Celtic the first Scottish club to introduce safe standing

All-seater stadiums are a legacy of the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 in which 96 Liverpool fans died during the FA cup semi- final clash against Nottingham Forest in Sheffield.

Hundreds more were injured in the tragedy.

The official inquiry into Hillsborough blamed police for failing to properly control or redirect the crowd as thousands of fans, who had arrived late for the game because of traffic and rail delays, attempted to enter the stadium at the same point.

In a bid to prevent any repeat, the Taylor Report recommended all top-flight clubs in England and Scotland introduce all-seater stadiums by 1994-95.

Initially, the authorities demanded all stadiums in Scotland’s top flight had a capacity of 10,000 but this was later reduced to 6,000.

Although many clubs – including St Johnstone, which opened the all-seater McDiarmid Park four months after Hillsborough – were moving towards introducing all-seater stadiums before the tragedy, they are not universally popular.

Critics say the cost of making stadiums compliant with the new rules damaged clubs financially while others claim the lack of terracing has harmed the atmosphere at games.

They also claim that when fans do stand up during a game it is more dangerous because it is easier to fall over the seats in front of them.

As a result, several clubs have campaigned for the introduction of safe-seating areas, and it might not be long before standing areas are seen again in top-flight matches in Scotland.

Last summer Celtic won the right to install a rail seating system at Parkhead that allows the seats to be locked in an upright position.

This will allow safe standing for 2,600 supporters during domestic league and cup matches.

Unlike in old terraces, each supporter has their own designated place to stand.

For European games, where all-seater stadiums are required, the seats are unlocked.