Standing at home games.

[Royal Lady]

Nice to see the stewards in the South Stand ignoring H&S for a large part of the game yesterday and letting Palace fans stand in the aisles during the game.

[working class hero]

Sadly the law was draconian for a reason. The smug middle classes over at the FSF bluster about fans being treated badly - but unless they are a complete set of tools they must realise why football attracted such reactionary laws?
Sadly on most message boards there is evidence that there are many who would like to partake of some 70s style violence. And if the authorities relaxed I guess they fear a return to past times wth the neanderthals coming back. Even in the 90s the England fans were followed by a sizeable hooligan element and it is only by barring them travelling that this was stopped. Surely even more strict than enforced seating and not allowing alcohol at the seats?

FWIW getting your head kicked in was always a vastly over rated part of the day out

[cmonurz]

Special rules for footie fans, just like not being allowed alcohol at your seat but you are for rugby and concerts at the stadium

With rugby, fans have mixed seating and enjoy the game lagered up without fighting with each other, it's a completely different atmosphere. Perhaps alcohol would be allowed in football matches if fans could be trusted not to beat each other.

[weybridgewanderer]

maybe standing would be allowed if fans could be trusted not to beat each other....

[Svlad Cjelli]

What relevance is it whether supporters sit or stand when they are segregated?

[Jerry St Clair]

With rugby, fans have mixed seating and enjoy the game lagered up without fighting with each other, it's a completely different atmosphere. Perhaps alcohol would be allowed in football matches if fans could be trusted not to beat each other.

Depends whether you mean rugby league or rugby union. League certainly has a problem with violent behaviour by some supporters and isn't subject to the same legislation as football.

[cmonurz]

So it's Northerners that are the problem then.

Seriously though, and I meant union, if fans are going to complain about matchday 'rules' then they need to consider their matchday behaviour. I'll once again harp back to Germany and the atmosphere in their stadiums which is about supporters making a fcuking racket and getting behind their team, not 26 spotty kids trying to work out how to fit a 'Your Mum' joke into a song. Not only is our support quiet, it's also desperately unimaginative and immature.

'Standing at home games' only highlights the point. Themz the rules, deal with it. I've never seen a steward force people to sit down when 1,000+ rise in unison to sing a song, and they couldn't if they tried. So create an atmosphere, and maybe things will change.

[weybridgewanderer]

What relevance is it whether supporters sit or stand when they are segregated?

what relevance is it if supporters drink alcohol at their seat when they are segregated?

[Royal Lady]

What relevance is it whether supporters sit or stand when they are segregated?

Well quite. Only on Saturday, as we walking down the hill, some silly nobber gestured the 3-0 sign to the Palace fans but when they invited him to "come on then" - he quickened his step away from them.

[Svlad Cjelli]

What relevance is it whether supporters sit or stand when they are segregated?

what relevance is it if supporters drink alcohol at their seat when they are segregated?

Researchers suggest that the current drinking regulations - Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 - actually make things worse. What you get is people drinking down a couple of pints or more quickly between about 2 pm and 2.45 pm in order to beat the deadline. It's been suggested that allowing people to drink during the game, without the 2.45 cut off point, would mean that they'd drink more slowly and so end up less drunk.

[Royal Lady]

so, no relevance then

[T.R.O.L.I.]

It's been suggested that allowing people to drink during the game, without the 2.45 cut off point, would mean that they'd drink more slowly and so end up less drunk.

Unless they're Hugo Boss of course.

[davis69]

How on earth is standing guna lead to a major incident you still have a seat allocare for a safe area to stand. Surely if you cant stand during the game tjen shouldnt the same rules apply during half time and before the game. Why is it permitted safe to stand at music concerts but not football hes bit of

Heysel..., Hillsborough...

what about them?

Heysel caused by liverpool fans causing trouble and hilsbourgh was overcrowding where two many fans being let in. That wont happen anymore with allocated seat that you can still stand in. I understand that some people want to seat and got no problem with that just sit down low in the stand.

[weybridgewanderer]

please don't misunderstand me, I am not against "safe standing areas"

there are a load of "special rules" applied to football fans that are not applied to other large events, not just the requirement to remain seated.

when there is a concert at the madejski, do the stewards keep asking everyone to sit down?

However, it is not they club that makes the rules here. It is the government and enforced by the local authority through the issue of and/or witdrawal of a safety certificate.

So, those of you that want safe standing, rather than whinging about the stewards that are doing their job, go and meet your MP and discuss it with him.

Now, as for several thousand away fans standing and not being approached, health and safety suggests it is better to leave them standing and then reduce their ticket allocation the next time they rock up. we could do the same thing in the east stand, all stand and then get the capacity on the safety certificate reduced.

If you want this to change, talk to your MP

[Svlad Cjelli]

.....

If you want this to change, talk to your MP

Even better add your name and positive comments to this :

http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/cutting-business-and-third-sector-regulations/remove-requirement-for-top-level-football-grounds-to-be-all-seated

Thsi isn't just yet another internet petition - this is th new Governemnt's webiste to "allow people in the UK to put forward their ideas on how we can strengthen civil liberties, get rid of unnecessary laws, and cut regulation. The new Coalition Government, invited you to collaborate on ideas for freedom and change."