Stand Up Sit Down receive the following email from a steward at a Premiership club in the North of England. For obvious reasons we are not revealing the name of the club.

‘I would love to stand up as probably 50/60% of the ******** Faithful would. Thing is the FA will never allow it. I signed the Stand up Sit Down petition last year. I have a little secret I am a STEWARD, yes and I'm not ashamed. Thing is the ******** Stewards and club see the need for standing sections, for a start the saying 'the customer is always right' ******** FC gets lots of letters from people wishing to stand.

Ground Safety Officers see the current situation, of persistent standers close to people who want to sit as more dangerous than segregated standing and sitting. It is a problem that needs addressing. Every single ground
in the country has and area where fans persistently stand. Another reason ******** FC recognise is that seating is detrimental to atmosphere, everyone knows this. Simple as, most home grounds are like morgues on a Saturday if there aren't many goals.'

West Ham's 2000 away supporters at West Brom all stand throughout the game.

At Ewood Park TV shows virtually the entire ground on its feet for the latter part of the match, as Blackburn play Chelsea . Supporters with drums are seen jumping around with no apparent intervention from stewards.

The Manchester Evening News carries an article about overcrowding on trains between Bolton and Manchester .

In response to a complaint from a commuter, Northern Rail are reported as saying:

‘It is not possible to dangerously overcrowd a train – rail vehicles are designed to operate when crush loaded'.

The letter, written in consultation with a safety manager, added:

‘There is no laid down safety limit on the maximum number of passengers which can be carried in any of our vehicles.'

Whilst accepting that a crowded train is safer than travelling by car, and that it would therefore be counter productive to ban standing or raise fares forcing passengers onto roads, Stand Up Sit Down would contrast the situation in a moving train or bus, to standing in a fixed position at football. It appears to us that the safety authorities are coming to convenient conclusions to suit Government policy. Clearly it would cost billions of pounds to provide sufficient rail capacity for all passengers to sit, so faced with this it is easier to say there is no risk from standing. At football however the costs of new grounds had to be found by the clubs and it suits the authorities to use safety as an excuse to deny fans freedom and sanitise our game.

At the first leg of the Championship play off at Elland Road all Leeds fans in the kop stand, as do many in the East and West stands. Nearly all Preston 's support also stood.

Stand Up Sit Down are contacted by ‘The Blue Order' an organised group of Rangers fans who are trying to introduce the European style displays at Ibrox along with the British style vocal support.

The group has over 100 members but 28 were banned from Ibrox for persistent standing, although this was reversed after two matches.

The Blue Order wish Stand Up Sit Down well with our campaign and offer to help with publicity at Rangers games.

Around half the crowd of 2000 in the Welsh Cup final between Rhyl and Bangor stand in front of their seats, creating an excellent atmosphere.

Despite ongoing threats to ban supporters, around 15,000 stand throughout the Premiership match between West Ham & Spurs at Upton Park.

Spurs entire away support of 2,700 stand, as do West Ham fans in the Centenary Lower, Bobby Moore Lower and parts of the East & West Lower.

After the match West Ham's entire support in all tiers stand for celebrations, with the PA playing music that encourages fans not only to stand but to jump around.

Yet again Stand Up Sit Down would ask why supporters are being ejected from lesser games, when it appears to be accepted that large numbers will stand for big matches.

Manchester City 's entire support of 5,000 stand throughout their match at Blackburn .

As Newcastle play Chelsea home supporters stand as usual in the very high Sir John Hall Level 7. Other areas of the ground also stand, creating the best atmosphere at St James' Park this season.

Leeds entire away support stand for the Championship play off 2 nd leg at Preston .

Following the theft of 1600 FA Cup final tickets, the Millennium Stadium say that duplicates will not be issued and that anyone sitting in seats for the stolen seats will be ejected.

Aside from the gross unfairness of deny tickets to supporters who have paid to watch the match, Stand Up Sit Down would point out that by saying that fans will be ejected, the Millennium Stadium is encouraging the many thousands who have purchased black market tickets, to stand away from their allocated seat. This of course is likely to lead to additional standing and possible overcrowding.

16,000 of Celtic's 25,000 supporters at Roy Keane's testimonial stand throughout the match at Old Trafford. Stewards make no attempts to get them to sit, yet in the Manchester United part of the east Stand Lower they made several sweeps to get fans to sit. Several United supporters have questioned why they were forced to sit while the fact that Celtic supporters adjacent to them stood was apparently ignored.

As usual many thousands of supports stand for the cup final at Cardiff .

The whole of the upper tier, and parts of the middle tier at the West Ham end stand. Stewards make unsuccessful attempts to get West Ham fans to sit in the middle tier, but soon give up.

Most of the lower tier at this end was part of the FA allocation, rather than to the participating clubs, but the majority of supporters in this area were West Ham, with a few Liverpool and some neutrals. Most stood and despite there being no segregation as a direct result of the FA's ticket allocation policy, there was no trouble between supporters.

