Northampton make a stand

RAIL SEATS ON WAY AT SIXFIELDS

ASeConD League one club — northampton Town — will follow Shrewsbury by introducing a safe standing section, adding momentum to the campaign for similar facilities at Premier League grounds.

Sportsmail revealed yesterday that Shrewsbury will become trailblazers to prove the idea’s viability to the Premier League and Government.

The chairman and chief executive of northampton — who came under Chinese ownership yesterday — have been in talks for over a year with their club’s supporters’ trust about the idea.

A survey of northampton fans four months ago revealed that more than 85 per cent were in favour of introducing rail seats to allow standing. A section is likely to be in place at the Sixfields Stadium for the 2018-19 season.

Shrewsbury want to open their section next season and were astonished to find the club briefly trending on social media yesterday amid news that they will lead the way. Fans are confident that they will raise the necessary £50,000£75,000 through crowdsourcing to get the safe-standing area built.

Shaun Harvey, the eFL chief executive, said: ‘It’s an important step on the journey towards our stated aim of seeing standing in stadiums across the eFL. I wish Shrewsbury Town every success.

‘The installation will be popular with the club’s fans and, more widely, will prove a valuable opportunity to assess its use at an english football ground.

‘We are aware that the Government is monitoring the installation of 3,000 rail seats at Celtic Park — which the eFL has been to view — and have been seen as a success.

‘We have had a clear mandate from our clubs to lobby for changes to the all-seat policy.’

Sportsmail understands that for safe standing to be introduced at bigger clubs, the Government will want to see a coalition — including the FA, Premier League and police — hammering on the door to press the issue. only then are they likely to consider changing the legislation introduced after the 1990 Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster.

Government will also want to hear the views of the families of those left bereaved by Hillsborough, a minority of whom remain opposed.

The Premier League will wait to see how clubs respond to a recent survey before deciding but FA chairman Greg Clarke has said he supports the idea.

The toughest task will be to convince the police. ‘I’d need to be convinced about safety and then start discussions on security,’ said Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts, Britain’s top football police officer.

‘Since the Taylor Report, we have had a really good safety record. Are as many fans happy sitting as standing? The shifting culture of football shows more families attending. Do we want to unpick that?’

The Football Supporters’ Federation — who have driven the campaign — are aware that there is still work to be done to convince Tottenham-supporting sports minister Tracey Crouch that the concept is viable and will hope to show her that the policy would be popular with families.