Standing stands back to PL

[Liquidator 5,176]

I'm on the fans forum, so I'm privy to a lot of information that 99.9% of fan's won't have access to. It's totally pointless anyway, you all want them installed in the Shed and Harding Lowers, why? They are the only 2 areas of the stadium that do not need improving so it wouldn't do anything.

They post minutes from the meetings on the club website. Do other discussions happen as well?

[Joe Tyler 84]

Yeah, they only post, i suppose bullet points would be the best way to put it, plus we have time to have an informal chat as well. They last for 2-3 hours and condense it down to like 3 or 4 pages.

[Liquidator 5,176]

We usually stand in the shed upper in the area next to the away fans where I am. It is useful to have a seat at half time but I'd rather pay £15 less for a ticket (if it decreases that much) and not have a seat. Having a seat behind me only bothers me if we are moving around a lot but 10 men went to mow and the bouncy and one step beyond are the only songs where people really physically move. English fans, even where standing is allowed, don't really do synchronized jumping or anything like that like in Germany. A little bit of extra space when celebrating would be nice ideally.

Joe I know people do stand in MHL and SL but it would be nice not to have stewards occasionally taking a stand and people complying (happened a lot in MHL in Europa League last year) and having to start stand up if you hate Tottenham to get everyone on their feet again. Being able to stand legally and not having annoying stewards telling you to sit down would be nice.

[Joe Tyler 84]

I'm not saying the stewards aren't annoying, although the lets all do the stewards song is fun, they are annoying, and they do it because of the restricted views at the back of the SL and MHL tiers and a £35 standing ticket would be fine, but they won't do that because it reduces revenue and I'm not saying it's a stupid idea if implemented properly, I'm just stating that it's not going to happen or work at the Bridge. I'm 6 foot 4 and well built, I'm not a small person and the seat behind me has never bothered me. The Dortmund thing they do looks great but they pay like £12 and if I had one of those massive flags flying in front of my face the whole game and didn't see the match I would be very annoyed! This was from some notes we had: 'A survey raised the issue of the possibility of introducing 'safe standing' to Stamford Bridge. The club view is that government legislation would have to change first, such a move would likely reduce stadium capacity, and feel it unlikely that a majority of Premier League clubs would support such a move.'

[Rmpr 8,977]

Ok, firstly, I've been to hundreds of Chelsea matches.

So?

Secondly the main argument everyone is making is to increase capacity not reduce it

That would be a totally different debate...

What people suggested was a simple seat renovation in the two sections behind the goal, nothing more. Something provisional for people to be able to legally stand in a hypothetical scenario where the FA allowed it.

The increase of capacity is a whole other discussion and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with making the two lower stands behind the goal seat-less.

thirdly, I don't want to sit elsewhere, I sing till I can't make another sound so I don't want to sit in silence elsewhere

Stadiums should be democratic places and a standing stand will help make Stamford Bridge more accessible to a priced-out fan base!

The club wont have how to justify 50 quids for a section you cant even seat. So more people will be able to pay for it! (and that is not even counting the noise factor).

If you still want to sing, there is Shed Upper and MHU for it....I know you will quote me complaining you dont want to do that either, but I dont give a flying fuck for you seating at halftime if that will bring positive returns for the club.

and fourthly for the 3rd time, THE SHED LOWER AND HARDING LOWER STAND ANYWAY!!!

I know that, but it isnt the same as having an official standing section and you know it!

People get more creative and excited when they have no option but to stand.

And I do know all the complications surrounding Stamford Bridge and the immediate area, I know it inside out.

And I believe you!

I know fuck all about it, I have never been there. If you tell me it is impossible to do so, I will have to shut up and accept it. But that is not what you said, you said you dont want to because it doesnt bother you and you want to sit down at halftime...

I want it because I think it will make the stadium better (even though I have never watched a game live): SB would have Shed Lower and MHL for the more hardcore and/or poorer fans.Shed Upper and MHU for those who still to participate but with a decent level of comfort. And the two middle stands for families, business man, tourists, etc. I personally think it would be much better and appeal to a broader audience!

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

Unfortunately under the Taylor report, and the evil triumpherate of Thatcher, scouse fans, and the then secretary of sport Colin Moynihan -(feel free to google the gimp)- I can never foresee a government bringing it back.

Theres no incentive to bring it back, only a risk to a government. It would take one publicised accident, and then political disaster for which ever administration brought it back. It would not be politically expedient, nor financially rewarding for clubs.

You can still stand at lower league football, and anyone who goes away with chelsea knows that we always stand anyway, much to the dismay of the resident stewards. (I dont know if you remember@jo tyler, but we actually had a brief conversation about this at West brom last season).

Most of the matches at SB in the 70s and 80s were cheap as chips, more atmospheric, and you could always get a transfer to the benches to rest yer bones. You could be lifted up and carried in theShed just from the sheer crush of bodies around you - and sitting was the preserve of the middle classes generally,a minority. This the real reason it wont return - football always has been a working class game, Thatcher wanted to destroy the working class and part of that was creating aspirations in people, and letting them convince themselves they were middle class.

When standing was the norm, the media used to say after every punch up, pitch invasion, that "football was ruined by a hooligan fringe, or a mindless majority". The reality was it was ruined by a" well heeled minority" who on the pretext of "safety" saw the perfect opportunity to fleece fans.

[Joe Tyler 84]

Our atmosphere is a victim of our success and expectations of the team and no matter what we do, safe standing, cheap seats, singing sections, it doesn't matter, that will not change whilst we are one of the worlds top teams unless because of our culture, us Brits like to take it easy when we are complacent. Have you never noticed how, unlike at most clubs, who 'only sing when your winning' our atmosphere and support increases if we go behind to an inferior team? We are more likely to sing with more force when we're losing in the majority of games. The last massive European night we had, Barcelona in the Semi Final in 2012, I was in the Shed Upper and trust me, there was no problem with the atmosphere that night, why.... because we were not expected to win 3 or 4 nil at a canter, we were the underdogs.

[zolayes 14,489]

The average age of fans has risen steadily over the last two decades. Price increases have contributed to this. Older fans arent less passionate we just

have less energy . Im not sure I could comfortably stand through an entire game now. Incidentally before all seaters arrived we often queued for an hour and were

in our standing places for perhaps an hour before kick off ... 4 hours standing at the ground and not counting the tube to Fulham Broadway ..

[Liquidator 5,176]

Can someone, preferably a politician or senior policeman, explain to me why it is considered 'safe' and legal for 100,000 people to jump around, create mosh pits, uncontrollably push each other, stand on top of each other and consume alcohol while out their mind on crack at a concert at Wembley stadium but it is deemed 'unsafe' and illegal to stand and jump around in a set space at a football match?

[Changingman_2000 876]

A return to terracing is required if the integrity of what is essentially a working class sport is maintained, before its too late

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Can someone, preferably a politician or senior policeman, explain to me why it is considered 'safe' and legal for 100,000 people to jump around, create mosh pits, uncontrollably push each other, stand on top of each other and consume alcohol while out their mind on crack at a concert at Wembley stadium but it is deemed 'unsafe' and illegal to stand and jump around in a set space at a football match?

Good point.Really good point.At least at a match its easier to get out of as well whereas in a concert you get stuck.Its not like you can really jump anywhere anyway your in a space cant exactly jump miles down the row

[Liquidator 5,176]

@Joe Tyler,

Not really relevant to standing but is it true that there was talk at the fans forum about bringing child ticket prices up to 21 years old from 18?