Premier League clubs given green light for standing room

All clubs in the English Premier League will be able to apply for conversion to standing room in their stadiums from the coming season. A test phase for so-called “safe standing”, in which champions Manchester City, record champions Manchester United and Chelsea FC took part in the past season, has proved to be a success, the British government concludes.

“Thanks to robust testing, thorough evidence and modern technology, we are now ready to allow standing room in our stadiums again,” said Nadine Dorries, UK Secretary for Sport, Culture, Media and Digital. However, the clubs must meet “strict safety criteria” for the permit.

The pilot scheme marked the end of a blanket ban on standing room in the top two divisions of English football that had been in place since 1994.

The trigger for the complete conversion to seating was the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, in which 97 Liverpool fans died in the crowded stands before the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.