Time To Bring Back Terraces?

[SE13]

This is something I wrote quite a while ago for a different place, but the sentiment still remains.

The grand old days of terraces. The way we were brought up on football. Remember the days of maximum crowds, and that board outside stating that the ground was full. Remember the surges, the atmosphere being electric, those cheap tickets and most of all, the sheer passion of the supporters and the constant terrace chants.

Sadly there was in incident at Hillsborough in 1989 that changed the shape of football as we then knew it. It changed the shape of how we see the beautiful game, and ultimately killed the grounds as we knew them. I am certain that everyone is aware of the Hillsborough Disaster, and the findings of the subsequent enquiry. However this finding virtually laid all the blame with terraces, which in my opinion was wrong. Whichever way you look at that disaster, in no way was terracing to blame.

That report from Justice Taylor then dictated that we can now only sit to see the game of football within the grounds. That report from Justice Taylor has effectively priced the average supporter out of the game, killed the atmosphere within the grounds, and forced many teams to rebuild new stadia.

This is the same Justice Taylor that simply had no idea of football or it's passion. Had he ever attended a game of football? Perhaps we will never know, but I feel certain that he hasn't.

Terracing is perfectly safe, when controlled. I look to two examples here, firstly that of Highbury, where 20,000 used to stand behind the goal at The North Bank End. In 1989 it cost £8 to see the North London derby, where in 2006 it was £46. Take a look at the inflation rate, and justify that price hike. Secondly, Highbury used to hold 60,000 supporters prior to seating, a figure that Ashburton Grove at almost twice the size now holds.

Seats had to be paid for, as did the new grounds, so where else would the various clubs gain the revenue, but from the supporters. People will always want to go to the football, so for every person now priced out of the market, there is a "Hornby" to replace them. The clubs don't care, the money is still coming in, and people are sitting on the seats. The supporter of old is now discarded into a pile of "has-beens", with the attitude of "We've had their money, now let's have someone elses"

Terracing can be re-introduced as long as everything is controlled. An area dedicated for 10,000 people standing can be restricted to 10,000 quite easily, as the technology is there, and begging to be used. Let us take a short trip to Old Trafford. The Stretford End could easily have terraces on the lower tier, which would increase the capacity by anything up to 10,000. The standing prices are cheaper, the capacity greater, thus the revenue increases. This is not to mention the now increased atmosphere, not only from the standing areas, but from the ground in general, as noise tends to breed noise. I move to the brand new Ashburton Grove, where everything seems to beg for a lower tier terrace. Can you imagine how a move from "The Library" to their new home would be made all the more passionate with thousands of supporters behind the goal bouncing, generating noise, and having the time of their lives would make the difference?

Controlled terraces can and should be the future of football, after all, I was never asked whether I want to sit, I was forced to do so. I was never asked if it was ok to fund the new seats out of my pocket, it was forced on me. And ultimately, I despise the fact that no-one consulted me as to how I wish to view the game, despite having attended the best part of a thousand games. Yes, that bit was forced on me as well.

In summary, can we really recreate the glory days of terraces? I think not, but we can certainly push close, and attract the real supporters back into the grounds.

[Cheese]

This is something i wanted to start a topic on so thankyou for statring it.

unfortunately i never got to experiance the atmosphere of the terraces at Arsenal, i did in a lower league game but im sure it's not the same.
When i watch videos and see what i have missed out on and how great it look is upsetting a bit, i know about the hillsbrough accident and how the law was changed because of it but i believe that you can bring it back and it be just as safe as seating areas now, for instance take Ashburton Grove just like the away section you could have a standing section that is out of bounds from fans with seating tickets and as for over croweding that shouldn't happen noe we have automatic ticket entrances that will be able to count the number of fans entering the stadium.
Why shouldn't we have terraces back? I Germany they do in the top league and its safe enough, accidents don't have to happen like hillsbrough again, times have changed and safety and security is allot better than it was.

[SE13]

I'm just going to bite my tongue.... My views on terraces are far deeper than those I can actually post!!

