Terracing

[RedTop]

I'm sick of people getting the wrong end of the stick about the whole "return to terracing!".

I spend a lot of time speaking to members of the SUSD and helping out in any way I can.

The aim of the campaign is to ALLOW SMALL AREAS OF EACH GROUND WHERE PEOPLE CAN STAND BEHIND THEIR SEATS AS THEY CURRENTLY DO IN A LOT OF MATCHES UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY.

It makes me so mad when people who didn't like the terraces and prefer to sit fight against the campaign. These people must have misunderstood what the aims and "calls" are for! Those of you who like modern day football and like to sit with your family can do so. It is about CHOICE for those fans who want to stand to be allowed to. It would not affect anyones view who doesn't want to SO WHATS THE BLOODY PROBLEM!

Chalky, that's like arguing that no-one should have a right to express their opinion on Premier Seating unless they intend to use it!

If people genuinely think that standing has an effect on policing, hooliganism, or club finances they have every right to say what they think - regardless of where they sit. The impact potentially affects all of the club, even those who do not use it - just like the Premier Seating.

Personally, I can't see how people could argue that terracing, with the greater mobility and anonymity that it allows, does not have greater potential for hooliganism and does not make policing yobs more difficult. I'm not saying that all those who want terracing are yobs, of course they are not. But terracing does make it easier for knuckledraggers to move around towards trouble spots and then melt back into crowds. I think only when people who want standing accept that and talk about solutions can I be convinced it is even a goer.

I've already said that my opinion is that the solution should be more leniency in terms of people being allowed to stand in front of their seat. But I think reintroducing standing at Ashton Gate would be a retrograde step. If people want to fight for it, fine. But I can't see it happening myself.

[Blagdon red]

Chalky, that's like arguing that no-one should have a right to express their opinion on Premier Seating unless they intend to use it!

If people genuinely think that standing has an effect on policing, hooliganism, or club finances they have every right to say what they think - regardless of where they sit. The impact potentially affects all of the club, even those who do not use it - just like the Premier Seating.

Personally, I can't see how people could argue that terracing, with the greater mobility and anonymity that it allows, does not have greater potential for hooliganism and does not make policing yobs more difficult. I'm not saying that all those who want terracing are yobs, of course they are not. But terracing does make it easier for knuckledraggers to move around towards trouble spots and then melt back into crowds. I think only when people who want standing accept that and talk about solutions can I be convinced it is even a goer.

I've already said that my opinion is that the solution should be more leniency in terms of people being allowed to stand in front of their seat. But I think reintroducing standing at Ashton Gate would be a retrograde step. If people want to fight for it, fine. But I can't see it happening myself.

And that is precisely what the likes of the Stand Up, Sit Down campaign want to achieve ... and to make it EVEN safer for fans to do so, to have seats installed like those shown below in the areas designated for such leniency, i.e. with a barrier running the length of every single row, so that every fan has their "personal hand rail". The net result is just the same situation as there was in the EE today, when the club / stewards clearly decided to permit standing ... only it would be safer, because the fans would be standing at seats designed for the purpose, rather than at low-backed seats, under which you can catch your feet and over which you can quite easily topple. So we're singing from the same songsheet here - no to bringing back terraces, yes to permitting standing at your seat .... and then to avoid nuisance to seated fans, make that only in designated areas ... with the added safety of barriers between every row.