Additional Information about the Licensed Standing Area
Additional Information about the Licensed Standing Area
The MFC Projects Officer spoke about the Licensed Standing Area (LSA) Pilot due to be installed in the South Stand Upper.
MFC have followed guidance from SAG (The Local Authority led Stadium Safety Advisory Group) and The Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA).
On an annual basis, SAG issues the safety certificate for the stadium, certifying that it is fit for purpose, and SGSA issues the licence to allow the stadium to admit spectators. Either body can seek to ultimately limit capacities if safety is deemed to be seriously compromised.
Persistent standing, particularly (but not only) in the South Stand and ‘away’ footprint, has become widespread in recent years and this has been the subject of comment and assessment by both the SAG and SGSA during their routine inspections. This has reached a point where the Club is now obligated to move towards implementing measures to further improve safety and adhere to SGSA regulations.
The SGSA guidance in respect of LSAs says that standing in seated areas is permitted only where the required infrastructure is in place. Elsewhere in the ground, fans must remain seated.
Also, every ‘converted position’ must still retain its own seat, and all seats in any LSA must still be ‘flippable’ and cannot be locked up or down.
During any such LSA installation, the Club must also aim to protect the sight lines of supporters located in seated-only accommodation, notwithstanding that all supporters in such areas may always choose to stand up. Consequently, any pilot area (or subsequent roll-out) should be installed downwards from the top of a stand, so the Club is not seen to be removing choice and, thereby, ‘forcing’ supporters located behind a LSA to stand up due to their blocked sight lines.
Barriers forming part of a LSA must also run from staircase to staircase. They cannot stop in the middle of a row. So, this means creative sightline solutions cannot be adopted, and challenges will also arise where complete rows straddle ‘home’ and ‘away’ footprints and where the segregation lines can alter from game to game.
MFC would always prefer to incorporate season card holders in a pilot installation, as this makes communicating with, and seeking feedback from, supporters much easier if it involves the same group of regular fans.
Finally, after testing and investigation, the design and construction of the Riverside Stadium limits what type of barrier infrastructure can be installed. The seating decks have been deemed to be unsuitable for independent barriers to be installed in front of existing seats due to the risk of the concrete ‘popping’ at drill points close to the front edges. Furthermore, bearing in mind the alternative use of the stadium for concerts, the narrow style of rail seating has also been discounted as the seats are made of thin metal, are not very deep and would make sitting for extended periods a very uncomfortable experience.
In summary, the pilot LSA has to be installed in the South Stand as this is the obvious test site and the area that comes under greatest external scrutiny, it has to be somewhere on the rearmost rows, it should incorporate the greatest percentage of Season Card holders and it should be easy to both observe and monitor developments.
The pilot area had largely chosen itself by meeting all the above criteria.
The area selected for the pilot of the LSA will be the two rows directly in front of Stadium Control. These total 45 seats and will be assessed for the remainder of the season.
The barriers forming the pilot will be the same type as at St James Park, Elland Road and Turf Moor, to name a few well-known sites already hosting them.
They will be barriers that incorporate the same style of seating currently in use at the Riverside Stadium. These will be installed against the solid, vertical concrete face at the back of each row (that the current seats are affixed to), and will provide the LSA barrier for supporters occupying the row behind to lean against.
Regular contact will be made with the season card holders involved to assess progress.
Progress
The communication process for the pilot installation involved the MSF being notified in general terms over the weekend of the Luton match (9th November 2024). The specific site chosen was deliberately not identified until those occupying the seats had been personally notified.
The affected seat holders were individually contacted by telephone on the morning of Monday 11th November and the Club website publicised the pilot at midday on 11th November.
The Club website publicity was not due to take place until later that week to allow time for all seat holders to be contacted, but as news had reached social media whilst telephone calls were still being made, this was brought forward.
The pilot LSA will be installed and operational for the Millwall match on Saturday 14th December 2024.
Regular contact will be made with the season card holders involved throughout the remainder of the season.
A review of the pilot will take place after the season ends.
Should the Club decide to increase LSAs in other areas of the stadium at some future point, much greater advance consultation will take place to achieve the right location and outcome for all concerned.
Following any such future roll-out, the expectation will be that seating-only accommodation will be protected. Therefore, instances of persistent standing in such areas will be addressed more rigorously, as alternative options for those wishing to stand will be available.
