Would you back standing at St James' Park? Vote now!
Over the last few days I've noticed a few different articles cropping up about reintroducing standing areas to Premier League grounds.
None of them have been particularly Newcastle United orientated to be honest, but it has got me thinking. If it was ever allowed again, would you back a standing area at St James' Park? I know for definite that I'd back any campaign to reintroduce standing areas at matches, but I just wondered how the rest of you NUFC blog readers felt about it?
Despite the tales of woe from my medical yesterday, where it appears that I am close to dying, this is an area where my age will be of benefit as I can remember, just, when standing in grounds used to be the norm. The atmosphere used to be immense and you really felt part of proceedings as you were pushed and pulled about by the swell of the crowd. I guess the closest that I have been to that experience recently was Peterborough away last season as they still have terracing at the away end of the ground.
Personally, I don't think you can beat standing at a football match. If you go away from home it's what tends to happen anyway, and nobody ever really gets hurt. It's health and safety gone mad in some cases, which reminds me actually, I got told off for closing a door the other day because I hadn't been trained how to do so and it contravened health and safety regulations. Madness!
Anyway, back on topic, I fail to see how reintroducing a standing area would be a bad thing. For a start you would be able to get more people into a certain area of the ground which would increase capacity, and the fact that you would be standing should, theoretically anyway, reduce ticket prices. After all, it should be cheaper to stand surely?
It would also increase the atmosphere within the ground in my opinion. It always used to anyway, and it's a very valid point at the moment given that the singing section is to be moved. It's a win-win from me, although unfortunately I don't make the rules so I don't have much influence on any decision.
I understand that this is more of a broader football issue, but with very little going on at NUFC right now we may as well discuss it. The movement is growing for standing to be allowed within grounds, although obviously it will have to be done safely and with the welfare of people as the primary objective.
People will point towards disasters such as Hillsborough and will say that standing will just lead to more accidents of that nature. The thing is, that accident was caused by people surging in without an escape route for those at the front. These days there are no fences at the front of the stands so that won't be an issue and the crowd control is much more sophisticated than it was back then so numbers of fans can be monitored much easier.
Imagine the Gallowgate back to how it was, but better, with a roof to keep you dry this time and no open air piss troughs to think about. Imagine the East Stand mortuary being injected with a bit of life. Anyway, you get my point.
[poll id="10"]
