FA float plan to turn 40,000 Wembley seats into safe standing

THE prospect of turning Wembley’s top tier — almost half of the iconic stadium’s capacity — into safe standing has been discussed by officials.

While the FA say no plans are currently in place, Mail Sport understands that bosses are exploring ways to boost the atmosphere at the national stadium.

One option would be to turn all of the 39,165 seats on Level 5 into rail seating, which would allow fans to safely stand should they decide to do so.

One view is that such a move could create a cauldron of noise around the stadium, which would improve decibel levels at cup finals and England matches.

Seats in Level 5 are often the last to be snapped up by fans and such a move could make them more desirable. There are currently small safe standing sections in the ‘home’ and ‘away’ sections behind both goals at the 90,000-capacity venue. However, to extend that to a whole tier would be a major and drastic step.

FA officials remain sensitive to what is an emotive issue following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. They say that no plans are currently in place and that it would be too early to say they are considering expanding the existing safe standing areas.

But insiders have disclosed that such a move, which would be complicated given the stadium also operates as a music venue, has been raised. Any such change would need approval from a wide range of different authorities and must comply with safety regulations.

Should they decide to press ahead — and should any such proposals get the green light — it could prove transformative and would undoubtedly provide a lift for the Three Lions.

Standing was outlawed in the top two divisions of English football following the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster, when 97 Liverpool supporters died at an FA Cup semi- final after police failures and overcrowding on the Leppings Lane terrace.

However, after test events in 2022 that included both Manchester clubs, safe standing — effectively seats on rails that can be locked upright — was introduced to the Premier League and Championship and is now commonplace at many grounds. Such seats feature widely at European stadiums, with Celtic the first British club to introduce them in 2016.

Wembley will feature heavily at the 2028 European Championship, hosting both semis and the final.