EXCLUSIVE: Mark Farnworth, Preston North End's Ground Safety Officer on safe standing
Would it be feasible to turn part of Deepdale into an safe seating area?
"You can turn any stand into a safe standing area but legislation at the moment prohibits that. For an all-seater stadium people should sit down and that came about after the Hillsborough tragedy.
"In this country it is the first two leagues, the Premier League and Championship that have to be all-seater stadiums and in the remaining two leagues there is a an option for safe standing areas such as at Morecambe, who have a new ground the Globe Arena. "That has safe standing areas but at the moment Preston North End can’t put safe standing areas in until legislation changes." |
One of the problems with all-seater stadiums is when you have a selection of fans who choose to stand throughout the match. Do you think fans should be given the choice of whether to sit or stand?
"It’s not an option in an all-seater stadium. Ground league regulations say that there should be no persistant standing and the club have to follow the FA guidelines in relation to ground regulations so that’s not an option.
"There are various options available to clubs on how they police supporters that do stand. It can cause problems through minor disorder if we have to eject somebody that is persistently standing.
"The best way is to put interventions in place with them, just be nice and friendly, ‘You’re blocking somebodies view, it is an all-seater stadium, you’re not allowed to stand, please comply.’ And if you want to change it then write to the Government."
"There are various options available to clubs on how they police supporters that do stand. It can cause problems through minor disorder if we have to eject somebody that is persistently standing.
"The best way is to put interventions in place with them, just be nice and friendly, ‘You’re blocking somebodies view, it is an all-seater stadium, you’re not allowed to stand, please comply.’ And if you want to change it then write to the Government."
Is that something you feel is holding back the proposals that are being put forward?
"I would imagine so. I mean the Government always say ‘what is the demand for safe standing in grounds?’ People, at the end of the day, come to watch a football game whether they are sat down or standing doesn’t make any difference, they’ve come to watch a football game.
"If there is safe standing in the ground, fair enough we’ll manage that, but like I say, North End at the moment have to wait until the legislation is changed and then that will be a decision for the club if we were to make a safe standing area."
"If there is safe standing in the ground, fair enough we’ll manage that, but like I say, North End at the moment have to wait until the legislation is changed and then that will be a decision for the club if we were to make a safe standing area."
Is there any area of the ground which would be ideal for conversion?
"If we had to look at it there are areas of the ground where people do stand such as the Alan Kelly Stand, in there there is a minority of supporters that will stand throughout the game. Issues are you may get an away club coming and they may wish to stand as well so there’s a lot of talk to be done and a lot of decisions to be made and one of the decisions is obviously the cost to remove seats and to put rail seats in which is one option.
"It is a costly matter and the club have got to take that into account."
"It is a costly matter and the club have got to take that into account."