Licensed standing in seated areas continues to improve safety

Licensed standing in seated areas continues to improve safety and fan experience, based on feedback received by the SGSA from clubs where it is offered.

As part of the SGSA’s licensing work ahead of the 2026/27 season, grounds offering licensed standing in seated areas were invited to provide feedback on the areas.  Grounds reported a number of positive impacts which have reduced safety risks, including:

• reduced confrontation between fans and stewards,
• less migration and overcrowding,
• clearer gangways,
• smoother egress after events,
• staff who work in those areas now feel safer, and
• reduced seat damage.

Most importantly, the use of licensed standing infrastructure drastically reduces the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.

Where concerns were raised, they were relatively limited and often reflected pre-existing standing challenges rather than new problems caused by licensed standing. For example, some clubs reported standing on infrastructure, with a concern around capacity and compliance tensions: licensed standing supply does not always meet demand, leaving persistent standing at the periphery or outside licensed standing areas. In situations such as this, SGSA inspectors are working with  clubs to ensure safety risks continue to be appropriately managed.

Licensed standing was introduced in July 2022, with the historic change in law  allowing licensed standing to be introduced at football grounds subject to the Government’s all-seater policy, as long as criteria were met.

Four years later, there are 39 grounds that offer licensed standing, with over 200,000 seats incorporating barriers or seats with independent barriers installed.

The change in law was made to address the safety risks related to persistent standing in seated areas – most notably the increased likelihood of a progressive crowd collapse, where a person falls forwards, and in the process, causes one or more additional people to fall forwards and/or outwards. The risk of a crowd collapse is greater in areas of persistent standing, particularly when spectators strain to see the action , or if they lose balance or deliberately jump onto  the spectators in front. The resultant crowd collapse has the potential to cause significant injuries to anyone in or near that area.

Our message is simple: seats without any barrier infrastructure are for sitting only. If fans persistently stand in seated areas, whether home or away, the ground has a duty and responsibility to address this known safety risk.