Shropshire Star

Brian Caldwell and Shrewsbury Town defiant on safe-standing

Chief executive Brian Caldwell has reassured Shrewsbury fans that promotion will not get in the way of safe-standing.

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Championship clubs are not permitted to have safe-standing areas installed under government legislation.

But Caldwell insists the 500 rail seats at the back of the Salop Leisure Stand will be in place if there is a chance of Town going up either automatically or through the play-offs.

Town will need to carry out the work either before the final day of the season, on Saturday, May 5, or before the play-off final on Sunday, May 27.

Caldwell, who addressed around 45 fans at Tuesday’s Supporters’ Parliament meeting, said there are three alternatives dictating the timescale.

If Town head into the final game of the season, at home to MK Dons, with a shot at an automatic – top two – finish, then safe-standing will be installed before that game.

If Paul Hurst’s men, who currently sit third, make the play-off final, safe-standing will be installed for that date.

If Shrewsbury exit at the play-off semi-final stage, then the move will be put on hold until after the Lionel Richie concert at the Meadow on June 13.

Atcham-based manufactures Ferco will be installing the rail-seats in the rear seven rows of the South Stand.

The seats have been designed and are being shipped over. It is expected they will arrive in three to four weeks.

The instillation time frame is 10 days. Ferco initially planned to start work before the end of the season.

‘Comfortable’ talks with the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are ongoing.

Caldwell said: “We want to go up straight away, obviously. But the down side will be having to move people from their South Stand season ticket seats for an important final game.”

Town aim to become the first professional club in England and Wales to install rail-seating after they revealed the supporter-led initiative last year.

The club met their £65,000 crowd-funding target last October.