Safe standing. It’s alright, really
On Wednesday, the day that the truth about the Hillsborough disaster was finally exposed, Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) tweeted: “There’s been a drive for an Olympic legacy – there should be a Hillsborough legacy too, of transparency and accurate reporting”.
As a reporter I agree. As a football fan, I think that another part of the Hillsborough legacy, after the truth was exposed, should be the return of standing areas to top flight football in England.
The Hillsborough disaster was not caused by the standing areas. However, in the name of safety they were scraped in the two top divisions in England and this led to high ticket prices and the dilution of atmosphere in the football grounds. Standing areas are also the natural habitat for the future football fans – teens and young adults, who are now priced out of football games.
After the truth about Hillsborough came to light, there is not one logical single reason to oppose standing areas. Actually, the only “reason” to oppose standing areas is the greed of team owners and the authorities, which had more to do to the Hillsborough disaster than the standing areas.
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