The Fear
A Wise Man (once sat next to him)
A growing problem for Clubs is that fans seem to have got the opinion that they can stand up because no one is forcing them to sit down.
What fans don't realise, is that the clubs are now getting into quite big trouble, which will lead to fines and potentially having a % of the tickets they can sell suspended i.e. the authories might say 10% have to be withheld.
Our club, so I'm told, has been targetted as the worst offender. I find it hard to believe, because of the constant pictures of the fans all standing at Anfield, however, this could well come to bite us and our club.
Do you stand? Do you think you have the right to stand? What would make you realise you don't and for you to sit down?
And if you do stand, do you realise how difficult you make the match experience for those not as fit, the older and some of the differently abled - not always fully disabled - ? It makes for a rotten match experience.
I know from my experience, I sat on the front row for a reason, I can't always keep getting up and down and can't always stand for the duration, which has always made away games painful affairs for me.
It is actually starting to ruin more and more fans experiences, the Club are getting more and more complaints.
I think this is a watch this space situation, as the standing won't be allowed to continue without hefty fines, at the very least for the Club.
"They can afford it." Might be the answer. Can they? No, they are a commercial enterprise, we want them to put the money in to make us top four and challenging again. We have a part to play.
"Those who are differently abled can go sit elsewhere or go in the disabled section." Can they? Where? Loads in the Holte End stand throughout the game. The North Stand Lower is pretty much all standing these days. So where do you suggest, in a stadium pretty much sold out with 30 000 season ticket holders and 20 000 members plus waiting lists? And why should people with issues have to move when the people with the problem are actually those standing?
"We should be allowed to stand." Totally different argument, I agree, it was never about standing, it was about putting us all in cages. Fact remains though, unless/until the law changes, we aren't allowed.
Thoughts?
What fans don't realise, is that the clubs are now getting into quite big trouble, which will lead to fines and potentially having a % of the tickets they can sell suspended i.e. the authories might say 10% have to be withheld.
Our club, so I'm told, has been targetted as the worst offender. I find it hard to believe, because of the constant pictures of the fans all standing at Anfield, however, this could well come to bite us and our club.
Do you stand? Do you think you have the right to stand? What would make you realise you don't and for you to sit down?
And if you do stand, do you realise how difficult you make the match experience for those not as fit, the older and some of the differently abled - not always fully disabled - ? It makes for a rotten match experience.
I know from my experience, I sat on the front row for a reason, I can't always keep getting up and down and can't always stand for the duration, which has always made away games painful affairs for me.
It is actually starting to ruin more and more fans experiences, the Club are getting more and more complaints.
I think this is a watch this space situation, as the standing won't be allowed to continue without hefty fines, at the very least for the Club.
"They can afford it." Might be the answer. Can they? No, they are a commercial enterprise, we want them to put the money in to make us top four and challenging again. We have a part to play.
"Those who are differently abled can go sit elsewhere or go in the disabled section." Can they? Where? Loads in the Holte End stand throughout the game. The North Stand Lower is pretty much all standing these days. So where do you suggest, in a stadium pretty much sold out with 30 000 season ticket holders and 20 000 members plus waiting lists? And why should people with issues have to move when the people with the problem are actually those standing?
"We should be allowed to stand." Totally different argument, I agree, it was never about standing, it was about putting us all in cages. Fact remains though, unless/until the law changes, we aren't allowed.
Thoughts?