MP calls for pilot of new standing technology

October 15, 2012. Roger Godsiff MP has tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the government to permit pilots of safe standing at selected Premier League and/or Championship grounds.

An Early Day Motion is a bit like a petition among opposition and backbench MPs (ministers are not allowed to sign them). They are often used as a mechanism to demonstrate the level of support in the House for a given issue.

Ask your MP to support EDM 573 by clicking here

Any EDM attracting over 100 signatures can be regarded as a 'success'. Only four have ever been signed by over 400 MPs. They rarely lead to a House of Commons debate, but are an important tool in raising the profile of an issue.

Roger Godsiff's EDM (EDM 573) reads as follows:

THE INTRODUCTION OF A PILOT OF NEW STANDING TECHNOLOGY IN FOOTBALL STADIA

That this House urges the Government to accept the case for introducing, on a trial basis, limited standing areas at grounds of clubs in the Premier League and Championship whose management want to participate in such trials; further urges the Government to recognise there is widespread support for such areas; that improvements in stadium design and technology mean that, with rigorous safety specifications, standing areas can be safely introduced; notes the long-term success of new standing technology in many other European leagues, including the German Bundesliga, the availability of this technology in the UK and plans by the Scottish Premier League to initiate trials; calls on the Government to amend the Football Spectators Act 1989 by statutory instrument to allow this pilot to take place.

Clearly, the more MPs that support this EDM, the more notice the Government is likely to take of the call for safe standing pilots. Therefore please urge your MP to sign the EDM and encourage all your friends and relatives to do likewise. You can do this very quickly and easily via this page on the FSF website.