In 2019, the government committed to introducing standing areas in English football in its General Election manifesto. Moreover, this move has cross-party support. Soon four clubs from the Premier League and one from the Championship are to start their trials.

From the beginning of the 1994-95 season, under the law established by the governmental body called the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, all clubs in the two highest divisions in England had to have stadiums with individual seating. This was the aftermath of the 1989 disaster at Hillsborough. A lot has changed since then, and venues in England have become one of the most modern and safest in Europe.

This means that clubs, wanting to maximise the revenues from ticket sales, strive for even more fans who could see their beloved teams live in action. Watching favourite players while standing enhances reception of the football game. The emotions accompanying the supporters in such moments will certainly not be less intense than during a visit to the website bingo.com/casino.

© Justin Gill

Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea (Premier League) and Cardiff City from the Championship successfully applied for next year's safe standing trials. The pilot programme is to be monitored by an independent entity CFE Research and its results will be used to prepare a report for the government. If everything goes smoothly, it is possible to introduce safe standing to other stadiums ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Liverpool FC are already running their own trials with two areas of rail seats, but these activities are only about checking the safety of fans at certain moments of excitement in a game. The club from Merseyside will present its findings at the end of the season.

However, not everyone is enthusiastic about these proposals. Skeptics believe that standing sections will be crowded and male-dominated that could lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour. It is very likely that during the match fans from other sectors will move there, as the standing sections may be seen as more attractive to them. In addition, in the event of an emergency, the access of paramedics or the police may be obstructed.

© Jon Darch

The introduction of the above-mentioned changes to English football is largely due to the Football Supporters' Association (FSA), which for over 30 years sought approval for safe standing.

Among the greatest benefits that FSA representatives see after implementing the changes permanently is the fact that fans who decide to watch the match while standing will not obstruct the reception of the game to other supporters, in particular to women, children and people with disabilities.

UEFA is still skeptical about safe standing, requiring all supporters to take individual seats. This may cause some problems for English clubs playing in the European competitions not being able to use the standing sections.