You may recall that The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) commissioned research into the issue of standing at football matches last year.
A "rapid assessment review" was undertaken by CFE Research between November 2018 and January 2019. Their brief was to review all existing data and research relevant to the matter of standing at football matches and the all-seater policy.
The overall finding was "There is not a robust body of evidence reviewed here to suggest that standing in its current form, either on traditional terracing or modern dual purpose options is any more or less safe than sitting.
There is significant scope for further research to build this evidence base, requiring tolerance within existing policy to trial different standing areas - alongside clubs taking different approaches to the management of standing - to provide evidence of impact"
The review recommends:
- Use clubs where managed standing areas are already operational (eg Celtic, Shrewsbury, Cardiff, Oxford) to trial the impact on safety. Produce case studies, based on consultation with clubs (including stewards, fans and police)
- Identify other opportunities to extend this activity (eg Tottenham Hotspur rail seating). Provide clarity and consistency around tolerance levels of standing to encourage clubs to be open about their management approach
- Create tolerance within the policy to enable data collection through experimental methods - eg randomised control trial, which could demonstrate impact of alternative accommodation.
- Consider how trials would best be managed and monitored, including a full consultation with safety experts and engagement with supporters.
CAST will continue to work with industry experts and CAFC to explore the possibility of trials being undertaken at The Valley.
The full report can be seen here: