Standing room ruled out for football clubs

Jun 24 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

A RETURN to terraced standing areas at top football clubs was ruled out last night by the Government.

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said he had discussed calls for “safe standing areas” with the Football Association, police, local authorities and the Home Office.

In a Commons written reply, he told Labour’s Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy: “No new evidence has been presented to suggest that there is a single more effective way of achieving safety as well as public order than all-seater stadia.

“The consensus among all parties is that there is no wish to re-introduce any standing areas at grounds in the top two divisions.

“The Government remains fully committed to the current policy.”

The recommendation for major sporting stadia in England to be all-seater was made in the report Lord Justice Taylor compiled following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 which led to the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters.