Reds researching safe standing options
NOTTINGHAM Forest have confirmed they have researched the possibility of introducing safe standing areas at the City Ground.
In 2021, it was announced Premier League and Championship clubs would be able to offer licensed standing areas in stadiums from January 1, 2022, as part of a pilot programme. The likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Luton Town already have such sections at their grounds.
Reds chairman Tom Cartledge has previously described the club’s position as “pro-safe standing”. And now details of the research Forest have undertaken with a view to potentially implementing the idea have been shared.
Craig North, the Reds’ head of procurement and estates, outlined “the work the club have carried out over the past six months” when he gave a presentation on the subject at last month’s Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting.
Safe standing is seen as a way to “alleviate the pressure” from the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) with regards to persistent standing at the ground, while also “improving fan experience”.
The club’s minutes from the meeting state: “He (North) took the FAB through the research the club have undertaken, speaking with various suppliers and clubs.
“Nottingham Forest have visited numerous Premier League stadia, both independently and with suppliers, to inspect the various options of rail seating available to the club.
“Whilst there are multiple different systems, the two main types of system available are: integrated rail/ seat systems or an independent rail fixed around the existing system.
“Craig added that Safe Standing would ideally be introduced to the City Ground in various phases with the first phase looking to implement 2,364 seats in home areas in both the Bridgford Upper and Lower tiers, and 1,262 seats in the away area of the Bridgford Lower as per Premier League rules.”
Supporters’ group Forza Garibaldi have championed the idea for some time and had a representative at the meeting, Harry Fish, who led a discussion on Forza’s previous research. Their notes from the meeting state: “We are encouraging Forest to install the legitimate rail seating which involves an entire new frame and flush seating, and we presented a short piece within the meeting showcasing the importance of this solution being the chosen type at the City Ground.
“The case of Everton was also discussed, who are future proofing their new stadium by installing rail seating which could allow the capacity of the new stand to change from 13,000 to 20,000 if certain factors are met and legislation allows.
“Clearly, given capacity restrictions at the City Ground this is a much better prospect rather than installing rails into existing seats which will only absorb more space.
“We welcomed the chance to distribute our previous presentation to the FAB, and we also noted recent progress made by Luton who increased their attendance by 800 by installing a bespoke rail seated solution. We hope Forest can also take this dynamic approach to maximise capacity but also enhance the supporter experience.
“Ultimately Forest are seemingly still in the research stage and will need to (as with all decisions at the club) find the most appropriate cost benefit solution.
“We would oppose safe standing being funded via enhanced pricing in these areas, and do not believe the club would have an appetite to do this, regardless. However, the bottom line is this would be a significant financial outlay for the club, with no direct monetary return, and so we would welcome further dialogue about ways to justify the spend to find the right solution.”
The discussion on safe standing comes amid Forest coming under pressure in relation to persistent standing at the ground. In February, the club released a statement highlighting they were at risk of “severe sanctions” if the issue was not addressed.