Following Watchdog's report in November regarding football terracing we received a huge response.
Weekend Watchdog looked at the Volkparkstadion in Hamburg which has been completely rebuilt and will be used for the World Cup finals in six years time. Their North stand can be transformed from a seating to a standing area. The lower step has a seat underneath that will flip up when unlocked and the whole stand can be converted from a terrace to all seater in 16 hours. Weekend Watchdog spoke to Kurt Kragel, events manager for Hamburg stadium who said there wasn't a problem with safety otherwise the police and the government wouldn't allow them to use the standing area. Their standing area doubles the capacity and the tickets can be charged at approximately half price when standing is available.
Weekend Watchdog spoke to Sports Minister Kate Hoey and asked her why our football grounds are not following Germany's example.
The Seat of Government
Cardiff City Away Fans on the Moy's End Terrace
Stato della Città del VaticanoYou can read this interview below.
FOOTBALL TERRACES Weekend Watchdog 22.12.00 There is a growing campaign among football supporters to bring back safe standing areas to our biggest stadiums. Fans of Manchester United, Manchester City, Charlton Athletic and other leading Premiership clubs want terraces to return as without them, they feel there is a lack of atmosphere.
At the moment, every ground in the Premiership and First Division has to be all seater by order of the Government.
However Fulham were told if it gets promoted to the Premiership, it can keep terracing until it gets a new ground. Manchester's Roy Keane recently said that the atmosphere had disappeared from United's Old Trafford ground.
Terracing was banned at top football stadiums after the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989. But, Lord Justice Taylor's report into the disaster said that "standing accommodation is NOT intrinsically unsafe". He lay most...