It is estimated that about 80% of West Ham fans stood.

Liverpool fans all stood in the lower tier behind the goal, plus at times in other areas. It is estimated that around 30% stood throughout.

Stand Up Sit Down would point to the cup final as a match where designated standing and sitting areas are most needed. There is a mix of fans, and some do not wish to stand, find it difficult, or cannot see if others stand in front of them. Many supporters are however even more keen to stand than usual, as they wish to passionately support their team in such an important fixture. If the lower tiers were designated for standing and the others for sitting, all could be happy, and safety improved by standing being in the shallowest area.

The Berlin derby between Union and Dynamo is abandoned after 77 minutes due to hooliganism.

The Football Licensing Authority have consistently said that there is a difference in culture between fans in England and Germany , and use this to justify why we cannot have the standing areas that are permitted in Europe .

This is yet another example showing that if there is a culture difference, it is supporters from some European countries that have a greater behaviour problem,. This was further illustrated by the excellent atmosphere between Liverpool & West Ham supporters at the FA Cup final, despite there being areas of non segregated fans in the Millennium Stadium.

600 of Cheltenham 's 1500 travelling fans stand throughout their play off semi final at Wycombe. No attempts were made to seat them.

Stand Up Sit Down receive a reply from Newham Council in response to our request under the Freedom of Information Act, asking for copies of safety assessments and Safety Advisory Group minutes in relation to standing at Upton Park. Newham Council say:

Dear Sir; Regret the delay in replying to your request for information which has been due to my being of work ill for some 2 weeks.

With regard to number 1 of your request, I would advise you that it is the responsibility of the Club to carry out such risk assessments and any request for such information should be directed to them.

With regard to number 2 of your request, below is an extract from the Safety Advisory Group minutes of 25th January 2006 relating to the issue of standing. The issue has not been discussed in any other Safety Advisory Team meeting between December and today.

'Standing in Seated Areas - LE observed the situation to be a lot worse at the match 23.01.2006 with standing even occurring in the Centenary Stand which was probably due to casual ticket sales. A letter had been distributed on the night to all fans which was not entirely correct, it stated the FLA monitor the situation on a match by match basis. JB advised the Club are trying to recover the situation with letters as the first step.

SM felt a separate meeting was needed to discuss this situation and that due to the next match being a cup match monitoring would not be as useful. Jo to arrange meeting asap.'

Stand Up Sit Down suggest that this response raises a number of questions:

1) Given the pressure West Ham say they are under from the FLA / Newham Council, why has this issue only been discussed once in the last five months, and apparently then only briefly, at the Safety Advisory Group? If this was really a serious safety concern, why has it not been discussed at the SAG since December?

2) Why is there no reference to the submission from SUSD that we sent to the SAG in December, and in which we made a number of positive suggestions for alleviating the problems resulting from standing at Upton Park.? This was not even acknowledged by the SAG (only by Paul Aldridge, West Ham MD), so appears to have been ignored.

3) The fixture referred to on 23rd January was v Fulham. This is not a major match in which an unusually high number of standers would be expected. The increased standing which they refer to was in spite of a warning letter being given to fans at turnstiles. All West Ham fans in the Centenary Lower have stood for every game since January, and many are season ticket holders, not casual.

4) Why is a cup match any different to league games?

5) Why did the club say in their letter that the FLA monitor the situation on a match by match basis if this is not the case?

700 of Cheltenham 's 1500 supporters stand throughout their play off semi final at Wycombe.

Stand Up Sit Down are sent reports of standing at the Championship play off semi final between Crystal Palace and Watford .

In the first leg Palace fans in Holmsdale blocks A, B & C, plus all Watford 's visiting fans stood.

In the second leg Palace's entire support stood throughout, and Watford fans behind the goal stood intermittently.

A Celtic supporter contacts Stand Up Sit Down , telling us that most of Celtic's huge support at Newcastle for Alan Shearer's testimonial on 15 th May stood throughout the match, as is their norm for friendly matches in England .

Stand Up Sit Down write back to Newham Council requesting further information under the freedom of Information Act as follows:

Dear Sirs

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Could you please provide us with the following information in relation to London Borough of Newham's statutory role with regard to licensing and safety at West Ham United's football ground.

Copy of minutes from the meeting held by West Ham United Safety Advisory Group (or a sub committee of the SAG) to discuss persistent standing at Upton Park, following the SAG meeting on 25 th January 2006 , at which it was agreed that a separate meeting would be held to discuss this issue. (reference email from David Grant, Licensing Manager, to myself dated17.5.06).

Copies of the minutes of any subsequent meetings held up to the date of this letter by West Ham United Safety Advisory Group (or sub committee) specifically to discuss persistent standing at Upton Park.

I look forward to receiving the information requested in due course. If you have any queries on this request please contact myself by email at ----.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely