Ask any long-standing football fan and they will tell you, there’s nothing quite like standing on the terraces, shoulder to shoulder, belting out chants and riding every high and low together. It’s fun, it’s loud and quite frankly, it just feels more like football.
However, since the tragic events of the Hillsborough disaster on 15th April 1989, standing at top-flight English football matches all but disappeared. The Taylor Report that followed led to legislation requiring all-seater stadiums in the Premier League and Championship - a necessary step to prioritise fan safety.
But since then, both time and technology have moved on, which has meant ‘safe standing’ is being adopted by more and more clubs today. This isn’t a return to the old terraces, but a carefully designed system using rail seating, with barriers and designated spaces to allow fans to stand safely without the risks associated with overcrowding or surging. It’s heavily regulated and clubs must meet strict standards set out by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA).
In our view, absolutely. From experience, the difference in atmosphere is night and day. Safe standing zones often become the heartbeat of the stadium, giving fans a space to sing, cheer, and truly get behind their team. It brings people together and helps to create energy that in truth, can get lost in an all-seater ground.
Of course, it’s not perfect. If you're a bit on the short side or unlucky with your view, you might find yourself peering around the shoulders of someone struggling to see. And by the 85th minute, your knees might start to question your life choices.
But those are minor trade-offs for what standing brings to the game. Football isn’t just about the action on the pitch, it’s about passion, community and the shared experience of being part of something bigger. Safe standing gives fans the best of both worlds - the spirit of the terraces, with the safety of modern infrastructure.
So yes, we’d love to see every ground offer it. Because some moments in football just aren’t meant to be experienced sitting down.