating purpose-built safe standing spectator accommodation. Read full article
