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Premier League clubs to hold further talks on safe standing

Premier League clubs to hold further talks on safe standing

English Premier League football clubs will hold further talks over the prospect of introducing safe standing at stadia after initial discussions took place yesterday (Thursday).

Standing areas are currently not permitted in the top-tier Premier League and the second-tier Championship, in line with laws that were brought in following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death in an overcrowded stand.

Some stadia in Germany and Scotland are fitted with retractable seats that allow for standing during games and there is a push for a similar plan to be considered in England. 

The BBC reported yesterday that David Gold, owner of Premier League club West Ham United, said the meeting represented the “first steps towards safe standing”.

Gold is a proponent of safe standing and in September confirmed that West Ham was looking into the possibility of introducing a dedicated standing area at London Stadium.

Premier League clubs are said to have differing views on the proposals, with Everton having already confirmed that it is not considering safe standing.

Dan Johnson, the Premier League’s director of communications, pointed to Scottish Premiership club Celtic’s use of ‘rail seats’ at its Celtic Park stadium as an example of a safe-standing solution that is viable.

“Maybe at some clubs it might be (a question of) how do we create an atmosphere and maintain it,” Johnson said. “But I think a lot of it is to do with listening to their fans and hearing they’re interested in looking at it.

“It’s very early stages. It’s a very emotive subject still, we’re acutely aware of that. A number of our clubs do want to discuss it so it’s on the agenda.

“We will discuss that but beyond that the only thing I can see happening at these early stages is a scoping exercise, talking to interested stakeholders – including fans’ groups and Hillsborough families, but also talking with the government because the legislation is still in place for all-seater stadium. I know it will create discussion, but it’s a long road and it might not necessarily lead to the introduction of safe standing.”

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