The Football Supporters' Federation has today launched an on-line petition to call for the re-introduction of standing in the top two divisions, in support of a private members bill by Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster.

Since the clubs in the top two divisions were forced to go all-seater in the summer of 1994, ticket prices have gone through the roof, while stadium capacities have been limited so it can be hard to get tickets for matches, especially for away games. Every survey on the issue has shown that many fans prefer to stand, but so far the Government and the Premier League have refused to budge and allow the re-introduction of terracing.

Things are very different in Germany, where clubs in the top flight have kept their large standing areas with the aid of new technology and stadium design, which ensure that terracing can be used without any fear of a repeat of the Hillsborough disaster. For years the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) has campaigned for these systems to be introduced to British grounds, and they now have the support of Bath MP Don Foster.

If Mr. Foster’s Private Member's Bill is passed it would permit (but NOT require) clubs in the Premier League and the Championship to have licensed safe standing areas if they wished to do so. And this week he organised a meeting to give the FSF their chance to put their case to the Football Licensing Authority, Football Association, Football League, and the Premier League.

The Football Association, Premier League and Football League's position is that all-seat stadiums have been a vital element in the game's rehabilitation after Hillsborough by encouraging more families and women to come to football. But the FSF point out that they are only asking for stadia to have a mixture of seats and terracing, so that those who prefer to sit down would still be able to do so. Nobody is saying that we want all-terracing stadia!

Sports minister Hugh Robertson has stressed he is very unlikely to allow any change, but has agreed at least to look at any strong evidence to show modern terracing can be safe, is able to be policed, and that there is a widespread demand from supporters. So this is where you come in, as we have to prove to the government that the majority of supporters do want to have the choice whether to sit or to stand.

Please write to your MP to ask them to support Don Foster’s Petition. You can find your MPs name and contact details by typing your home postcode into the following website:

How to contact your MP.

And please sign the FSF’s on-line petition on the issue.

Then one day we can make top flight football affordable for the masses once again and get the atmosphere back into our football grounds.

Photo: Action Images

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