Standing at home games.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

At some other clubs, you are allowed to stand up during the course of a match. Is there any rule that says you can't? FA or Reading FC?

I think that the club should implemented a safe-standing only area, maybe behind the goal in the North Stand, where people who wish to stand up during the game, can.

Views?

[Wycombe Royal]

Views?

Mine would be blocked, so sit down you selfish git.

[ZacNaloen]

Only place you could implement safe standing without blocking any views would be lower west.


Could change the atmosphere down there I suppose though.

[Silver Fox]

At some other clubs, you are allowed to stand up during the course of a match.

No you're not

[Sun Tzu]

I can't believe anyone old enough to claim their location is the Southbank can be asking such a question....

[Dirk Gently]

"Persisent standing" is forbidden under gound regulations.

In practie, what constitutes "Persisent standing" tends to vary from ground to ground and even amongst different areas in the same ground.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Reading fans. Sitting down since 1874.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Return to the old days on the Southbank. I have seen many people standing at football grounds. For instance, at Stoke yesterday and at Bristol City the other week. The 'East End' was standing throughout the game.

[St Pauli]

It's decided this way. If enough fans decide to stand and ignore any steward (and idiot behind them) telling them to sit down long enough, then stewards give up and let people stand.

If, as is the case at Reading on a normal league game, there are not enough people determined enough to stand that they will ignore stewards telling them to sit downen masse, stewards win in getting people to sit down. This is not always the case, often for big games like liverpool and Birmingham last year enough stand persistently that the stewards didn't bother.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

It's decided this way. If enough fans decide to stand and ignore any steward (and idiot behind them) telling them to sit down long enough, then stewards give up and let people stand.

If, as is the case at Reading on a normal league game, there are not enough people determined enough to stand that they will ignore stewards telling them to sit downen masse, stewards win in getting people to sit down. This is not always the case, often for big games like liverpool and Birmingham last year enough stand persistently that the stewards didn't bother.

I think that there should be a permanent standing only area, where fans who wish to stand can stand.

[St Pauli]

It's decided this way. If enough fans decide to stand and ignore any steward (and idiot behind them) telling them to sit down long enough, then stewards give up and let people stand.

If, as is the case at Reading on a normal league game, there are not enough people determined enough to stand that they will ignore stewards telling them to sit downen masse, stewards win in getting people to sit down. This is not always the case, often for big games like liverpool and Birmingham last year enough stand persistently that the stewards didn't bother.

I think that there should be a permanent standing only area, where fans who wish to stand can stand.

I do to. As they do in Germany, they have I believe a legal requirement to build terraces as well as seated areas when they build a new ground and many grounds have removable seated areas. But I don't think the British football authorities and government want standing areas in grounds, and I unless football fans wre to significantly step up the campaign for standing areas, I don't think they will ever be reintroduced into new stadia in the top two flights.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

It's decided this way. If enough fans decide to stand and ignore any steward (and idiot behind them) telling them to sit down long enough, then stewards give up and let people stand.

If, as is the case at Reading on a normal league game, there are not enough people determined enough to stand that they will ignore stewards telling them to sit downen masse, stewards win in getting people to sit down. This is not always the case, often for big games like liverpool and Birmingham last year enough stand persistently that the stewards didn't bother.

I think that there should be a permanent standing only area, where fans who wish to stand can stand.

I do to. As they do in Germany, they have I believe a legal requirement to build terraces as well as seated areas when they build a new ground and many grounds have removable seated areas. But I don't think the British football authorities and government want standing areas in grounds, and I unless football fans wre to significantly step up the campaign for standing areas, I don't think they will ever be reintroduced into new stadia in the top two flights.

But is there a law that says fans can't stand in an all-seater stadium. Is that the decision of the club to allow that or the FA?

[RoyalBlue]

"Persisent standing" is forbidden under gound regulations.

In practie, what constitutes "Persisent standing" tends to vary from ground to ground and even amongst different areas in the same ground.

It certainly does. If you come from Wales and inhabit the South Stand, it would appear that you only need sit down for a minute's rest at half time to avoid being treated as someone guilty of persistent standing!

[St Pauli]

But is there a law that says fans can't stand in an all-seater stadium. Is that the decision of the club to allow that or the FA?

It's the law that fans cannot 'persistently stand'. It's up to the 'club' which usually here means the safety officer and stewards at the ground to interpret what 'persistent standing' means, and to what extent and how strictly they enforce it. They also have to take into account whether they would be making the situation less safe by forcing people to sit down who don't want to. Wading in to a standing crowd is less safe then letting them stand (cos standing in a seated ground really isn't that dangerous, though it is IMO more dangerous then standing on a terrace, basically the removal of standing areas IMO has nothing to do with safety as is claimed and everything to do with commercialisation). Hence why they don't make large standing crowds sit down, but do to the odd 10 at the top of y25/26.

[North Somerset Royal]

I can't believe anyone old enough to claim their location is the Southbank can be asking such a question....

When I was a lad there was usually plenty of room on the South Bank to sit down if you wanted.

[Sun Tzu]

But is there a law that says fans can't stand in an all-seater stadium. Is that the decision of the club to allow that or the FA?

It's the law that fans cannot 'persistently stand'. It's up to the 'club' which usually here means the safety officer and stewards at the ground to interpret what 'persistent standing' means, and to what extent and how strictly they enforce it. They also have to take into account whether they would be making the situation less safe by forcing people to sit down who don't want to. Wading in to a standing crowd is less safe then letting them stand (cos standing in a seated ground really isn't that dangerous, though it is IMO more dangerous then standing on a terrace, basically the removal of standing areas IMO has nothing to do with safety as is claimed and everything to do with commercialisation). Hence why they don't make large standing crowds sit down, but do to the odd 10 at the top of y25/26.

I suspect another aspect of safety is that (on the whole) it's a lot harder for fans in seated areas to indulge in mass violence.. You can;t charge up and down a stand with seats in the same way you can a terrace, you can't mass in groups intent on violence if you are all supposed to be sat in designated seats, and if you do start trouble it's harder to run away from the stewards. Not 100 % true of course, and seats make useful missiles, but it's a factor in the authorities preferences I'm sure.

I'd agree with the idea that it would be nice to have terraces back in some form butcertain it won't happen at the Mad Stad any time soon, or anywhere else where it would need the structure of the ground to be changed.

[voyager1]

Reading FC have to ban persistent standing as required by the terms of their licence issued by the local authority. Its something every club have to do in their seated areas.

I did read somewhere that if a club doesn't enforce this, the local authority can take action and this would involve reducing the ground capacity by closing off the sections where persistent standing is occurring, or removing the offending rows.

[Royal With Cheese]

Reading fans. Sitting down since 1874.

What did they do the first 3 years of the clubs existance?

[Winchester Royal]

Reading fans. Sitting down since 1874.

What did they do the first 3 years of the clubs existance?

Stand?

[rob the royal]

Reading fans. Sitting down since 1874.

What did they do the first 3 years of the clubs existance?

Stand?

don't be silly. nobody ever turned up back then...

they just streamed it on the internet innit.