In the past many teams fans in leagues across Europe would congregate into a small area and all stand together without safety measures. This would often generate an incredible atmosphere and mean that stadiums could hold a larger capacity. Sadly, this came with further risks if mismanaged which was the case at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, a tragic incident in which 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in unsafe pens, a further 400 were taken to hospital. The events of the disaster unfolded as the police officer in charge of crowd safety on the day of the FA Cup semi-final, ordered a large gate to be opened to relieve 2,000 supporters waiting to enter the Hillsborough grounds, the supporters were trapped in a crush outside of the Leppings Lane turnstiles a short time before the game was about to start. In 2016 a jury determined that supporters were not to blame with the negligence of the police and ambulance services contributing to the deaths of the victims. Following this tragedy in 1989 standing was banned in England’s top two divisions and in the rest of Europe UEFA banned it in its competitions from 1998. But these kind of stands are making a comeback. In recent times all European Leagues have introduced sections of safe standing which must comply with strict regulations to ensure maximum safety. Many passionate football fans agree that the atmosphere and noise in the stadium is improved with areas of standing so done in a safe manner, this is positive news for both supporters and players on the pitch. Here are some of the best stadiums to watch a game standing across the continent.
Celtic
In 2016 Celtic made history by becoming the first club in Britain to introduce a safe standing area, after almost 30 years after it was originally banned. Today more than 3000 passionate Glaswegians from the green and white side of Glasgow bounce up and down and act like the 12th man on the pitch for their beloved team. Former manager of the club Brendan Rodgers said after two seasons of its implementation that it creates a better ambiance at Celtic Park. Hear an incredible version of ‘You’ll never walk alone’ and book a football trip with us to watch the former European champions of 1967 in action in the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Dortmund
Arguably the most impressive and famous safe standing sections in the world is at Borussia Dortmund’s stadium in West Germany. Since its implementation in 1999 the yellow wall standing part of the stadium has become known by many for generating one of the most inspiring, loud and spectacular atmospheres in world football. With a capacity of 24,454, it’s Europe’s largest standing area. All fans gain access via the electronic turnstiles before heading to their designated block of the stand, where their ticket is again checked by a steward to ensure even distribution of supporters across the Südtribüne. The bottom sections of the stand are more open standing areas, whilst the higher areas of the stand are made up of rail seating, the type of standing accommodation which is also being tested in English stadiums. What are you waiting for? Book a once in a lifetime experience to watch Dortmund play live by booking a football break package with us.
Tottenham
In July 2022 the UK government made a landmark announcement stating that Premier League and Championship football clubs can introduce licensed safe standing areas which comply with safety regulations. What better way to watch a game with safe standing than in the state of the art 2019 Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Approximately 6,000 out of 17,000 in the huge south stand can now stand in North London and generate an even better atmosphere for their team with many supporters instantly noticing the difference in noise generated since the changes. Make sure you book a football trip with us to the city of London and have an unforgettable weekend.
Bayern Munich
The giants of German football based in the region of Bavaria in the South of the country is home to one of the world’s most successful teams and six Champions Leagues and more than 30 Bundesliga titles to their name. The Allianz arena is a great place to watch high quality football in a noisy and loud stadium. With a total capacity of 75,000 spectators and 13,740 of these being standing places, this represents approximately 18% of the stadium, which is largely accepted as playing a huge role in generating the majority of the atmosphere in the stadium. Book a football trip with us now to the city of Munich!
Without doubt it is clear that fans and clubs can see the positive impact of the atmosphere with standing sections. Implemented in a safe manner with regulations it is hopefully going to be more widespread across other clubs in the near future. Which club are you most excited to visit out of the list to experience standing sections in stadiums?