Top flight’s green light to bring back standing

STANDING areas are set to be offered at selected Premier League and Championship grounds from January 1, ending a blanket ban on standing in the top two tiers of English football which has lasted for more than 25 years.

Clubs subject to the government’s allseater policy will be invited to apply to join an ‘early adopter’ scheme by October 6.

Safe-standing trials will then run at the approved clubs from New Year’s Day until the end of the current season.

Chelsea (below), Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Wolves are among the clubs to have installed rail seating at their grounds, which can be converted to standing areas.

Spurs, Liverpool and City are understood to be keen to be part of the pilot and Championship club Cardiff said following the announcement they will look to offer a standing area this season.

The Football Supporters’ Association, which has campaigned in favour of safe standing for more than 30 years, described it as a ‘huge day’ for fans, with Pete Daykin, of the FSA’s Safe Standing campaign, calling it ‘an outbreak of common sense’.

Standing areas in the top two divisions were outlawed in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.

Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died that day and is the former chair of the disbanded Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: ‘Things have changed and we have got to move on with the times. And the times are that the younger ones especially and some of the older generation do like standing, but there is a seat for everyone and that is so important.’