Suffice to say that the money grabbing pillocks at the top have overlooked a bigger money-spinner...... And Justice Taylor, I'd love to sit and have a pint with you.......

[REG]

Just say it mate the passion runs forever in you


For me, i was born in March 1991 just a few weeks before we lifted the league championship & put an end to the mighty Liverpool that was around in the 1980s
Alot of trouble was around in the past with fans standing up but there was always a choice of that & sitting down in the East Stand with it not being much higher than standing on the North Bank
I only ever went through the North Bank once but looking at my photograph which i may upload later if i can be assed is off me asleep in my Dads arm with the background of a terrace & part of the west stand which is the only picture i have with me at Highbury in the background which i hold dear despite me haveing a scatch & pin marks on it
I have stood a couple of times in friendly games to watch Arsenal at Barnet & when i was little at Enfield which i sat on the wall because my legs were killing me but it as something different about it compared to me being on my ass like i am most of the time working at college or coming on ere
The other week at the Derby game i had a guy behind me that had a go at me thinking i didn't hear him but turning to ask what his problem was & was there anymore to say he soon was slienced which now makes me think everyone has got use to sitting down now but simply a safe idea for standing area on corners for the general public/members to buy a ticket for could be used
The people next to me went on a tour with Charlie Geroge in the summer & he told a fact that if the seats were the same size as they were at Highbury an extra 20,000 could fit each week, maybe Arsenal won't cut the price down much if that happened but with supporters standing thoughout the match in block 19 & 5 it shows that areas could be a possible idea for the future
Watching Fever Pitch today looking at all the supporters falling down from the back to right in the front was a experience that many enjoyed over the years & Arsenal always came out ok with no major injuries unlike the hoolingism that was aroudn in the 80s with Liverpool v Juve & the poor staff at Sheffield then would football be a better place for a fan????
Yes it would most def be as many loyal fans have been driven out of Arsenal & football because of it, as you said yourself SE13 once the North Bank went down you stopped going despite being such a real football supporter to Arsenal but not only has football games gone up for the working man but even the rail & coach fares which is why i don't get to go away games often with my pocket money

[Miss Lovely]

I'm just going to bite my tongue.... My views on terraces are far deeper than those I can actually post!!

Suffice to say that the money grabbing pillocks at the top have overlooked a bigger money-spinner...... And Justice Taylor, I'd love to sit and have a pint with you.......

you know i know exactly where you are coming from and even tho i'm a girl i feel i missed out on loads - only stood on the north bank a few times and at chelsea, spurs and a few other grounds, but no, it will never be that way again.

[SE13]

In all it's majestic glory:



The darkest day I can remember:



The memories I have from The North Bank are immeasurable. I look at the top picture, even see "my place" and it all comes flooding back.

[SE13]

Anyone on FaceBook that prefers the terraces, please join the group and promote it: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Bac ... 5487115417

[VCC]

Anyone on FaceBook that prefers the terraces, please join the group and promote it: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Bac ... 5487115417

Done!,

[Est83]

Done!

SE did you set this up? If so, is this the first time you've tried anything official with regards to some kind of petition?

You've got all the arguments, there are grounds across Europe that have terraces and are safe... I don't see why more can't come from this. Everything starts with a facebook page these days

[djaxster]

I Joined that group last week.

I was lucky to be the last generation of terrace supporters and actually didn't go to a match for years after the terraces were took away.

The excitment of the surge when your team scored was amazing. And people talked to eachother. Yes really. I have been to Arsenal matches since at Old Trafford, Wembley,Wert Ham(in the wrong end oops) Highbury and The Emirates and can say the atmosphere is soo different..It's bad.

One time in the Norf Bank, when it was terraces, we took it upon ourselves to have a game of footie look alikeys. One block from a distance " My Mate here looks like Keagan" And then me pointing out my mate saying " Who does he look like" "Gordan Strachan" a few Shouted back until the whole of the Norf Bank started singing"Strachan is a Gooner" my mate well chuffed and the Clock end Boys wandering WTF was going on at our end.

