Premier League clubs consulted over interest in safe standing
The Premier League has asked its 20 clubs about interest in taking part in a trial to reintroduce standing sections in their grounds.
The question is part of a wider survey on the issue of safe standing and it follows an earlier commitment to conduct a fact-finding exercise on the matter.
In a statement, a Premier League spokesman said: „Last November clubs tasked the Premier League with scoping out the safety, supporter, technical and legislative issues surrounding permitted standing before further discussions, based on facts, take place. This survey is part of that process.“
The pilot scheme question is a hypothetical one, as the government remains opposed to the idea and many senior police officers are still unsure about the safety implications of allowing fans to stand during games.
A Department of Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said: „The government currently has no plans to change its position and introduce standing accommodation at grounds covered by the all-seater requirement.“
Clubs in England’s top two divisions have been legally required to have all-seater grounds since the measure was recommended by the 1990 Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster.
For more than a decade there was little interest in revisiting that move but, over the last few years, there have been growing calls for a rethink from campaigners, fans groups and, more recently, some clubs.
They have pointed out the inconsistencies in the policy – it only applies to the top two tiers in England, rugby fans can stand, as can fans at concerts at football grounds and away fans at many grounds are effectively allowed to stand by stewards – and highlighted the rail-seat system popular in Germany.
The latter point has taken on more significance after Celtic installed 2,600 rail seats – seats that can be flipped down or locked into an upright position, with safety barriers separating each row – at Parkhead last season.
This experiment is considered to have been a major success in terms of atmosphere, choice and safety, and several Premier League clubs have been to Glasgow to see it in action.
More clubs have raised the issue and it is a topic that has risen in all three of the „structural dialogues“ the league has held with supporters’ representatives over the last two seasons.
There are two significant obstacles to any return to standing sections at Premier League level, though.
The first is the issue of whether it would need a change in legislation or not, and there is disagreement on that. Amending the existing law without support from the police and the government department in charge of sport would be difficult.
The second hurdle is Merseyside, where feelings on safety at football matches run high for entirely understandable reasons. Everton has traditionally supported Liverpool’s stance on the issue but even here public opinion is starting to shift.
Prominent figures such as new Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram and the Hillsborough Family Support Group are against a return to standing at football grounds.
But the Hillsborough Justice Campaign is open to a debate on the matter and the club’s biggest independent fans group, the Spirit of Shankly, is planning to vote on the issue this summer.Soccer Accumulator Bonus
Our fantastic Euro Soccer accumulator offer gives you the chance to earn a bonus of up to 100% on accumulators on the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League.
This offer applies to returns on pre-match accumulators of 3 or more selections on Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga 1 or UEFA Champions League.
The maximum bonus that you can receive is €100,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based .on the remaining active stake. If a qualifying bet is edited .using our Edit Bet feature. The bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply. Double Chance bets or combination bets with bonuses. Such as Lucky 15’s or Lucky .31’s do not apply for this offer.
If your bet is successful, we will add the following bonuses to your returns:
Bet Type Bonus
14-folds and upwards 100% bonus
Terms and Conditions
Applies to straight pre-match accumulator bets on the Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga .1 or Australian A-League matches. Maximum bonus €100,000 or currency equivalent. Soccer Accumulator Bonus does not apply to Double Chance bets or combination. bets with bonuses such as Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s etc.
If any selections are postponed/void then the bonus will still apply, but the percentage bonus added will reflect the actual number of winning selections. For example, an 8-fold accumulator with 7. winners and 1 postponed match will receive a 30% .bonus to returns.
The bonus part of your returns will be added to your account within 24 hours of your final selection having played.
This bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based on the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, the bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply.
Where any term of the offer or promotion is breached or there is any evidence of a series of bets placed by a customer or group of customers, which due to a deposit bonus, enhanced payments, free bets, risk free bets or any other promotional offer results in guaranteed customer profits irrespective of the outcome, whether individually or as part of a group, bet365 reserves the right to reclaim the bonus element of such offers and in their absolute discretion either settle bets at the correct odds, void the free and risk free. bets or void any bet funded by the deposit bonus.
In addition bet365 .reserve the right to levy an administration charge on the customer up to the value of the deposit bonus, free bet, risk free bet or additional payment to cover administrative costs. We further reserve the right to ask any customer to provide sufficient documentation for us to be satisfied in our absolute discretion as to the customer’s identity prior to us crediting any bonus, free bet, risk free bet or offer to their account.
All bet365 offers are intended for recreational players and bet365 may in its sole discretion limit the eligibility of customers to participate in all or part of any promotion.
.
