Facility Notes: SGSA Approves Shrewsbury Town's Safe Standing Request

The U.K. government's stadium inspectors approved League One side Shrewsbury Town's request to become the "first football club in England to introduce safe standing to an all-seater ground." The Sports Ground Safety Authority's "green light" means that the club will launch a crowdfunding initiative to raise the £75,000 ($98,300) "needed to pay for the project" next Wednesday (London DAILY MAIL, 7/26).

A "collection" of Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association fans "threatened to boycott all retail outlets in Croke Park" for next month's All-Ireland quarterfinal after they were advised by Dublin City Councillor Christy Burke that they "would not be able to bring in a giant flag to Dublin games, or any other games for that matter, at Croke Park." The ban comes after the GAA introduced a new safety directive last month which "dictates that all flags, bags or packages exceeding an A4 size (8.27in/21cm × 11.7/ 29.7cm) will be prohibited from the grounds" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 7/26).