After that game me and mate( Gordan Strachan) Started to go to the Clock End where we had some amazing times. Once i got smacked by some big **** whose fist came through a row of coppers, to my greatest moment at Football.
We scored against Villa and we were surging left and right. My mate "Gordan" got pushed back by a copper and i heard a really bad snapping noise and me mate screaming out in agony.
He had his thumb inside one of the post and the OB had badly broke it. It all nearly kicked of as other Gooners had witnessed it. We were sent to the first aid in by the corner flag and "Gordan" was told he needed to go to hospital."No fooking way. I'm staying to watch the match".
So they put his arm in a sling and we got escorted to sit with the press photographers behind the advertising boardings.
Gretest view ever and just feet away from my Heroes Lukic, Adams, Dixon and Co. After the match Adams came over to us and asked wy we were sitiing there, we told him and him and a few others signed his sling. I bumped into my old mate a few months ago and he says he still has that sling although a few doctors tried to steal it from him at the Hospital later that night.

Now after years of going to watch games in terraces that is the worst thing i have seen so it wasn't that bad in them days.. Unless your first ever game was Millwall vs Ipswich, 75 or 76 i think. And thanks Grandad i still get the horrors about that match....

I now go to non league football were everyone stands and the banter is top form...The libarian looking like girl who to her boyfriends horror started singing to the Dartford keeper,after we kept calling him a pikey, "The wheels on yer house go round and round"
Classic!

[SE13]

Done!

SE did you set this up? If so, is this the first time you've tried anything official with regards to some kind of petition?

You've got all the arguments, there are grounds across Europe that have terraces and are safe... I don't see why more can't come from this. Everything starts with a facebook page these days

Yes, I have set it up. It's the first of a series of things I'm preparing, and I'm looking for fans of all clubs to unite together and force the issue.

One of the Lib-Dem policies was to look again at the possible introduction of terraces again, and as they're part of the Government, it's a damn good chance to get people to sit up and take notice.

If you do join the group, please spread the word to others and encourage them to do the same - The more members, the bigger the voice. 30% increase since that post, but given that there are only 14 members so far, it's little to boast about.

[Arsenal Tone]

Replacing seats with safe standing sections won't change the atmosphere though. If we had terraces back I'd imagine people would be allocated places to stand like they are currently allocated seats - that means the atmosphere won't be any better.

Outside the stadium and underneath the stands the atmosphere is great at the Emirates, it is once you get onto the stands and the crowd is dispersed that the atmosphere dies down. It won't make a bit of difference if people are stood up or sat down. If we want to improve the atmosphere then a better idea would be to make one of the stands (say the new north bank) unreserved seating.

Unreserved seating is the way forward IMO.

[ThereIsBearCüm]

terraces will never come back IMO, nor should they
they may be better for atmosphere, but you can guarantee there won't be another Hillsborough in an all seater stadium

[Est83]

terraces will never come back IMO, nor should they
they may be better for atmosphere, but you can guarantee there won't be another Hillsborough in an all seater stadium

There are standing stadiums across Europe that are used safely week in week out... no Hillsborough type incidents of any kind.

[Est83]

Replacing seats with safe standing sections won't change the atmosphere though. If we had terraces back I'd imagine people would be allocated places to stand like they are currently allocated seats - that means the atmosphere won't be any better.

Outside the stadium and underneath the stands the atmosphere is great at the Emirates, it is once you get onto the stands and the crowd is dispersed that the atmosphere dies down. It won't make a bit of difference if people are stood up or sat down. If we want to improve the atmosphere then a better idea would be to make one of the stands (say the new north bank) unreserved seating.

Unreserved seating is the way forward IMO.

Standing areas would mean a larger capacity, that alone should get the noise level up, but it could also mean a freeze on ticket prices for more than just the odd one or two years here and there, there might even be a price reduction in terraced areas in a largely seated stadium... point being, the good old working class fan won't be priced out, and Hectar/Hunter/[insert posh name here], won't go anywhere near the standing areas in fear of dropping his prawn sandwhich.