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Source: Safe Standing News Mailing List

"Parliament set to debate safe standing areas for football grounds"

This press release has been issued by Roger Godsiff MP, who is tabling a Private Members Bill on the issue of Safe Standing at Football Grounds.

It is fully supported by several MPs including Kate Hoey, the Football Supporters Association (FSA), The National Federation of Football Supporters (Nat Fed), the Campaign for Safe Standing Areas For England (SAFE).

Last Saturday (1st September) saw England play Germany in a World Cup Qualifying game - the match was played in Munich's Olympic Stadium, home to club side Bayern Munich. With a capacity of 70,000 and excellent facilities it has many similarities to the major stadiums that are found in England.

One obvious difference however is that The Olympic Stadium has official areas designated for Safe Standing (it is grounds like these in Germany that will host games for the World Cup in 2006). In Germany, supporters who wish to stand during a football game can do so safely and legitimately and while fans were asked to sit for the England game, the Olympic Stadium, like many others in Germany, offers the flexibility of fans being able to stand at domestic games and also be all-seater for international and European matches. The UK however is a different matter where standing is not allowed in the top two divisions under any circumstances.

"The way should be clear for football clubs to be able to introduce safe standing areas in the UK"

This was the message that came out loud and clear following a recent meeting at Westminster which included football supporters organizations, safe standing campaign groups and MP's, all of whom overwhelmingly agreed to support and campaign for the Football Spectators Bill which will come before Parliament on 2nd November.

Roger Godsiff MP, the sponsor of the Football Spectators Bill said after the meeting: "While safety must always be the number-one criterion, there is no reason to ignore technological improvements made since [Lord Justice] Taylor reported, which might now allow for safe standing."

"But those words are not mine," he went on to say, "These words were spoken in 1995 by the then Leader of the Opposition and now Prime Minister Tony Blair - I am sure that the level of support for those views would surprise even him."

Kate Hoey MP, former Sports Minister, and a prominent campaigner on this issue said: "The aim of the campaign is to give a choice so that new stands or new stadiums being built could have a safe-standing area designed into them. This is what Charlton Athletic had suggested they would like at The Valley as would Manchester City supporters who would like to see safe standing areas at their new home, City of Manchester Stadium."

There is widespread national support for the proposals within the bill which proposes to remove from the Secretary of the State the power to designate stadia as 'all-seater' therefore delegating that decision to clubs, supporters and local authorities. In removing this power, the bill will allow clubs like Manchester City and Charlton Athletic (in conjunction with their respective local authorities) to meet with the demands of their supporters and provide safe standing areas.

Campaign groups such as SAFE, the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and the National Federation of Football Supporters (Nat Fed) all believe that the provision for safe standing should be allowed at football grounds.

Phill Gatenby of SAFE commented: "Every week tens of thousands of people in Britain stand at rugby union, rugby league, cricket and pop concerts. The FLA already recognise that standing to watch sport is safe as hundreds of stadiums with standing accommodation are licenced across the country each week. There are more football matches played in grounds with legitimate standing than are played in all-seater stadia. If it is safe to stand and watch football in the lower divisions then why is it not safe to watch a Premiership or First Division team?"