Standing at high flight soccer video games in England returns on Sunday after greater than 30 years when Chelsea welcome Liverpool at London’s Stamford Bridge stadium. All stadiums within the two high flights in English soccer, the Premier and Championship leagues, grew to become all-seater following the 1989 catastrophe when 97 Liverpool followers had been killed in a crush at Sheffield’s Hillsborough stadium. The return of standing on the terraces was welcomed Saturday by the chief of the organisation representing soccer followers.
“This is a big step ahead. This is one thing we’ve been campaigning for 30 years on,” said Kevin Miles, CEO of the Football Supporters Association. “It’s great to see people now being offered the choice on whether to sit or stand at a football match. I will feel more secure having that safety rail in front of me there. I think that will make a difference to the confidence of fans in the stands about their own safety.”
Standing is to be allowed at 5 stadiums as a part of a authorities pilot scheme to find out whether or not standing ought to be introduced again in any respect grounds, reviews Xinhua. As properly as Chelsea, Cardiff City, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, would be the first within the high two tiers of soccer to have licensed ‘safe standing’ in designated seated areas for residence and away followers.
“Fans have lengthy campaigned for the introduction of secure standing, so I’m happy that Stamford Bridge will launch this pilot program that can enable us to hold out an in-depth trial at a few of our greatest stadia over the rest of the season, and inform a call on a widespread roll-out. Safety can be completely paramount always,” said Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston on Saturday.
Detailed work is being carried out to monitor the early adopters of standing, with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) working with football clubs, supporters groups, local authorities and the police.
SGSA spokesman Ken Scott said that the early adopters programme would enable them to properly test and evaluate licensed standing areas and advise the government in its next steps.
Chelsea and Liverpool entered the new year in second and third places respectively, with Manchester City topping the Premier League table.
Read all of the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News right here.
