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Safe Standing Areas


Modernist
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And where will Motherwell FC who make meagre profits at the best of times (and now without a backer) find the finance to remodel a stadium with safe-standing - if they are to keep the price of all stands the same?

 

 

They can use some of the money they wil get for Humphrey, after all they sold St John and built the main stand. So they can sell Humphrey to pay for taking seats out and putting in crash barriers..........OK maybe not. It's a fair point you bring up .......... do they up the price of the standing area because that's the folks who want to stand or do they stick a pound on all prices so that it gets paid quicker and everyone foots the bill?

 

I think Fatcalf's idea is ok that you just have designated areas where you can get up out of your seat and stand if you want and the only reason you need designated areas is so that punters who want to sit don't get pissed off when others are standing.

 

However I am sure the authorities are not going to like that and will insist on safe standing areas. or alternatively they could agree with it but with the caviot that certain games will be deemed to be seating only. Lets face it, with the crowds we get for most of our games, there is no real danger. Although having suggested that i am sure they would make the old firm games seating only and then go ahead and not enforce it just like what happens now anyway.

 

This is way more complicated than it needs to be but I think the simplest solution is the designated areas where you can stand if you want. Then no need for modifications to grounds or tinkering with prices.

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These "safe standing areas" wont be as straightforward to implement as some people think, its not a return to the terracing of years ago, see the quote from SPL cheif exec below,

 

"When revealing the rule change, SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster was at pains to stress the plans do not signal a return to old-style terracing.

He pointing instead to modern systems used in Europe like 'rail' - where there is a safety barrier and a seat on every row which can be locked for domestic games and unfolded for other competitions or events."

 

This would involve considerable changes to existing infrastructure to implement, which implies a lot of cash the club can not afford. The plan is attractive to both of the ugly sisters as they can squeeze more fans into the ground, charge them the same as the seated areas and make more cash.

 

When you look at Fir Park there is no suitable area to convert, the old enclosure under the POD is a possibillity but would probably not be allowed as it would block emergency exits etc. So the main question is will Motherwell FC consider spending significant sums of money to implement a safe standing zone,to be a good investment...In my opinion i think they wont.

Perhaps if the club finally decide on moving to a new stadium at the Craig, the safe standing zone could be incorporated in to the design, but as it stands Fir park needs a lot more urgent work than safe standing areas, they struggle to spend money cleaning the seats etc in the POD so what chance is there with major reconstruction work !!

 

 

 

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It's unbolt the old seats, bolt in the new ones.

 

It's not an infrastructure change. We won't be hiring cranes and lifting equipment.

 

In fact you could probably do it over the weekend with a swiss army knife.

 

Hopefully as its an SPL trial there might be funding help for those clubs that want to swap one seat type for another.

 

The safe standing seats look as if they're off the shelf and have a similar footprint to the seating we currently have.

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It's unbolt the old seats, bolt in the new ones.

 

It's not an infrastructure change. We won't be hiring cranes and lifting equipment.

 

In fact you could probably do it over the weekend with a swiss army knife.

 

Hopefully as its an SPL trial there might be funding help for those clubs that want to swap one seat type for another.

 

The safe standing seats look as if they're off the shelf and have a similar footprint to the seating we currently have.

 

Wouldn't hold your breath !

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It's unbolt the old seats, bolt in the new ones.

 

It's not an infrastructure change. We won't be hiring cranes and lifting equipment.

 

In fact you could probably do it over the weekend with a swiss army knife.

 

Is it not like £50 or something more per seat than the current ones we own? In fact a quick google comes up with.

 

Current Safe-standing type seat £84 each

Current type seat £30 each

 

Quickly adds up if you want to put a reasonable amount of them in. And that is before Labour costs etc.

 

Hopefully as its an SPL trial there might be funding help for those clubs that want to swap one seat type for another.

 

Hope not. Would rather the SPL gave any spare money to grass roots or helped with the infrastructure at that level.

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This would involve considerable changes to existing infrastructure to implement, which implies a lot of cash the club can not afford. The plan is attractive to both of the ugly sisters as they can squeeze more fans into the ground, charge them the same as the seated areas and make more cash.

 

 

You've hit the nail on the head. This is the driving force behind the proposed changes.

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I am all for standing and do sit in this area however i know a few older people who sit in this section and never stand up throughout. Would they be happy to give up there seat???

Of course they wouldn't, and nor should they. Such a plan would have to be well thought-out, and would have to take into consideration the punters who currently reside in the area to be converted.

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If the club were to consider it, we wouldn't do so until to Stadium change!! fir Park is too fragile to lift out a few hundred seats and make infrastructure changes to house the Standing seats.

 

If we were to consider it, it would be the end stand of our new stadium that would be the standing stand! unless, of course, there would be enough interest to make one of the side stands all standing. I dont think it will be good if there was to be both in one stand.

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