Safe standing wins approval from Liverpool supporters union
Safe standing being implemented in stadiums across English and Welsh football moved closer on Monday with the Spirit of Shankly supporters union voting strongly in favour of the initiative.
The opinion of Liverpool fans was especially vital because the usage of all-seater stadiums was enforced in top-level football in response to 96 Reds supporters tragically losing their lives in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
(Courtesy: @spiritofshankly)
The overwhelming 88 percent approval means that Shrewsbury Town will launch plans to create a rail-seating area in the Salop Leisure Stand on Tuesday with added confidence. The League One club is set to become the pioneer of the plan, aiming to fundraise £75,000 to put a safe standing section that will house approximately 500 in the south stand of the New Meadow during the 2017-18 season.
Related: Shrewsbury applies to pioneer safe standing in England, Wales
The Shropshire outfit's expected alterations would mark the first time a club has chosen to switch seats for standing, and should pave the way for others to follow suit. West Bromwich Albion, situated just under an hour's drive east of Shrewsbury, has already offered to pilot rail seating in the Premier League.
The Hillsborough disaster inquiry report overseen by Lord Justice Taylor stated that leading teams in England and Wales had to play in front of all-seater stadiums under the Football Spectators Act. Those rules were relaxed for clubs in the third and fourth tiers in 1992, but the majority of new grounds have followed the criteria imposed by Taylor, including Shrewsbury's 10,000-capacity home which was opened in 2007.
The continued insistence of some supporters to stand, however, prompted a rethink in safety measures, and hopefully promises a better atmosphere.
"I grew up standing on the old-style terracing at football grounds," Roger Groves, who's been at the forefront of Shrewsbury's safe-standing push, told the Guardian's Amy Lawrence. "I used to stand on the 'Riverside' at the old Gay Meadow and the atmosphere was different. From speaking to the CEO he says the manager and players do like it more when the atmosphere is louder and more vibrant. Having this area behind a goal should help both the players on the pitch and supporters who do decide they want to stand have a much better and safer matchday experience."
Celtic's rail seating at Parkhead, installed by Shrewsbury-based company Ferco Seating for the 2016-17 campaign, has been a success, significantly boosting the atmosphere even though it comprises of just 3,000 tickets in a 60,000-seater stadium.