THE Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) told the Star yesterday that they were making progress in their efforts to introduce safe standing to the Premier League.

 

Sports minister Tracey Crouch confirmed that the government were looking into the possibility but only after the inquest of the Hillsborough disaster and that they are yet to be persuaded into changing the law.

 

However, the FSF still believe standing inside top-flight football will return, especially if the trials in Scotland are a success.

 

FSF told the Star: “Nine out of 10 fans support safe standing and the campaign continues to make progress, particularly in Wales where fans and clubs joined forces with the Welsh Assembly to call for a safe standing pilot. 

 

“North of the border Celtic look set to introduce rail seats into Celtic Park and many English clubs would like to follow their lead, should the regulations be relaxed to allow them to do that.”

 

Safe standing is currently in place in Germany — with Borussia Dortmund’s “Yellow Wall” one of the leading examples in world football — and the FSF have used “public-facing petitions, parliamentary events and Early Day Motions to highlight the case for safe standing to the authorities, clubs and politicians.”

 

The current Hillsborough inquest — 96 fans tragically lost their life in 1989 — will be used before making any changes to the law Crouch confirmed.

 

“It was included in the consultation process for the new sports strategy but we still feel at the moment that until the Hillsborough inquests have concluded and we have a better understanding of what’s happening in Scotland, we will not make any other decision,” said Crouch.