Northampton Town are considering applying for safe standing areas at Sixfields Stadium - Pressure mounts on government to scrap stadium standing laws as second English club considers safe standing
Northampton Town are considering applying for safe standing areas at Sixfields Stadium

A second English club was on Tuesday night in talks over reintroducing standing at their stadium as pressure mounted on the Government to scrap the law banning the country’s biggest teams from doing the same.

Northampton Town were considering joining League One rivals Shrewsbury Town in announcing plans to create a so-called ‘safe standing’ area after the the latter became the first club to apply for permission to install rail seating.

That was expected to be granted after the Government-appointed body which regulates ground safety, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), earlier this year approved the use of such seating in 21 stadia not subject to legislation on all-seater stadia.

That law currently prevents any club in the Premier League or Championship from following suit, meaning Shrewsbury face the prospect of installing around 400 rail seats next season only to have to rip them out again within three years were they to secure promotion.

The same could apply to Northampton if they decide to create a standing area at their own ground, having confirmed on Tuesday they were in talks about doing so following a survey that found 85 per cent of their fans supported being able to choose whether to sit or stand at Sixfields.

“We’re just in discussions now,” their chairman, Kelvin Thomas, told Telegraph Sport.

Safe standing is already used elsewhere in the world, including in Orlando
Safe standing is already used elsewhere in the world, including in Orlando CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
The man leading the campaign for rail seating to be licensed for use in England, Jon Darch, of the Safe Standing Roadshow, last night branded the Government’s position on the issue as “absolutely bonkers”.

Pointing out six other league clubs with all-seater grounds - Bury, Chesterfield, Colchester United, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town and Oxford United - were facing the same dilemma as Shrewsbury and Northampton, he said: “How can it be that these clubs can, if they wish, put rail seats in but, if they get promoted and are forced to go back to all-seater, they then can’t use those rail seats as seats to comply with that requirement?”

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) last night confirmed the Government had “no plans” to change its position in the face of the growing clamour for the return of standing to the game from fans and clubs.

Terracing was banned at Premier League and Championship teams following the Hillsborough disaster but rail seating has since proven to be safe on the continent, while Celtic - Scotland is exempt from rules governing grounds in England and Wales - installed it last season without incident.

Shrewsbury Town have already applied to install rail seating at their ground

Sports minister Tracey Crouch last year vowed to reassess the Government’s position once evidence from the Scottish experience was available and a report on how it worked with Celtic has been submitted to the DCMS by the SGSA, which described the safe standing area there as “well managed”.

The chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation, Malcolm Clarke, declared the Government now had more than enough evidence to change the law.

He added: “We just keep making progress in the hope and belief that, sooner or later, that the sense of this will become apparent.”

But ministers are unlikely to bow to supporter demands unless enough of their fellow stakeholders jump on the bandwagon.

They include the police and local authorities, as well as the Football Association, Premier League, EFL, and Hillsborough victim groups.

The FA and EFL are already lobbying for change, whereas the Premier League is still consulting with its clubs, having recently written to them asking whether they would be willing to take part in a safe-standing pilot.