Safe Standing and Atmosphere

[BladeByChoice]

I’m noticing safe standing/rail seating comments cropping up on various threads, maybe we’re all expecting the new owners to invest in the ground.

But one thing has always baffled me about how this equates to better atmosphere, I may be being thick and have missed something obvious but:

1. We all admit the atmosphere is not what it used to be.

2. We all know how to improve this, get the fans who want to stand and sing together.

So how will safe standing fix this, won’t we just be allocated a place to stand instead of a place to sit? Won’t we all be in the same place but stood up instead of sat down. Won’t non ST holders still have to buy match tickets that aren’t together / standing with mates.

Unless I’m totally wrong, the answer has to be standing blocks not individual places, blocks of about 250 places where you can buy an ST/MDT in a block, then if a group of ST holders have a mate who wants to attend a single match, they can buy a ticket in that block and all stand together.

I’ve read
https://www.standunited.uk/

And most of the articles here
https://thefsa.org.uk/?s=safe+standing

And can see the benefits to safe standing (I’m in KB4 and stand anyway) but I can’t see how it helps the atmosphere if the atmosphere generating fans are still fragmented.

 

[cahill]

Re: point 1, personally the atmosphere around where I sit ( back of gangway C on the Kop) is much better than I ever remember it. Singing all game. Great support for the team. One from t’other day « we’re gangway C, we’ll sing on our own »

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

I’m noticing safe standing/rail seating comments cropping up on various threads, maybe we’re all expecting the new owners to invest in the ground.

But one thing has always baffled me about how this equates to better atmosphere, I may be being thick and have missed something obvious but:

1. We all admit the atmosphere is not what it used to be.

2. We all know how to improve this, get the fans who want to stand and sing together.

So how will safe standing fix this, won’t we just be allocated a place to stand instead of a place to sit? Won’t we all be in the same place but stood up instead of sat down. Won’t non ST holders still have to buy match tickets that aren’t together / standing with mates.

Unless I’m totally wrong, the answer has to be standing blocks not individual places, blocks of about 250 places where you can buy an ST/MDT in a block, then if a group of ST holders have a mate who wants to attend a single match, they can buy a ticket in that block and all stand together.

I’ve read
https://www.standunited.uk/

And most of the articles here
https://thefsa.org.uk/?s=safe+standing

And can see the benefits to safe standing (I’m in KB4 and stand anyway) but I can’t see how it helps the atmosphere if the atmosphere generating fans are still fragmented.

I think the fact that a significant block of people are standing is a benefit in itself - people are much more likely to sing, and sing more loudly, when standing than when sitting.

In relation to the point about people being able to stand close together - I wonder what happens in practice? My experience is that when people are standing - even in seated areas - there’s much more fluidity about exactly where everyone is than when people are seated. Often at away games it’s possible to get a group of people together, even when there is allocated seating, on the basis that everyone’s standing anyway and people care less whether they’re in their allocated place. I suspect the same applies in ‘safe standing’ areas that - to a much greater degree - people stand in their groups and accommodate each other.

It’s something we’d probably have to ask fans who have ‘safe standing’ in their grounds, regarding how it works in reality. However, one way or the other, it certainly seems to improve the atmosphere.

 

[Valleyblade]

As I explained to my neice and nephew on Saturday. The main benefit of tarreacing was that you could invite anyone and all go to and be together at the match. Not we can get you tickets near us..etc. groups of pals, friends and families.

Simply being able to stand instead of sitting might help a little, but if the status quo remains, in that you have to stand in a space allocated like a seat, is there much point?

 

[loyalblade95]

Going back to the Norwich game, the atmosphere was quite flat at first but it soon picked up after the first goal, especially after Hamer's chip.

 

[alcoblade]

there’s much more fluidity about exactly where everyone is than when people are seated. Often at away games it’s possible to get a group of people together, even when there is allocated seating, on the basis that everyone’s standing anyway and people care less whether they’re in their allocated place. I suspect the same applies in ‘safe standing’ areas that - to a much greater degree - people stand in their groups and accommodate each other.

^^This.

So in the end it would depend on how heavily allocated seating was policed.

At away games, where everyone stands, it's much more prevalent for fans to move places and congregate.

 

[Jon Bon II]

Re: point 1, personally the atmosphere around where I sit ( back of gangway C on the Kop) is much better than I ever remember it. Singing all game. Great support for the team. One from t’other day « we’re gangway C, we’ll sing on our own »

Well that's a bit selfish. No wonder the atmosphere's flat then if that's your attitude. Surely it would be more beneficial to invite the other gangways to join in with you?

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Safe standing is the right way forward. I miss the old days but it was bedlem at times on the terraces.

Some things have changed, the football is sometimes (but not always) duller these days with more emphasis on not losing. Also, mobile phones are a modern distraction.

 

[N20 Blade]

Let's hope the arrival of BBD and TC add some much-needed spice to the atmosphere this evening. So important to win as it's a Friday, so that Sunderland feel some pressure tomorrow. They're playing Plymouth, so unlikely they'll slip up, but one never knows.