Safe Standing

[Katzenjammer]

Genuine question to those who want a standing section - of a reasonable size - what are your thoughts on pricing. Would you expect tickets to be cheaper or the same as seats? Probably not an issue for those who choose to stand at the back of the Kop etc, more for those who’d transfer to it or returners to the Lane.

Should be cheaper.

Discount price for when some ruffian ne'r-do-well inevitably pisses on my back or burns a hole in my jacket with his Park Drive cigarette.

I also expect a free pair of Dr Martens boots with the first 100 tickets sold.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

It wouldn't be cheaper as it's 1 standing place for one seat. Maybe eventually they'll adjust this rule slightly to boost capacity but I doubt until then that will mean cheaper tickets.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

All away fans stand up and most at the back of the Kop stand up. So there you are…Our standing areas.

 

[TJB.]

Genuine question to those who want a standing section - of a reasonable size - what are your thoughts on pricing. Would you expect tickets to be cheaper or the same as seats? Probably not an issue for those who choose to stand at the back of the Kop etc, more for those who’d transfer to it or returners to the Lane.

More expensive than a normal Kop seat by 3 or 4 quid.

Realistically, if we want it, we're going to be the ones who have to pay for it.

 

[Sean Thornton]

More expensive than a normal Kop seat by 3 or 4 quid.

Realistically, if we want it, we're going to be the ones who have to pay for it.

Interesting. I was wondering more about people expecting it to be cheaper. The club, any club will only look at it if there is a chance of a return. But it’s not that simple to project the effect on income streams and will be affected by form and league position etc. For it to be cheaper it’s totally dependent on increased attendances, despite the fag packet calculations claiming it’s win win. I wouldn’t expect a quick return on the capital expenditure but any club would be very wary of diminishing income. Cheaper tickets would be likely to cause that without a new influx of fans or returnees.

 

[TJB.]

Interesting. I was wondering more about people expecting it to be cheaper. The club, any club will only look at it if there is a chance of a return. But it’s not that simple to project the effect on income streams and will be affected by form and league position etc. For it to be cheaper it’s totally dependent on increased attendances, despite the fag packet calculations claiming it’s win win. I wouldn’t expect a quick return on the capital expenditure but any club would be very wary of diminishing income. Cheaper tickets would be likely to cause that without a new influx of fans or returnees.

I think those expecting it to be cheaper are equating safe standing with terracing. They're not the same.

Clubs will need to price it up and calculate the payback based on how much they wish to charge fans for standing there. I suppose it depends on how quickly each club expects a return on the investment, but I don't think anyone should be under the illusion that it won't cost a bit more to get tickets there.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I'm safe standing...

Yeah, yeah yeah.

 

[mancunianblade]

Unless it’s an exclusive area such as the corner I don’t see how it can be priced any different to the rest of the stand. If safe standing is more than a seated ticket then just pay for a seated ticket and go stand in the safe standing section.

 

[Inter_blade83]

Stick it on BLUT, create a singing section. Who's with me?

Love,

Ricky

 

[JJBlade]

Should convert the useless Kop corner into a standing area

Or each section behind the pillars

It never bothered anybody before when the kop was all standing, but its understandable why somebody sat down would be pissed off at being sat behind one

 

[JJBlade]

Should be cheaper.

Discount price for when some ruffian ne'r-do-well inevitably pisses on my back or burns a hole in my jacket with his Park Drive cigarette.

I also expect a free pair of Dr Martens boots with the first 100 tickets sold.

But you can flip your seat over and sit if you want to so it will be the same price, I'd imagine.

What if we go 5-0 down ?
Half of them pissed and already vented their spleen at 2-0 and 3-0

I can't imagine anybody being stood up under those circumstances

 

[Inter_blade83]

But you can flip your seat over and sit if you want to so it will be the same price, I'd imagine.

What if we go 5-0 down ?
Half of them pissed and already vented their spleen at 2-0 and 3-0

I can't imagine anybody being stood up under those circumstances

When was the last time we were 0-5 at home?

Genuine question as I don't seem to recall it in the 31 years I've been going to the Lane.

 

[Inter_blade83]

Or each section behind the pillars

It never bothered anybody before when the kop was all standing, but its understandable why somebody sat down would be pissed off at being sat behind one

We've been saying the Kop needs a rebuild, witha bigger rake. Why not have a two sectioned stand, front behind the goal being safe standing, n seats behind.

 

[jt64]

It wouldn't be cheaper as it's 1 standing place for one seat

I don't know why people think that, in standing configuration, this is the case

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I don't know why people think that, in standing configuration, this is the case

Because that's what the regulations currently state

 

[TJB.]

Unless it’s an exclusive area such as the corner I don’t see how it can be priced any different to the rest of the stand. If safe standing is more than a seated ticket then just pay for a seated ticket and go stand in the safe standing section.

Steps must be taken to ensure that this categorically doesn't happen. An extra 500 people barging their way into a 2000 capacity area kind of defeats the object of safe standing.

And it still needs paying for.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Because that's what the regulations currently state

Agree......it's tentative steps at the moment, so it's a 1 to 1 ratio.
In Germany the seat to standings ratio is between 1 to 1.5 and as high as 1 to 1.8.

There's no way United will implement standing on the Kop until there's a case it can be financially viable.
Paying a few million to implement a few seats at the back would be money down the drain as those people currently stand up anyway.

