Followings Hull City 's home match with Leeds United, Chief Supt Sean White, Hull 's police commander, is quoted on the BBC website saying that there had been no trouble at the stadium or in the city. He said:

"I'm delighted with the result. I've got nothing but praise for the fans."

All the Leeds supporters stood throughout the game, showing once again that allowing fans to stand does not mean they will behave badly.

Stand Up Sit Down leaflets are given to Norwich supporters at their home fixture with Leicester .

Some of Torquay's 582 following at Rushden take positions at the back with the intention of standing as is their normal practice at away games. Apparently humourless stewards, who refuse to be engaged in conversation as to why supporters can't stand, constantly tell them to sit, but around 100 fans still spend most of the game standing.

Forced to sit under threat of being banned from Upton Park, supporters in the centre section of the Bobby Moore Lower Tier spend the whole game getting up and down. In the first half alone they get out of their seats 19 times. The FLA say that one standing supporter leaning forwards slightly to follow play, could fall and cause a cascade effect. How can all this up and down movement be safer than simply standing to watch the game?

Elsewhere in the Bobby Moore Lower and Centenary Lower, many supporters continue to stand throughout the game, despite the ongoing threat of being banned from Upton Park.

Stand Up Sit Down are contacted by the safety officer of a leading League of Ireland club who says:

‘The stand up situation doesn't really arise at League level in Ireland because the crowds are so small and there are really only 3 all seater stadia. Our fans (the singing section) always stand. It's a thing we really cannot "police" because we would have insufficient stewarding to control it properly. There has never in my time been an injury associated with standing in the seated area. The people who sit down don't have a problem with the singers as they congregate at one end of the stand. You must also bear in mind that the laws here (relating to football grounds) are different to those in the U.K'

Newcastle supporters continue to contact Stand Up Sit Down, expressing concern that their reduced allocation at Middlesbrough may result in disorder, due to some away fans who are unable to get tickets for their section of the ground, buying tickets in home areas.

Many thousand Arsenal fans stand throughout their Champions League 2 nd leg victory over Juventus, with no apparent efforts made to get them to sit.

A Newcastle supporter contacts Stand Up Sit Down saying that he has a ticket for the home area at Middlesbrough , having been unable to get one for the away section due to the allocation being reduced due to standing. He says that other Newcastle supporters have tickets for home areas and that they fear there may be trouble at the game.

15,000 Boro fans stand throughout their team's remarkable comeback to beat FC Basel at The Riverside.

Following persistent standing by 15,000 Middlesbrough fans at their UEFA Cup semi final, a Newcastle fan emails the club asking:

'I note that your fans were standing at the match last night. Are you now going to reduce your own allocation for the semi? Just wondering like.'

The club reply:

'Wouldn't you be after a performance like that. Ticket details have not been released yet, so I can't answer your question at present.'

Media & Communications Department

Middlesbrough FC

Stand Up Sit Down consider this reply to be blatant hypocrisy on behalf of Middlesbrough FC. How can they stop away fans travelling to the Riverside , and eject them for standing, when they do not condemn there own supporters for standing.

2000 West Ham fans stand in the lower tier at Chelsea , whilst most of the 1000 in the upper tier sit. Chelsea supporters in the Matthew Harding lower stand for most of the game, whilst those in upper tiers sit.

his appears to be becoming a regular trend, with more of those supporters who want to stand buying lower tier tickets, and those who want to sit choosing upper tier. It would be so much simpler for all concerned if the authorities would accept Stand Up Sit Down's proposals and designated specific areas for standing, so that all supporters can choose.

Despite having their allocation reduced, all Newcastle 's fans, even those at the front, stand throughout their game at Middlesbrough . The stewards didn't once ask supporters to sit down, and nor was there any announcements to this effect.

Stand Up Sit Down also understand that there was a barrier area between the two sets of supporters , which was two bars running parallel to each other and covered a couple of seats, and that some people had tickets in the middle of that. They were told by the stewards to go to the back and find somewhere to “stand”.

Stand Up Sit Down leaflets are given out to Manchester City fans visiting Upton Park. The leaflets are well received, with many supporters saying they want to stand and others that they support choice but prefer to sit. About half the City fans stood during the game.

All Birmingham 's allocation and many Villa fans stand throughout the midlands derby at Villa Park .

Sky TV run a piece about standing at football. Stand Up Sit Down consider that this was very biased, and we understand that some of the pro standing comments by supporters were edited out.

Stand Up Sit Down phone Sky TV and speak to one of the people involved in making the programme to complain about the biased coverage. We also send a long email outlining our complaints, copy of some of our reports, and offer to take part in any future programme.

