West Brom volunteers to be part of pilot project for safe standing

West Bromwich Albion is willing to be the guinea pig.

West Brom confirmed its interest Saturday in acting as the pilot scheme for safe standing. The Premier League wrote to its 20 clubs, asking if they would be interested in taking part in a trial to reintroduce standing sections, and the Baggies jumped at the opportunity.

"I have written back to the Premier League and told them our position remains that we would be very keen to be involved in a pilot," said Mark Miles, West Brom's director of operations. "It is the same message I have delivered verbally at previous meetings."

Miles is leading West Brom's study of the prospects of safe standing becoming a feature at The Hawthorns. He indicated that the home and away sections at the Smethwick End are the most likely sites to be used in the pilot, and visited Celtic Park, which boasts a safe-standing section with a capacity of 2,600.

"As I have made clear from the outset, this is something football will not be able to introduce without a change of legislation - and that can't happen unless it is proven to provide a safer option for fans to watch games," Miles declared. "But as my visit to Celtic demonstrated, there is little doubt that it was clearly welcomed by the supporters as well as creating a unique atmosphere."

Clubs in the top two divisions of English football are legally required to have all-seater stadiums. The measure was recommended by the Taylor Report, which was published in 1990 and served as an inquiry into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster.