Been reading that Everton are seeking planning consent to build a brand new £500 million Stadium in the Cities Dock area. They are also going to seek permission to accommodate safe standing on two sides of the new ground. I watched the Merseyside Derby this afternoon and I'm sure that behind the goal that Everton were attacking in the second half, the entire crowd appeared to be standing up all the time. Did anyone else notice that, or am I imagining things.?
They always do from what I’ve seen, as do most clubs who have reputations for being loud and getting behind their side. You’ll notice the likes of Wednesday, Leeds, Sunderland, Newcastle etc all stand at Oakwell.
Makes for a much better atmosphere imho when fans are standing. It’s a divisive issue though and I understand that.....
"Safe standing" all these years on from Hillsborough and still this is being debated. Standing is perfectly safe when you aren't in a cage.
They were standing behind the goal and often do for big games. The vast majority of premier league sides have large areas standing every home game. Manchester United have both ends standing, even the top tier of the Stretford End usually stands which seems surprising. At Chelsea both ends stand, the Liverpool Kop tends to stand, Arsenal stand behind the goal, Spurs used to, Wolves have a full end standing for 90 mins, Huddersfield have an end standing, Leicester have two large sections, ditto West Ham and West Brom. There's probably only Fulham and Watford and Bournemouth who don't really stand anywhere. In the Championship most away fans stand, or at least huge sections do and the likes of Leeds, Villa, Derby, Forest, Norwich, Ipswich etc have established unofficial standing ends or sections at home games. There seems to be a collective acceptance of all the above which is fine by me, but it's ironic when the authorities are against safe standing but seem oblivious or powerless to stop it happening anyway within seated areas.
A bit different then from our East Stand.... all you need are a couple of folks standing up or arriving late and there's a mass chorus of "SIT DOWN". We like to enjoy our Saturday afternoon sit down and snooze in the East Stand and absolutely hate it when someone decides his bowels won't hold out until half time and disturbs the whole block. You can feel the anger caused by the disruption.