Stand Up Sit Down note that West Ham's Safety Officer was interviewed and said that it was reasonable for supporters to stand whilst their team was attacking. If a Safety Officer considers it safe to stand when a team attacks, we would suggest that it must also be safe to stand for the rest of the game. This therefore appears to be yet more evidence that safety is not the real reason for the authority's refusal to permit standing.

The Sky piece made a big point about standing blocking other supporter's view, yet failed to put forward the simple solution of separate standing and sitting areas.

We would also suggest that when some officials from clubs or football authorities are interviewed in the media, they may be reluctant to endorse standing, even if they feel this is safe and would be happy to see the regulations changed. To say that it is safe to stand persistently would contradict the official FA and FLA line, and that may not be viewed favourably by those with the power to close areas of grounds. Neither would it help get supporters to sit, which is something that many clubs are under a great deal of pressure to achieve.

On the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, hundreds of Sheffield Wednesday fans stand for the entirety of their home game with Norwich City .

A minutes silence in memory of those who died at Hillsborough is impeccably observed at Ewood Park , as Liverpool play Blackburn . Thousands of Liverpool supporters take over one end of the ground, and commentators remark on them making into their own Kop, with supporters standing, singing and waving their red flags and scarves.

As Aston Villa play Birmingham at Villa Park the entire Lower Holte Stand (7000) for the whole match, as do1000 in the Upper Holte Tier and all 3000 Birmingham City fans, plus around 300 in the upper Doug Ellis (which we are told has never been seen before). A total of around 11,500 supporters therefore stand for the entire 90 minutes, including women and children. No announcements, or other efforts are made to get anyone to sit.

Torquay supporters complain about unacceptable behaviour by stewards at yesterday's fixture versus Cheltenham . Writing on a supporter's internet forum one fan says:

‘Worst of all the gorillas in yellow jackets!

What happened at half time was a disgrace, people not being allowed back in for simply standing by the floodlight between the family stand & Popside, not just day trippers but loyal fans that have been supporting Torquay United for years!! Fans being spoken to like sh*t & threatening language used by the Argyle stewards. H****** being told to "Mind his own f*cking business" when asking the simple question what's going on. A total of 12 fans were told they weren't allowed back in at half time for, according to the stewards, making comments to them on the way out! The main instigator in the dispute was the Argyle steward that was involved in the trouble on the Popside a few weeks back.

We asked nicely whether we could speak to the chief steward about it & were flatly refused & told to stick it in writing instead. After a while the chief steward arrived by his own accord along with a policeman, the gate was shut & the people that were outside weren't permitted to re-enter the ground!

It's all very well Bateson saying if we go down we'll still have the loyal 2000, I've got news for you... we won't have anyone if these morons have their way & carry on going the way they are!'

Stand Up Sit Down write to Newham Council asking for the following under the freedom of Information Act:

1. Copies of safety risk assessments carried prior to this season's home fixtures with Manchester City , Bolton (FA Cup), Chelsea and Blackburn , with particular regard to spectators standing in seated areas. If safety assessments for individual games have not been carried out, copies of any more general risk assessments with regard to spectators standing in seated areas.

2. Copies of minutes from the West Ham United Safety Advisory Group meetings held from 1 st December 2006 to present, and in particular any minutes that refer to the submission from Stand Up Sit Down to the Safety Advisory Group, that was sent to Newham Council on 1 st December 2005 .

A QPR supporter contacts Stand Up Sit Down to tell us that in contrast to previous seasons, they have found stewards and police at both Sheffield clubs to be friendly and reasonable. The supporter says:

Well Wednesday certainly seem to have cleaned up their act since then. The stewards were polite and helpful, even allowing a few QPR fans to stand up at the back of the away end. I've always wondered why they trouble themselves trying to make ten people on the back row sit down (yes I know all about all seater stadiums and safety certificates) but it does seem more trouble than it's worth. I thought we were going to get a jobsworth when an old geezer came trudging up the stairs towards us but he just said "Alright fellas, no problems, they just like me to walk up and down the stairs twice a match, ridiculous aint it?" Credit to him, nice guy.'

300 of Lincoln 's 500 away support at Wycombe stand throughout he match, with no efforts made to get them to sit.

A Manchester United supporter tells Stand Up Sit Down :

‘On Friday 14th, Our Game with Sunderland I sat in Stretford End's upper tier, the most vocal section within Old Trafford & one heavily populated by Season Ticket Holders. Despite the disappointing result, for atmosphere created by our fans this has been my most enjoyable game yet this season, this was my first game attending in the Stretford End having previously chosen to sit in the East Stand. This was most enjoyable because throughout the game United Fans in the Upper section created a large amount of noise & replicated the atmosphere created in popular supporter's pubs before games. The point though, is that this atmosphere was only created due to increased standing opportunity I had for this game. In the Upper Tier United fans stand for the vast majority with stewards asking making only a few half hearted attempts for fans to sit. Those located in the middle section of the tier, where Season Ticket Holders are located, stood throughout, ignoring calls to sit.

