Safe Standing, great, but let’s get it right

790

Delighted for everyone involved in making Celtic the first club in Britain to be given permission to install Safe Standing facilities.  There’s time for a seat but going to the football in Scotland was largely a standing undertaking for a century, for good reason.

Standing enables the creation of football’s now too scarce atmosphere, it allows people to shuffle in the cold and sing with projection.  It’s also safer across more scenarios than sitting.

I have one (significant) problem with the plans……..

Celtic intend to install Safe Standing at the corner of the lower North and Lisbon Lions stands, including the Green Brigade’s area.  The Green Brigade pitched up at this part of the ground one League Cup game several years ago, the area was no more or less appropriate for as a singing section than any other part of the ground.

The North Stand upper is the proper place for a Safe Standing section, front and centre of the stadium.  It’s where the Jungle was, and if we’re going to come anywhere close to recreating the unique atmosphere of the Jungle in a modern stadium, we must select the appropriate area.

The Safe Standing section will have unique properties.  The ability to stand all game, bounce around and generally be more active, will ensure it sells out, but it’s unlikely to attract the infirm, and it will never be part of the family section.  It’s also not going to attract corporate business.

The decision where to locate this section is unlikely to be reversed until there is a major stadium renovation, and that’s likely to be decades away.  A couple of decades out, there will be more demand for family and infirm sections, more demand for corporate and lounge facilities.

Football spent years failing to notice how people grew fond of comfort, shelter, safe and clean facilities.  The trend is not over.  Thousands will want to stand, but perhaps more will want access to lounges, video games for the kids and shops selling all sorts.

Celtic Park is magnificent building of its time but it’s not a 21st century stadium.  The Celtic Way is genuinely stunning, but if we want to cater for fans in the decades to come we’ll need proper cafes, fan zones, bars, better toilets and a museum.  We’ll need to make use of all that land we’ve acquired, but which largely lies undeveloped.

Real estate in the lower stands will be more of a premium in the future, we should plan for it now, make the Safe Standing section the New Jungle.

Sports Direct is not a travel agents – for the avoidance of doubt.

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  1. yorkbhoy

     

    12:33 on

     

    10 June, 2015

     

    saint stivs

     

     

    11:53 on 10 June, 2015

     

    An irish republican food bank.

     

     

    Haha hahaha

     

     

    Sign me up

     

    —–

     

    Would they supply Sausage Rolls of Honour?

     

     

    ———

     

     

    and for breakfast

     

     

    broad black puddings with a baked and buttered scone

  2. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    One post. One lousy post. That’s all it took.

     

     

    Bring back KEVJ…

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

    12:25 on

     

    10 June, 2015

     

    MR PASTRY

     

     

    Introduction of The National Minimum Wage was one of the first things Labour did upon coming to power,not the last.

     

     

    Act was passed in 1998. Stick to the facts,mate. You’ll get there in the end.

     

    —————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    Well then you make my point – the FIRST thing we do is a minimum wage – game set and match! Now, as you are so clued-up – give me ONE SNP policy/proposal to help the poorest and working class – we have hundreds. Name me any benefit claiming family that voted SNP that could live without their Tax Credits and Child Benefit?

  4. only problem with a republican foodbank would be the various splinter groups

     

     

    based on fundamentalism.

     

     

    the roasters

     

     

    the toasters.

  5. The SNP, all six of them, never turned up for the vote to abolish the Bedroom Tax – they used it as a political football whilst absolving all the people who did not pay the poll tax, whilst the rest of us did – if we had not, local government services to the poor and disabled would have fallen apart – just as they are now with a council tax freeze, which favours those most able to pay the most.

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MR PASTRY

     

     

    Game,set and match?!

     

     

    Whit planet are you on? I prove you wrong,and that is Game set and match to you?

     

     

    Beat it,ya doughball.

  7. The Green Man

     

    12:34 on

     

    10 June, 2015

     

    ==================

     

    What’s working class mate? I was brought up in a (bitter orange) Scottish pit village.

     

     

    Due to the Labour Party, I was in the 1st year of comprehensive education which gave me access to educational qualifications.

     

     

    I have a very comfortable life now but never forget how I got the chance.

     

     

    I have more in common with my Labour colleagues in any part of the world than any nationalist of any nationality.

  8. The Green Man

     

    12:43 on

     

    10 June, 2015

     

    Mr Pasty

     

     

    Are you Graeme Morrice by any chance?

     

    ————————————————-

     

     

    No, but you are a void, who never answers a question and merely throws insults, or, what you think is an insult.

     

     

    Do you know anything about anything?

  9. The Green Man on

    Ive only got this to say to those pontification any party line….FOOD BANKS.

     

     

    Now…give us peace ffs.

     

     

    HH

  10. Big Pierres 2 front teeth on

    Reduce the size of the stadium…. heard it all now! Some right wallopers in here today, one talking “Baws” and the other with a name that would get McCoist wet

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

    12:46 on

     

    10 June, 2015

     

    MR PASTRY

     

     

    Game,set and match?!

     

     

    Whit planet are you on? I prove you wrong,and that is Game set and match to you?

     

     

    Beat it,ya doughball.

     

    ———————————————————————————–

     

     

    You did NOT prove me wrong – only my date – the fact is it says so much more that it was virtually the FIRST bill the Labour Party passed when coming into power.

     

     

    ” BEAT IT YA DOUGHBALL” that sums you up as you look in the mirror

  12. The Green Man on

    Mr Pasty

     

     

    Listen…im clever enough not to give any credence to your ideological absurdity.

     

    And wise enough to understand bullshit when I hear it.

     

    And im not bad at contempt either.

  13. West End of East End on

    All this talk of safe standing, fan zones etc, can I ask if they can get someone to refill the hand towels in the toilets ? I’m easily pleased and don’t think I’m asking for much, just for someone to go round and replenish…just make sure they’re a smoker though…

  14. Safe standing.

     

    How can that possibly be best place on the upper stands?

     

     

    Got to be on the ground level.

     

    Also the biggest effect would be behind each goal.

     

    Put pressure on when we have corners etc.

     

     

    Start with the Celtic end behind the goal.

     

    When that is full then start on the Rangers end behind the goal.

     

     

    TT

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