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Are You Always Standing Up At Villa Park? The Growing Problem You Are Causing.

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A growing problem for Clubs is that fans seem to have got the opinion that they can stand up,  because no one is forcing them to sit down.

Forum thread: https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/standingatvillapark

What fans don’t realise is that the Clubs are now getting into quite big trouble, which will lead to fines and potentially having a % of the tickets they can sell suspended i.e. the authories might say 10% have to be withheld and no one can use those seats.

Our club, so I’m told, has been targetted as the worst offender. I find it hard to believe, because of the constant pictures of the fans all standing at Anfield, however, this could well come to bite us and our club.

Do you stand? Do you think you have the right to stand? What would make you realise you don’t and for you to sit down?  And if you do stand, do you realise how difficult you make the match experience for those not as fit, the older and some of the differently-abled – not always fully disabled ? It makes for a rotten match experience. And don’t say you don’t care, these are fellow fans, a lot who have been there a damn sight longer than you have AND that could be you one day, sitting because you can’t stand, staring at the back of a fan who is standing in an all-seater stadium.  Boring I know, but these are the facts, they are all-seater stadiums.

I know from my experience, I sat on the front row for a reason, I can’t always keep getting up and down and can’t always stand for the duration, which has always made away games painful affairs for me.  That is why it impacted on me so much when I was told by the Premier League they wanted my seats and I had to move.  To be fair, I am now comfortable in the Corporate area, but the fact remains, I know from experience what it is like when you can’t stand up like everyone else.

It is actually starting to ruin more and more fans experiences, the Club are getting more and more complaints.

I think this is a watch this space situation, as the standing won’t be allowed to continue without hefty fines, at the very least, for the Club.

“We have rich owners, they can afford it.” Might be your answer. Can they? No, they are a commercial enterprise, we want them to put the money in to make us top four and challenging again. We have a part to play.

“Those who are differently-abled or old can go sit elsewhere or go in the disabled section.” Can they? Where? Loads in the Holte End stand throughout the game. The North Stand Lower is pretty much all standing these days. So where do you suggest, in a stadium pretty much sold out with 30 000 season ticket holders and 20 000 members plus waiting lists? And the disabled facilities are yet to be upgraded to the new Premier League standards (a work in progress now we are in the PL).  You also, even if disabled, don’t always want to be away from family and friends and some not in wheelchairs for instance, get snarled at and told by people ignorant of their disabilities, “You aren’t disabled.” And why should people with issues have to move when the people with the problem are actually those standing?

“We should be allowed to stand.” Totally different argument, I agree, it was never about standing, it was about putting us all in cages. Fact remains though, unless/until the law changes, we aren’t allowed to stand, not without consequences.

Thoughts? Join in on the forum or read other fans opinions: https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/standingatvillapark

Please take a moment to check out this excellent read – Fear Conquers All.

“One man’s mission to inspire you to Get up. Get out. Live.”

You can find all the details, how to buy and read the reviews at The Fear.net and on Amazon (if you don’t have Prime, it is cheaper to buy directly and means he can donate more to the AVFC Foundation.


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Walking Where Angels Fear To Tread