Football standing ‘unthinkable for 96 reasons’

Margaret Aspinall chairs the Hillsborough Family Support Group and her son James, 18, was among the 96 people who died at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium in April 1989,

She believes standing should be unthinkable despite the growing campaign spearheaded by the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) for safe standing.

Mrs Aspinall, who notes there were several issues behind the Hillsborough tragedy, said: “There are 96 reasons why it should not be allowed. There were 96 dead at Hillsborough and it could have been a lot more.

“Standing should never, ever come back. I do not think there is anything safe about standing.”

The FSF’s Safe Standing Campaign is supported by clubs and organisations including Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers, Hull City and the Scottish Premier League.

It wants limited sections for standing at selected grounds on a trial basis.

So far 52 MPs have backed an early day motion (EDM) tabled by Roger Godsiff, the MP for Birmingham Hall Green, calling for the introduction of a pilot of new standing technology – called rail seats – at football grounds.

Widely used in Germany, they are robust metal seats with a high back including a sturdy rail that fans can hold. This is a safer option than what is currently happening at football grounds where fans choose to stand during matches, campaigners argue.