I watched a special report on Sky Sports news this morning before i went to college..... Is it time to bring back terraces for standing?...
The basis of the report was along the lines that somewhere between 10 to 20% of standing room only. I am from the old school, standing towards the back of the North Bank singing my heart out. I had a season ticket in the clock end when it went all seater and i hated it. I understand what happened at Hillsborough , things had to change...and believe me ive been in a few crushes, the worse being in the Park Lane end for Littlewoods semi final replay in 1987. I was experienced even by the age of 16 of crushes and large crowds, many a time i'd been in 55,000 + plus crowds at Highbury...for some bizzare reason mainly against Liverpool in the late 70's and 80's. Been at wembley in 100,000 crowds, so im well versed in the subject. A lot of people hate sitting down, will stand up, get told to sit down by some steward, who is only doing his job.
The report talked about somewhere between 10 to 20 % of grounds with standing....Im all for it. Not having standing has stopped the younger generation from serving their apprenticeship, of working their way up from the bottom left or right hand side of the North Bank, with their dad, uncles or brothers etc. The atmosphere was electric at times, singing and jumping up and down , not always in unison either!
The problem to me would be..how to police it, make sure that if for argument sake there was 5,000 standing places, was filled with 5,000 people. Make it all season ticket?, how about a registration scheme and you buy tickets first come first served basis. That could only encourage touts, and i know the club has found a way of getting rid of them). maybe a kind of supporters club style membership Even something based on the Ultras in Spain and Italy where the club sponser them. These groups can be fanatical to the point they have singing practice at times when the staduiom is empty! Without the violence , that goes without saying.
I know in Germany they have sections that are standing, but cant use them in European Matches. They have worked out how to make it safe. I had attended many non league matches too and continue to, and i love the fact you can stand, thought there are few grounds where the away end is all seater.
I feel sorry for the generations who have not been able to stand, there was something magic about it, i yearn for it, its how i grew up going to Highbury....The only thing i do not miss is finding a good spot...only 30 seconds before kick off 3 guys over 6ft 2 would stand in front of me!....but that was all part of the enjoyment.
Football has come a long way since the Taylor report, new stands or staduims, its generally safer to go to a match, but i think there is space for standing, not on the scale as there was before, but it could be workable.
What do the ones old enough to remember terraces think?...What about the ones who have never stood on the terraces?..would you like too or you happy with your seats? :flag: