The 72 Football League Clubs have voted in favour of introducing so-called 'Safe Standing' at Championship level.At their meeting at Derby County on Thursday, Football League clubs were presented with the findings of the recent consultation regarding the use of standing accommodation at Football League matches.
A majority of responding clubs answered 'yes' to each of the four questions posed in the consultation, which were:
1: Should The Football League approach the Minister for Sport to request that the 'all-seater' stadia requirements for Championship clubs be reviewed with a view to the re-introduction of standing accommodation?
2: Should The Football League approach the Sports Grounds Safety Authority to request that rail seating products be licensed in Football League grounds?
3: Should clubs be permitted to accommodate supporters standing in rail seating in the Championship?
4: Should clubs be permitted to revert from seating to standing accommodation in League 1 and League 2 following relegation from the Championship?
Peter Daykin, Safe Standing Co-ordinator at the Football Supporters Federation, said, "Today's Football League statement makes clear that a proportion of football supporters want to stand and their football clubs are happy to give them that choice.
"In arriving at this decision, clubs have considered the arguments for and against, the opportunities standing affords and the concerns the issue throws up and it is quite right that the football family, the Government and police continue to engage in an open, honest, evidence-led debate on the subject.
"The FSF believe that a small number of controlled trials of safe standing areas is an excellent means of facilitating this debate.
"The 72 clubs of the Football League deserve great credit for the way they have approached this decision, as do the organisation's staff and board, and we would particularly like to thank the many supporters who lobbied their clubs to say ‘yes’ to safe standing. It’s crucial that individual fans continue to make their voices heard on this issue."