I reckon in 5 to 10 years we'll have seen the success and safety of these new "safe standing" seats
and I would expect England to follow Germany and increase the capacities to at least a 1.5 ratio.
It's at that point United can consider re-building a bigger Kop stand with a capacity increased from the current 10.2K to over 15K.

Of course the concourse areas, toilet facilities and kiosks will need to be significantly expanded to deal with potential high numbers.
Also the steps leading in and out of the Kop will need to be larger too.

Basically nothing will happen at Bramall Lane regards upgrades/ expansion until the dust has settled a bit
and the government allow increased capacities in the safe standing areas.

 

[Upton_Blade]

I don't know why people think that, in standing configuration, this is the case

It's not terracing though as per the good old days.

There's still a seat so the capacity is still the same it's just that space is configured to allow either standing or sitting.

 

[ucandomagic]

When was the last time we were 0-5 at home?

Genuine question as I don't seem to recall it in the 31 years I've been going to the Lane.

Jan 29th 1972. Alan Ball sat on the ball taking the piss.

TC got revenge sitting on the ball the next season!

 

[Inter_blade83]

Jan 29th 1972. Alan Ball sat on the ball taking the piss.

TC got revenge sitting on the ball the next season!

Thought it might be.

Certainly not in my lifetime.

Worst one I've seen was 0-4 against Sunderland.

 

[Katzenjammer]

When was the last time we were 0-5 at home?

Genuine question as I don't seem to recall it in the 31 years I've been going to the Lane.

It was against Oldham Athletic on 2nd January 1988.

 

[jt64]

It's not terracing though as per the good old days.

There's still a seat so the capacity is still the same it's just that space is configured to allow either standing or sitting.

That's the thing. In standing configuration there is NOT a seat as it is locked out of use, and as far as I am aware that has never been permitted in the PL/Championship, as such it confuses me why the other guy is quoting "regulations" for something that's never happened outside of maybe Shrewsbury, where they're allowed terraces anyway

 

[Katzenjammer]

I demand unsafe standing.

Make Life Interesting Again.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I demand unsafe standing.

Make Life Interesting Again.

Near the front at away games.

 

[Stand United]

That's the thing. In standing configuration there is NOT a seat as it is locked out of use, and as far as I am aware that has never been permitted in the PL/Championship, as such it confuses me why the other guy is quoting "regulations" for something that's never happened outside of maybe Shrewsbury, where they're allowed terraces anyway

There’s regulations and guidance. The regulations were put into law last autumn to give the trial clubs exemptions from the all-seater laws. Regulations were tabled yesterday to expand this to all clubs covered by the all-seater legislation – these mention both seats incorporating a barrier (the Celtic/Shrewsbury/rail seat type) and seats with an independent barrier (as used by all 5 of the trial clubs). They give responsibility to the SGSA to determine what exactly the detail of this looks like as guidance that each SAG will take into account before licensing an area. One aspect currently is that to have licensed safe standing areas these have to be available in both home and away ends.

The seat locking aspect is a frustrating one, and which would probably require additional changes in regulation. I’m no lawyer, but as the regulations still refer to seats that probably rules out locking the seats in safe standing areas (ie a seat locked in position to prevent it being used as a seat is no longer a seat, and not therefore meeting the regulations).

But, these things evolve. The regs have in-built reviews for 2026 then every 5 years, so there will be natural opportunities going forward where this can be refined. Let’s not miss though that this is a potentially great opportunity to refresh areas of the ground with safe standing.

 

[Silent Blade]

Jan 29th 1972. Alan Ball sat on the ball taking the piss.

TC got revenge sitting on the ball the next season!

The following year, yes, but not the following season

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

I demand unsafe standing.

Make Life Interesting Again.

Bit nostalgic myself. Ages since I got doused in piss, knocked flat on my face or had to walk into casualty with a dart stuck in the back of my head or all of the above.

 

[JJBlade]

When was the last time we were 0-5 at home?

Genuine question as I don't seem to recall it in the 31 years I've been going to the Lane.

Thankfully it doesnt happen that often
It was only meant as a comment to illustrate that a standing area wouldn't necessarily mean everyone would stand all the time

By the way Oldham beat us 5-0 at Bramall Lane in the mid 80's

And in the late 70's we lost 5-0 5-0 and 5-1 in three consecutive games, the piggy joke at the time was "What's Sheffield Uniteds phone number 505051 ha ha ha"

Sunderland dicked us 4-0 late 90's or early 2000's maybe

And Arsenals under 7's put six, or was it seven past us a bit more recently than that

 

[Inter_blade83]

Thankfully it doesnt happen that often
It was only meant as a comment to illustrate that a standing area wouldn't necessarily mean everyone would stand all the time

By the way Oldham beat us 5-0 at Bramall Lane in the mid 80's

And in the late 70's we lost 5-0 5-0 and 5-1 in three consecutive games, the piggy joke at the time was "What's Sheffield Uniteds phone number 505051 ha ha ha"

Sunderland dicked us 4-0 late 90's or early 2000's maybe

And Arsenals under 7's put six, or was it seven past us a bit more recently than that

Arsenal was away.

Sunderland was the Michael Bridges show in the late 90s.

 

[BobblesBlade]

One thing I’ll always miss but I was young at the time is stood on the kop and when we scored jumping up to the fence and clinging on with one arm while the other thumping the air. Used to love it. You could proper celebrate a goal back then.