All eyes are going to be on Shrewsbury Town’s safe standing
The Shropshire firm lined up to put English football's first safe-standing area in at Shrewsbury Town Football Club says the plans would attract interest from across the country.
Yesterday Shrewsbury Town Football Club revealed that a crowd-funding initiative had been set up by the club's supporters' parliament, to install seven rows of "rail seating" at the club.
Atcham based Ferco Seating would install the seating if applications to Shropshire Council’s safety advisory group and the national Sports Ground Safety Authority are approved.
The company has already installed a section of safe standing at the home of Scottish football giants Celtic as well as at German Bundesliga team Hoffenheim.
Michael Burnett, managing director of Ferco, said that if Shrewsbury Town are successful in the bid then the ground would be the focus of interest from clubs across England – including Premier League teams.
He said: "We see it as a great sort of shop window for this product and for the whole idea of safe standing, not necessarily our product.
"Shrewsbury is a great place, quite close to the geographic centre of England so lots of people can come and see it. I think a lot of Premier League clubs are interested."
Mr Burnett said the introduction of safe standing would represent a great opportunity for the area.
He said: "It is nice that it is a local club. We are a local company and we are trying to do something for them and hopefully it does something for us too. It is a bit of a shop window, it would be a nice place for us to bring along potential clients and say "have a look at this"."
Mr Burnett said he believed the product would also see clubs generate a greater atmosphere.
He said: "I believe it is a great product for football fans and it is a great product for football teams. I have been to matches where these are installed and with only 20 per cent of the ground they are producing 80 per cent of the crowd noise and support."
Mr Burnett said his firm had also been in discussions with several Premier League teams, including West Bromwich Albion, who last week said publicly that they would be interested in trialling the initiative.
He said: "West Brom have told everyone they are very keen on it and we have been talking to them about it but they would need permission from not just the Premier League but the Sports Ground Safety Authority."
If the crowdfunding bid to raise £75,000 is successful, and permission is granted from the relevant authorities, around 500 safe-standing places will be installed behind the goal at Shrewsbury Town's Salop Leisure South Stand.
The plan is to have the back seven rows of seating in blocks seven to 12 replaced with ‘rail’ seating’ – identical to those installed at Celtic Park in Glasgow.
