Spirit of Shankly (LSU) discuss rail seating

September 2016. Liverpool Supporters’ Union (LSU), the Spirit of Shankly, put a resolution to members at its AGM, asking if the LSU should adopt a formal position on rail seating. The resolution was passed unanimously by the members in attendance.

While the motion on the table was not asking members whether Spirit of Shankly should support rail seating, every member who spoke from the floor took the opportunity to say that they supported its introduction. They included Hillsborough Justice Campaign member, who lost his brother in the disaster: “I’ve come full circle on this,” said. “I supported all-seater stadia. But we’ve got to see where we are now, 27 years later: thousands of people stand at a football game. I want to make that as safe as possible. Rail seating is the safest way to do it.”

The full video of the meeting is available here on the Spirit of Shankly Facebook page (the item on rail seating begins at around 49’ 30”).

When the resolution, which asked “Should the LSU adopt a position on rail seating and embark on a period of consultation and engagement with supporters to determine what that position is?” was subsequently put the full membership online, 93% said ‘Yes’.

Spirit of Shankly has since published a detailed schedule of consultation at the end of which a formal position will emerge in July 2017.