Helen Calls For Safe Standing at Football Matches (Helen Foster-Grime)

Helen Foster-Grime <info@helenfostergrime.com>

Helen Calls For Safe Standing at Football Matches

September 28, 2008 3:40 PM

Helen, her children and Stockport County team captain Gary Owen, at the Civic Reception to celebrate Stockport's promotion to League 1

Helen, her sons and Stockport County team captain Gareth Owen at the civic reception to celebrate Stockport's promotion to League 1

Helen Foster-Grime, North West European Parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems, continues her campaign for safe standing at football matches. Helen says, "John Leech, our Lib Dem MP for Manchester Withington, called again today on the BBC Politics Show for the Government to look seriously at this issue."

Helen added, "We recently voted at our Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth in favour of replacing regulations requiring spectators to be seated, with new ones clearly setting out standards under which a safe standing area may be licensed."

Helen and her Lib Dem colleagues believe that the Government should direct the Football Licensing Authority to prepare suitable guidance under which domestic football clubs, working with their supporters, may introduce safe standing areas.

Helen said, "As a mum who takes her three young sons to football matches regularly, safety is of course my paramount concern. I believe that safe standing is extremely popular with supporters and provides choice, social inclusion and camaraderie in our national game. In Europe, notably in Germany, these areas operate safely and successfully, so it's time the British Government started listening to the fans. It's time for action!"

Since 1994, all football clubs in the Premiership and the Football League Championship have been required to provide all-seater accommodation. Model ground regulations, recommended by the Premier and Football Leagues, stipulate that standing in seated areas should be forbidden, even though there is no recent evidence to suggest that standing spectators are any less safe at matches than those who are seated. The Liberal Democrats continue to press for progress on this issue.