League One Side Shrewsbury Town recently installed safe-standing rail seats at its stadium.GETTY IMAGES
Premier League clubs will hold talks next month on safe standing in stadiums "as pressure builds for a change in the law," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. U.K. Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee Chair Damian Collins "called on the government to allow safe standing" and the issue will be raised at June's meeting of club chairs. The government has "resisted any change to the law" and Premier League chairs will be given an update on "research into the effects of standing areas on supporters' experience." It follows a successful trial of "rail seats" at Scottish Premiership side Celtic. Collins said that the committee "was likely to hold a hearing on the matter if there was no movement on legislation by the autumn." He said, "I believe it is time to get rid of the blanket ban on safe standing and allow clubs in the Premier League and Championship to come forward with proposals which can be signed off by the police and local authorities." League Championship side Norwich City Chair Ed Balls produced a film for Watchdog, which aired Wednesday on BBC One, "in support of safe standing." He said, "Things have moved on a long way in the last 20 years. A move to safe standing would be a lot safer than remaining with the status quo" (LONDON TIMES, 5/23).
