April 26 – A petition calling for English Premier League and Championship clubs to be allowed to have limited standing areas at their stadiums has been signed by 100,000 people, the threshold that means it will now be considered for debate by parliamentarians.
The government said earlier this month there were no plans to change the all-seater policy after West Bromich Albion had a safe-standing proposal rejected.
Standing was outlawed following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans but there have been growing calls in recent years to bring it back.
After the petition reached the 100,000 mark, the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) said in a statement: “We would like to thank every last fan who signed the petition and helped take standing to Parliament – the sheer number of fans involved shows the strength of feeling on an issue that isn’t going away.
“This is not just a ‘vocal minority’ as the sports minister presumed – the overwhelming majority of fans back the choice to sit or stand, as do most clubs and a growing number of MPs who will look forward to the debate.”
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