So-called safe standing is "set to be introduced to English football for the first time" after League One side Shrewsbury Town applied to install rail seating at its ground, according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The club announced plans to convert around 400 seats at its 9,875-capacity home "by the end of next season" in what has been hailed as a "landmark step in the return of standing to the domestic game." The move comes three months after the government-appointed Sports Grounds Safety Authority "granted a request by the English Football League for so-called rail seating to be permitted in 21 stadia not subject to all-seater requirements." Scottish Premiership side Celtic installed rail seating at Parkhead last season -- Scotland is exempt from rules governing grounds in England and Wales -- "while the majority of professional sides are thought to be in favour of following suit" (TELEGRAPH, 6/27). The BBC reported Shrewsbury Town CEO Brian Caldwell said that the move at Celtic "improved the atmosphere and he expects the same for his club." Caldwell: "More people are encouraged to sing and get behind the team but also it's a safer environment as well. Our safety officer has been up to Celtic to see it in action and was very, very pleased with how safe and secure it was" (BBC, 6/27). The London INDEPENDENT reported should Shrewsbury Town win approval from the SGSA, it "would become the first all-seater stadium in England and Wales to introduce safe standing." Club fan group Supporters' Parliament joint-Chair Roger Groves said, "There's a clear demand from our fans for an area where they can stand safely. We see that at every game with several hundred choosing to stand at their seats, which is not altogether safe. Rail seats will ensure that nobody falls over no matter how wildly they celebrate a goal and, by having a dedicated standing area, we believe that the overall atmosphere in the stadium will also be enhanced" (INDEPENDENT, 6/27). The announcement was welcomed by EFL CEO Shaun Harvey, who said, "This is an important step on the journey towards our stated aim of seeing standing in stadiums across the EFL and I wish Shrewsbury Town every success in reaching their crowdfunding target to support their application" (EFL).
