Making A Stand

WHY is the Premier League so against having terraces? Everyone knows a standing section is great for atmosphere - and that is what fans want.

I would be delighted to go and stand on the terraces and cheer my team on because I rarely use my seat when I am at a game.

The fear is that there will be a repeat of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, but what Premier League bigwigs need to consider in their calculations is that metal fences are no longer present in the English game.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "Football grounds are safer and more comfortable than they were 20 years ago." Though this is true, football is not about comfort, it is about entertainment and togetherness - the fans as one, being the twelfth man.

The Premier League's main argument for having all-seater stadia is so that more women and children will be encouraged to attend the games. Well, hold on a minute. No one suggested getting rid of the family stands. We want more people to get involved. All we want is a section of terraces for those who want to stand and bring back the atmospheres that football had decades ago.

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), who are leading the campaign to bring back the terraces to the top two divisions in England, are using the German Bundesliga as their prime example as to why standing areas should be reintroduced to the English league.

German stadium expert Professor Gunter Pilz said: "You can't sing and make a good atmosphere when you are sitting." He also believes that the chances of another disaster like Hillsborough is very unlikely. "We have never had safety problems with standing in Germany."

There are plenty of stadiums in the lower tiers of English football that still have terraced areas, and there are no health and safety issues whatsoever. There might not be as many fans, but even so this is evidence enough for the Premier League to reintroduce standing areas for supporters who want it.

Football is for everyone, not just for prawn sandwich eaters who take flasks and blankets.

Look at the German example. The Bundesliga is becoming bigger and better than ever and fans are enjoying the atmosphere. Maybe the Premier League should take a leaf out of their book and stop worrying about health and safety and start worrying about the decay of fans' enjoyment.

It is time to give something back to the supporters.