Football Fans Census on the Stand Up Sit Down campaign:
‘Eighteen years after Hillsborough the issue of the choice to sit or stand whilst watching top football matches hasn`t gone away. Lord Justice Taylor, whose report on the tragedy expressed his view that all fans would gradually adapt and even come to prefer sitting has been proved, with the benefit of hindsight, incorrect. The debate continues. The Football Supporters` Federation will soon make a major contribution to this discussion with its soon to be released report.
‘This will advocate the right of clubs, working with their supporters, to introduce safe standing areas at all top grounds in England & Wales. 140 MPs of all political parties have already signed a parliamentary motion calling for a debate involving all concerned. One seminar for MPs and other interested organisations has been already been held. The property consultants and developers Drivers Jonas, who have worked with many football clubs on ground development and building sponsored this event. They are to be congratulated. Another seminar on similar lines for MPs is planned.
The results of the opinion poll conducted by the Football Fans` Census, an independent research and polling organisation shows overwhelming support for the choice to sit or stand, both amongst supporters who prefer to sit, as well as those who prefer to stand.’
Safe Standing
Results Summary
(results produced by the Football Fans Census and reproduced with the kind permission of Standupsitdown and FFC)
About The Survey
The national survey of 2,046 football fans was conducted by the Football Fans Census on behalf of ‘Safe Standing’ between 11th December 2006 and 6th January 2007.
The survey was conducted online and supporters of 159 teams were represented including all clubs in the Premiership and Football League. 46% of respondents were season ticket holders.
About The Football Fans Census
The Football Fans Census is a football research organisation. It has over 100,000 registered member/users.
Tables of Findings
Source ‘Safe Standing Survey’ by the Football Fans Census. Sample size 2,046 football fans.
Q1. Should fans be given the freedom to choose whether they stand (in ‘safe-standing’ areas) or sit inside football grounds?
| Yes | 92% |
| No | 07% |
| Don’t know | 01% |
Q2. Should ‘safe-standing’ areas be allowed in grounds?
| Yes – it should be mandatory | 27% |
| Yes – the option should be allowed | 65% |
| No – ‘safe standing’ shouldn’t be allowed | 07% |
| Don’t know | 01% |
Q3. If clubs went ahead with it, what percentage of a ground’s capacity should be allocated a ‘safe-standing’ area?
| Over 35% | 23% |
| 21- 35% | 36% |
| 11-20% | 24% |
| 10% or less | 11% |
| Don’t know | 06% |
Q4. Who should have the power to decide whether or not grounds should include ‘safe-standing’ areas?
| Gov/Dept of Culture,media & sport | 09% |
| Local authorities, councils and police | 20% |
| Individual clubs | 52% |
| Supporters | 17% |
| Don’t know | 02% |
Q5. If there was a ‘safe-standing’ area in your ground how often would you buy a standing ticket IF going to a match?
| All the time | 40% |
| More often than not | 23% |
| Occasionally | 17% |
| Never | 17% |
| Don’t know | 03% |
Q6. How would the introduction of ‘safe-standing’ areas affect your match attendance?
| I’d go to a lot more matches | 18% |
| I’d go to a few more matches | 13% |
| Wouldn’t affect my attendance | 65% |
| I’d go to a few less matches | 1% |
| I’d go to many less matches | 1% |
| Don’t know | 02% |
Q7. If designated standing areas were available would you generally prefer to use a standing or sitting area?
| Standing | 69% |
| Sitting | 31% |
Q8. What effect would the introduction of ‘safe-standing’ have on crowd trouble and hooliganism?
| Would improve the situation a lot | 04% |
| Would improve the situation slightly | 07% |
| Wouldn’t make any difference | 69% |
| Would make the situation slightly worse | 10% |
| Would make the situation a lot worse | 04% |
| Don’t know | 06% |
Q9. What effect would the introduction of ‘safe-standing’ have on spectator safety?
| Would improve safety a lot | 06% |
| Would improve safety slightly | 18% |
| Wouldn’t make any difference | 54% |
| Would make it slightly more unsafe | 14% |
| Would make it significantly more unsafe | 04% |
| Don’t know | 04% |
Q10. What effect would the introduction of ‘safe-standing’ have on your view during the match?
| Would improve it a lot | 17% |
| Would improve it slightly | 19% |
| Wouldn’t make any difference | 43% |
| Would make it slightly worse | 13% |
| Would make it significantly worse | 04% |
| Don’t know | 04% |
Q11. Do you think the introduction of ‘safe standing’ areas would improve the atmosphere at football?
| Yes – significantly | 72% |
| Yes – somewhat | 20% |
| No – it wouldn’t make any difference | 08% |
Q12. Overall, what effect would the introduction of ‘safe-standing’ have on your match-day experience?
| Would make it a lot more enjoyable | 52% |
| Would make it slightly more enjoyable | 26% |
| Wouldn’t make any difference | 17% |
| Would make it less enjoyable | 02% |
| Would make it significantly less enjoyable | 02% |
| Don’t know | 01% |
Q13. Regardless of your preference to stand or sit, do you think that there should be designated standing areas at all grounds, to allow choice for all supporters and overcome the current problem of supporters standing in seated areas, blocking the view of those behind who may wish to sit?