Whenever stewards felt it was necessary to actually attempt to make these fans sit, the majority of the Upper Tier, including myself, responded with chants of "Stand Up, & Support Your Club!" At this point the stewards relented in their pursuit to make the Fans in the middle section of the tier sit down, & I saw no attempts to eject supporters. What I did see amongst those standing were Female & Senior fans, who seemed to take offence just like the rest of those who were told to sit.

This proves without a shadow of a doubt that fans who sit in the Upper Tier Stretford End section sit in that area as they choose to stand, & that as a result a greater atmosphere is created. The chants of "Stand Up, & Support Your Club!" could also be heard in the Away End in the game with Tottenham Hotspur."

A Stand Up Sit Down member reports on Wigan v Aston Villa saying:

Villa took 2000 supporters to Wigan , and are all placed in a lower tier stand.

The 100 or so which choose to sit simply, went to the front and those wishing to stand stood around the back and middle.

Wigan Stewards should be thanked, in they that they allowed the small group of fans the freedom to move forward to sit, even though the seats they in were not the ones they were allocated.

Again it shows that standing and seating can work, this time in the same stand.'

Following our complaints about the very one sided piece shown on Sky at the weekend, Sky Sports News invite a representative of Stand Up Sit Down to come into their studios for an interview.

manda from Stand Up Sit Down comes over very well and presents our strong arguments in favour of choice for supporters.

Stand Up Sit Down receive an acknowledgment from Newham Council to our request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, and advise that we will receive a reply within 20 working days.

Stand Up Sit Down are told that a t the Sunderland vs Newcastle derby all the Newcastle fans stood throughout the game (about 3,500) and areas of the Sunderland fans also stood, with no effect made to make the supporters sit down.

Also that recently in Level 7 of St James Park next to the away fans, were most of the tier stand the stewards were handing letters out to people saying if you don't sit down you will be thrown out.

Thousands of supporters from both clubs are seen standing throughout the FA Cup semi final between Chelsea and Liverpool .

A Stand Up Sit Down member tells us:

‘Again yesterday at the Newcastle - West Brom match large numbers of Newcastle supporters in Leazes Level 7 stood for the whole game and at some point in the game the whole stadium were on their feet as the chant "Stand up if you love Shearer" rang around the stadium. It seems that the stewards have accepted defeat now as no effort was made by the stewards or police to get us to sit unlike some other matches recently where they failed but tried all sorts of ways to get us to sit down. ‘

All 8,000 Rangers fans stand at the Old Firm match at Celtic.

Around 5,000 Middlesbrough and 14,000 West Ham fans stand for the FA Cup semi final at Villa Park . West Ham supporters stand in all three tiers, with no efforts made to get them to sit, even in the highest parts of the ground.

After the match the PA plays loud music, encouraging West Ham fans to jump around as they celebrate reaching the cup final.

Stand Up Sit Down have previously asked the FLA for their view on the playing of such music after goals are scored and at the end of important matches, but they declined to comment.

Around 2000 fans stand at the Edinburgh derby between Hearts & Hibs at Easter Road.

A Stand Up Sit Down member and Wycombe supporters tells us:

‘I Was at Rushden & Diamonds and were greeted by bouncer type brain dead 'safety officers'. We took 700 fans in a part of ground which must have held about 1200- fans wishing to stand went to the back as not affecting anyone's view. After about 5 minutes the officers came up and said you must sit - I asked why 3 times and got the same reply ' you must sit' - no real answer no choice just a brain-dead jobsworth muppet seeming to instigate ill feeling than anything else. Our fans who were standing sang stand up if you love Wycombe but as per usual the officers threaten heavy handed tactics - AS THEY LOVE THAT. Every time anyone looked as if they stood for anytime more than necessary the skin head burly steward made a quick approach but we were able to get seated before there unwanted intervention. We pulled an equaliser back on 60 mins and about 400 stood for the last 30 mins as we made a comeback to win 3-1. One fan was ejected for celebrating a goal as we went 2-1 up - didn't go on pitch he just celebrated !!! Rushden commented Wycombe fans as the loudest visiting fans to visit this season as I'm sure a lot was down to loads standing for last 30 mins and the stewards just gave up and we just sang non stop for that period. I'm delighted Rushden are going down even if it is down to Local Authorities as I hate the bouncer stewards the club does nothing to stop from using almost provocative measures - maybe they will learn when only 50 away fans occupy the away end next year. GO down and stay down.'

A Stand Up Sit Down member tells us:

‘With regard to standing in upper tiers as mentioned above at Old Trafford there is a block of supporters in the Stretford end second tier who stand most games despite steward attempts to get people to sit down. I've also stood in upper tiers at Ewood park, City of Manchester stadium, St James Park, Reebok stadium and White Hart lane over past few seasons.

