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Round-Up Safe Standing Options Installed


Wolves have installed several different safe- standing options at Molineux, making them the first Premier League club to do so at an operational stadium. The mix of rail seats and seats with


separate barriers has been installed in a currently unused block of the Billy Wright Stand to show fans and the local Safety Advisory Group how they would work when the law banning persistent standing is dropped. Managing director Laurie Dalrymple said


in a statement: "As a club we are keen to be at the forefront of innovation and progression, so the opportunity to install these examples of potential safe-standing solutions was one we were very happy to explore. "Whilst the seats themselves will not be


operational or used at matches, we are now able to give our Fan's Parliament group and local authority the opportunity to view all the options before some of these solutions become commonplace in UK stadiums." Wolves' midlands neighbours West Brom


asked for permission to pilot a safe-standing section, with rail seats, at the Hawthorns last season, but their request was rejected by the then sports minister Tracey Crouch. She told the club she remained


unconvinced that standing sections could ever be as safe as seated areas and later told the Press Association that only "a vocal minority" were interested in scrapping the all-seater rule. Within weeks, however, an online petition


forced Crouch to grant a parliamentary debate on the matter and, with growing


support for change from the clubs, the government eventually agreed to a review. Judging the direction of travel, Tottenham


have installed 7,500 seats with a safety barrier in front of them at their rebuilt White Hart Lane home. These seats can be flipped up and perhaps even locked in place to create a standing area. The Sports Ground Safety Authority has


confirmed that Spurs' "safe-seating" idea is compliant with the government's current all- seater policy, providing strict conditions on maintenance and stewarding are kept. Everton have also said their proposed


new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has been designed with the flexibility to have large standing areas, while many other clubs are currently considering where standing


sections could be introduced to their grounds. But with Spurs unlikely to move into their


state-of-the-art home until March at the earliest, Wolves are the first big English club to actually fit safe-standing solutions in their current home. Safe-standing campaigner Jon Darch said:


"We anticipate that Safety Advisory Groups will be looking closely at clubs with areas of persistent standing and will most likely encourage them to enhance spectator safety in those areas by installing rail seats like those now on show at Molineux. "I also anticipate that legislation will


change to allow clubs to operate areas, fitted with such seating, as formal standing areas. That could potentially happen this year."


Kirkby training ground development


Liverpool Football Club has revealed images of progress at its Kirkby training ground development which began on site last September. The state-of-the-art redevelopment of


the existing Academy site will see the first team and youth football operations come together at a combined training facility for the first time in Liverpool's history.


The new 9,200sqm training complex will


provide an elite performance centre for the first team and a state-of-the-art training area for the club's development squads, alongside new pitches, two gyms, a full-size sports hall, pool, hydrotherapy complex and specialist sports rehabilitation suites. There will also be dedicated TV studios, press conference facilities and office accommodation.


Building work on the community playing


fields will be completed later this year and, following a period for the grass to establish, the new pitches will be ready for use around August 2019. The entire project is expected to be


completed in spring 2020, with the first team moving across from Melwood during the close season.


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