| Yes | 90% |
| No | 10% |
Q14. Do you think there can ever be such a thing as ‘safe standing’?
| Yes | 79% |
| No – but I would like there to be standing areas anyway | 13% |
| No – and I would not like there to be standing areas | 06% |
| Don’t know | 02% |
Q15. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a politician in Local Elections who supported the reintroduction of some form of standing at football?
| Much more likely | 29% |
| More likely | 24% |
| Would make no difference | 43% |
| Less likely | 02% |
| Much less likely | 02% |
Q16. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a politician in National Elections who supported the reintroduction of some form of standing at football?
| Much more likely | 25% |
| More likely | 25% |
| Would make no difference | 46% |
| Less likely | 02% |
| Much less likely | 02% |
Click here to go to the Football Fans Census and join up. They really are a very worthwhile set up getting feedback from the fans to the people who need it in the game. Their mission statement is to ‘provide an independent and neutral forum for football fans that is both an information resource and a platform enabling them to communicate opinion on issues related to the game.
I, myself, like to have a seat when watching matches, but I do tend to stand often, if the match is good that is. I know that in some cases this is unfortunate for those behind me…. But the best matches are definitely those were everyone stands and shouts and goes crazy, if you know what I mean.
Yes I do agree with you and wouldn’t be averse to having dedicated standing areas. That said though, I was reading some stuff about Hillsborough the other day (it was the anniversary I think) and it brought back just how bad things used to be. Things have definitely moved on from those days.
Sitting is *****e, my arse aint lardy enough to make it comfortable sitting in the rubbish plastic seats you have at grounds. Give me standing anyday
Give it time and it’ll get there Genghis!
The much maligned Taylor report was obviously written by people who hadn’t been to many football matches. Yes, Hillsborough etc were a disaster for all concerned, but that wasn’t anything to do with people sitting or standing at matches. It was because too many fans were herded into a small area of ground by mistake by a young copper, and because of the high fences there was no escape. I really miss standing at games, because the atmosphere (even in the dull games) was SO much better. So providing they kept the fences away (or allowed them to come down easily in an emergency) and brief the police on exactly what they’re supposed to do, I’m 110% all for it. But the chances of it coming back are minimal to say the least, because those who make these decisions are not football fans (see above). Didn’t I hear a few years ago of Dundee Utd conducting a trial of a standing area? Did that happen? What was the verdict?
Terraces were universally running with pish and ale, were often dangerous and lent themselves to the thuggery of the day.
There seems to be a movement in England to bring back all this crap – and it’s mainly younger folks and women (who have never stood on a real terrace), but who harbour a misplaced and romanticized view that equates it with returning the game to its so-called roots)
Celtic Park is an all-seater stadium and has the best atmosphere in Britain, all-seating doesn’t necessarily imply the loss of atmosphere.
You can have a good atmosphere in an all-seater, I’m just saying I remember the days of the packed terraces and there really is no comparison. Ale is banned at football matches, and toilet facilities have improved across the board, so what’s the problem?
I have to strongly disagree with you about Celtic Park, Craig. I’ve been to far more grounds with a better atmosphere. In Scotland both Easter Road and Tynecastle (yes I’m biased!) are far better. I’d also say that Old Trafford, Sunderland Stadium of Light and Anfield are much better, too. Parkhead seems a bit too….I don’t know…..spacious to have a good atmosphere. It’s actually pretty quiet most of the time, if you don’t include the pre-match “Walk Alone” rip-off.
Bottom line is, I and many others do not want to see a return to the football culture that prevailed in this country in the seventies and eighties. Seems that many of those campaigning for standing allude via some form of corrupted nostalgia or ignorance to that culture as ‘returning the game to its roots’.
As for Celtic Park – can you really beat this on a European night?
Craig, the football “culture” you allude to has IMO got nothing to do with whether people sit or stand at games, and everything to do with the alcohol policy in and around grounds. Since alcohol was banned, the yobbish culture became far less of an issue. Can’t really comment on Celtic Park as I’ve only ever been once, and didn’t see much of the match because there was a sodding great pillar in the way!
I actually agree with the arguments for and against standing. We definitely do look back on those days with more fondness than we actually had for it at the time – that’s what time can do. As for Parkhead on Euro nights, it does look a lot better than it normally does I must admit that, but generally there are other grounds with a better atmosphere. Only my view.
So-called “safe standing”, needs to be defined, constructed and trialled within a British football context.
On the atmosphere front lets open it up to discussion front page?
ok mate, will put an article up to that effect.
“stand up if you want to die”.., aye right!. Have we really forgotten so quickly?, I really do despair sometimes…
I don’t think people have forgotten, but time does soften views on certain things.
true, but i’ve seen enough needless deaths at football grounds to last me a lifetime.
Sorry to hear that, but I’m sure that as many of those were as much to do with the people as the stadium they were in. Remember Heysel: crumbling stadium, asking for trouble, but if people had just gone along to watch a football match in peace, everything would have been fine.