Roadshow attends sunny Bristol City open day
July 2012. The Safe Standing Roadshow joined an estimated 5,000 Bristol City fans in glorious sunshine at the club's open day at Ashton Gate on 24th July. Once again the feedback was almost universally supportive.
Being a Bristol City fan myself, this was a 'home fixture' for the roadshow and thus not an unduly early start - although being out of the house by 8am is not my normal Sunday morning routine!
We set the roadshow up alongside the Supporters Trust stall and draped the Trust's striking Union Flag over one side of the unit (as can be seen in the photo above). Visitors to the roadshow included Bristol City chairman Colin Sexstone and director Jon Lansdown, plus a steady flow of fans young and old keen to learn more about rail seats.
In the entire day not one person pronounced themselves dead set against the idea and while one sole fan was not totally persuaded of the merits of rail seats all others were very supportive and many added their names to the national Football Supporters Federation safe standing petition there and then.
With many fans on the day sporting the club's new yellow away shirts, the now customary photo of a group of supporters cheering the rail seat concept looked not a lot different from the one taken a few weeks ago at the Oxford United open day!
Red or yellow, however, it was clear that Bristol City fans, too, were right behind the rail seat idea.