Interesting to note at Blackburn that they now seal off the first 3-4 rows in the upper tier when they play MUFC yet make no attempts to sit people down. I believe the same was done for Liverpool a few weeks back but cant confirm it for definite.

I've also been to a few FC United games this season where the majority of the crowd stand at Gigg lane, Bury. FC average about 3000 per home game but last Saturday had 6,023 of which the majority stood. Also played at a number of other football league ground such as Edgeley Park , Boundary Park and Vale Park where the FC support have all stood.'

Every one of Liverpool 's 2700 allocation at Upton park stand throughout the game, as do around 3000 West Ham fans in the Centenary Lower and West Side corner, plus some in the East Side Lower. In the Bobby Moore Lower one block stand for the whole game, and the whole stand do not sit once during the 2 nd half.

Despite supporters having been ejected for standing at Home Park this season, Plymouth Argyle's website shows pictures of supporters standing in a seated area on the page selling season tickets for next season.

Two West Ham supporters contact Stand Up Sit Down , telling us that they have received a letter informing them that their season tickets have been cancelled by the club due to persistent standing, and that they will therefore be unable to purchase FA Cup final tickets.

he supporters, who have season tickets in the Dr Martins Lower Tier, say that they are in a block that always stand. Supporters in front of them received warning letters from the club, but they did not receive one. The club have accused them of being abusive to stewards, which they adamantly deny. They say that the club told them that supporters around their seats had been sent letters informing them of the ban, and saying that the two empty seats were to act as a warning that they too may be banned. We have been told that despite this the block stood once again at the Liverpool game on Wednesday.

Thousands of Chelsea and Manchester United supporters stand at both ends of the ground as the teams play the premiership decider at Stamford Bridge . After the match all Chelsea 's supporters appear to stand for the celebrations.

Stand Up Sit Down email West Ham on behalf of the two supporters banned for standing, asking that this be reviewed, particularly in light of the FA Cup final.

West Ham reply, saying that they cannot comment on individual cases and will back the decision of the Stadium Manager.

Stand Up Sit Down reply, saying that we appreciate that they cannot comment on the specific case, but we point out that Middlesbrough have allowed a fan who is banned from Premiership fixtures, to buy a ticket for the UEFA Cup final, and that we hope a way can be found to allow these two supporters to go to Cardiff.

Charlton supporters at the Valley lead a chant of “Stand up for Curbishley” and the whole ground (and the Blackburn bench) rises to acknowledge Curbishley's resignation. This goes on for some minutes after the final whistle as Charlton fans stay behind to pay tribute to their soon to be ex manager. Curbishley does not remain in one place but walks round the pitch, meaning supporters do not have one point to focus on.

Leeds entire away support stand throughout their league match at Preston .

Stand Up Sit Down write to FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick, with regard to two issues relevant to the FA Cup final and the Taylor Report.

We point out that the FA's ticket allocation policy, in which the two finalists receive only around one third of the tickets, is encouraging touts. We point out that whilst ticket touting has been made illegal, following recommendation in the Taylor Report, the FA's policy is fueling the supply of tickets to touts, and supporters are paying between £800 and £1000, such is their desperation to attend the final. We also say that we are aware that considerable numbers of West Ham supporters intend travelling to Cardiff in the hope of buying tickets on the day, which is something that Taylor specifically wanted to stop. We suggest that the FA's ticket policy is both unfair and against the spirit of the law, and ask that they review it for future finals.

We tell Mr Barwick that we are aware of many supporters who are trying to decide which areas will stand and which will sit, as they select tickets for the final. Some of course want to stand, while others want or have to sit, or can't see if others stand. We quote many matches where West Ham and Liverpool supporters have stood in large numbers, and say that there is no doubt that many will stand at the cup final.

We point out that despite all the efforts of the FLA , football authorities etc, thousands of supporters continue to and say that as it is clear that the current unsatisfactory situation will not change, a more realistic and workable solution is required. We explain our proposals for separate standing & sitting areas, and that we know many within football support standing areas, even if they cannot say so publicly.

We say there also appears to be a great deal of mutual buck passing, with the FLA saying that the Government will not allow standing, the Government saying that they follow the FLA's advice, the football authorities saying that the Government will not change the law, and the Government saying football itself does not want standing.

The letter concludes by saying that we believe that if those with influence within the game, and notably the FA, were to approach the Government explaining the situation that the current regulations are unworkable, and proposing a more realistic and workable solution, they would be open to discussion.

We offer to meet with the FA to discuss our proposals in more detail.

The full letter can be seen on our forum through the following link:

http://s12.invisionfree.com/StandUpSitDown/index.php?showtopic=84