Safe Standing Early Day Motion Talking Points
With 84 signatures at the turn of the year to the Early Day Motion calling for the Government to re-examine the case for introducing small, limited sections of safe standing areas at football grounds, we're still some way short of our target to get 101 MPs to sign EDM101. With that in mind, the FSF's Head of Development, Steven Powell thought he'd keep the pot boiling with a few talking points to consider:
- Standing areas are permitted in Football Leagues One and Two and further down the English football pyramid system, at both rugby union and rugby league, at speedway, at horse-racing and rock/pop concerts within football stadiums.
- The Hillsborough tragedy was in large part caused by supporters not being able to escape onto the playing field to avoid the crush, by poor policing and stewarding and by the poor design on the standing enclosure at the Leppings Lane end, not by supporters standing at the match. Those killed at the Bradford City fire were seated in a grandstand.
- The continued ban on standing at top football grounds is contrary to the Government's policy that regulation of any activity should be proportionate and related to the potential risk. Many supporters prefer to stand. They should be given that choice. This would reduce friction at stadia between those who prefer (or in some cases are obliged by physical disability) to sit and those who would rather stand.
- The Football Licensing Authority has so far failed to produce any empirical evidence that standing is more dangerous than sitting at football matches.
- What is proposed by supporters is NOT a return to the badly-designed standing terraces of the pre-Hillsborough era but specifically designed and properly stewarded safe standing areas such as can be found in Germany for domestic league matches.
- Safe standing is permitted at domestic Bundesliga matches in Germany. Standing areas are permitted at some of Europe's most modern stadia there such as the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen (home of Schalke 04, current league leaders, standing ticket costs €9 (£6.25) or at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund (home of Borussia Dortmund, where standing tickets cost €11.50 (£8.00).
- As more spectators can be safely accommodated in safe standing areas, the opportunity arises to lower ticket prices whilst maintaining income for clubs.
- The prohibition on safe standing areas is a barrier to ambitious clubs, requiring disproportionate investment upon promotion to the Football League Championship.
- The Government promotes consumer choice in most areas of our social and cultural life, why not at major football grounds?
- The current Early Day Motion calls not for the introduction of safe standing areas per se, but for an informed debate involving supporter representatives on its introduction, taking into account all the relevant issues, including supporter comfort and safety.
- It has already been signed by MPs from the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Plaid Cymru, Democratic Unionist and Social Democratic & Labour Parties. This is not a party political issue.
- Football supporters are electors too. We all have a vote.
- Safe standing areas are supported by some survivors of the Hillsborough disaster.
The Early Day Motion can be found at:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31670&SESSION=885
This site includes a list of MPs who have signed it.
You can find out who your MP is and how to contact her/him by typing in your postcode at:
MPs who are Government Ministers cannot sign EDMs. This should NOT stop you writing to them to let them know how you feel however.
Please let the FSF have copies of any letters you send and replies you get. Send these to Phill Gatenby
Phill Gatenby
FSF
Fans' Stadium - Kingsmeadow
Jack Goodchild Way
422a Kingston Road
Kingston
Surrey
KT1 3PB
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