Persistent Standing Policy | PASOTI
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Persistent Standing Policy

Tony Pastyman

♣️ Senior Greens
🌟Sparksy Mural🌟
Mar 1, 2008
657
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This article is Argyle's policy/ reminder to all of us that 'persistent standing' will not be accepted by the Club and requesting that we use the seats provided.
I support this view until the club is able to provide safe standing areas. It will be interesting to see if the club takes action against individuals who disregard the policy.

Argyle Media
@Only1Argyle
MORE than 1,800 supporters were injured at football matches in England and Wales during the last season for which such data exists.
Many of those injuries occurred as a result of fans standing in seated areas.
That sobering statistic is, alone, one very good reason for using the seats at Home Park for what they are intended – standing in seated areas presents a huge safety risk, not only to the supporters who stand, but to those sitting around them.
At Argyle, we have a duty of care to everyone who visits Home Park and, in keeping with our Vision and Values, we take that duty very seriously.
That is why we ask all supporters to respect our requests to refrain from persistent standing.
Persistent’ is the key word.
We are not saying we expect the Green Army to stay bolted to their seat when Danny Mayor waltzes past three defenders and plonks a 25-yard drive into the top corner, or when Alex Palmer stretches and twists to tip over an opponents’ shot that appeared destined for the top corner.
Moments like that bring you to your feet, and rightly so. We want that to continue.
By ‘persistent’, we mean “when individuals in seated areas stand for prolonged periods of time other than for short durations during moments of excitement.”
That definition comes from a 28-page document produced this summer by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, the Government’s expert body in respect of sports ground safety.
The SGSA has a statutory responsibility for the issuing of licences to sports grounds for all football matches in England and Wales, and the weighty document outlines the SGSA’s approach this season to every club that, like Argyle, plays in a designated all-seater stadium.
Paramount to clubs being allowed to play under licence is that they must be rigorous in upholding the all-seater licence conditions of the Football Spectators Act 1989, the purpose of which are “to provide for the safety of spectators…”
Which is another very good reason for asking supporters not to stand – except for those moments of excitement, of course.
We have to. It is the law.

What happens if we ignore the conditions of our licence; if we do not act against people who stand for prolonged periods?
In the formal terminology of the document: “the SGSA will advise the relevant local authority that it is minded to move towards enforcement action under the 1989 Act for non-compliance with the terms and conditions (including the all-seater conditions) of the licence to admit spectators…the SGSA may take the following formal enforcement action:
impose additional licence conditions; and/or
suspend part, or all of the licence; and/or
revoke/not renew all or part of the licence.”
Simply, Argyle will be in big trouble. There would probably be large financial penalties. Ultimately, if the licence was fully, or even partially, revoked, we would be unable to play games at Home Park.

So, when a Home Park steward asks you to sit down, they are making the request, not because they are being killjoys, but because they are obliged to by law, and because they are concerned for the well-being of everyone who comes to Home Park.

Thank you for your understanding.

Enjoy
 
Feb 23, 2008
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Yeah, you won't get people adhering to this.

We sit in the Devonport and there's a (reverse?!) domino effect, some people will happily walk to the seat in front of a youngster and just stand right in front of them, no regard for anyone's view which causes the row behind to stand, then the row behind that.

I've had the two rows behind me asking me to sit down but the fella in front of me ignoring polite requests to sit down so we can see.

Unless you start kicking people out for not sitting down nothing will change.
 

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The club has had problems in the past so I guess on the eve of a new season at Home Park the EFL and possibly the police have reminded them of their duty and the club have passed on that reminder regarding persistent standing to the fans.

Persistent being the key word.
 
Jan 27, 2012
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The statement from Argyle is too soft. They should demand that people sit down.

It’s all very well standing up at the back of the Devonport stand but when individuals stand up in the Lyndhurst and other areas they are usually spoiling the game for people sat behind them. This can trigger others to stand and the problem escalates. Furthermore, the stewards are often too weak to do anything about it.

It’s all very well saying sitting down up kills the atmosphere- but that’s very selfish. What about the OAPs, kids and families sat behind you ? Or indeed the people who just prefer sitting down?
 
Oct 10, 2012
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It’s not a problem for probably 95% of football clubs so why is it an issue for us ffs
 
Oct 10, 2012
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For the record I sit down at home games, I sit at the front because I appreciate many others prefer to stand. At away games I like to stand and find an area where everyone else stands up. Really not rocket science
 
Carlo":14rvd356 said:
For the record I sit down at home games, I sit at the front because I appreciate many others prefer to stand. At away games I like to stand and find an area where everyone else stands up. Really not rocket science

No, but it does beg the question as to how you can stand at away games and not at home games.

There is clearly a desire and a need for standing, so in my view the club should look closely into providing what their "customers" want, in exactly the same way as Shrewsbury have done.

In the meantime however, we have little choice but to accept the rules as they stand (pun intended).
 
Apr 25, 2006
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Cornwall
Bermudian Green":1vkh0kb9 said:
In the meantime however, we have little choice but to accept the rules as they stand (pun intended).


Even if it doesn't sit well with a lot of people. (pun intended)
 
Jan 27, 2012
3,889
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I suspect that a minority of people want to stand and the majority either prefer to sit or are neutral on the subject. But as those who want to stand tend to be the more vocal people they are are the ones giving most feedback to PAFC.
 
Apr 20, 2004
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Dorset
PMPilgrim":zslbshv4 said:
Or you don’t get to stand in front of people who have paid for a seat!

Also

https://www.facebook.com/13994394607049 ... 53&sfns=mo

Exactly. I can never understand why this is such a contentious issue from a "rules" point of view. Persistent standing in a seating area could obviously cause safety issues. And of course, many people who sit are simply unable to stand for long periods of time even if they wanted to. Why should they be expected to stare at someone's arse for two hours?!

We need dedicated safe standing areas. It's the only way to keep all fans happy. I can't understand why the league can't introduce legislation to allow this asap in all suitable grounds, rather than relying on the seemingly stupid rules at present that prevents clubs from doing so, regardless.

One relatively simple solution, I'd have thought, is to remove seats from the rear few rows of the stands and re-profile the floor to create decent areas for standing.
 
Feb 28, 2016
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warney":2l7sdjsn said:
PMPilgrim":2l7sdjsn said:
Or you don’t get to stand in front of people who have paid for a seat!

Also

https://www.facebook.com/13994394607049 ... 53&sfns=mo

Exactly. I can never understand why this is such a contentious issue from a "rules" point of view. Persistent standing in a seating area could obviously cause safety issues. And of course, many people who sit are simply unable to stand for long periods of time even if they wanted to. Why should they be expected to stare at someone's arse for two hours?!

We need dedicated safe standing areas. It's the only way to keep all fans happy. I can't understand why the league can't introduce legislation to allow this asap in all suitable grounds, rather than relying on the seemingly stupid rules at present that prevents clubs from doing so, regardless.

One relatively simple solution, I'd have thought, is to remove seats from the rear few rows of the stands and re-profile the floor to create decent areas for standing.

Because it’s not League rules it’s the law which needs legislation to change. The government (of which ever colour) is unlikely to have time or inclination to change for the foreseeable future.
 

Tony Pastyman

♣️ Senior Greens
🌟Sparksy Mural🌟
Mar 1, 2008
657
126
The Sports Ground Safety Authority SGSA along with the clubs are the ones to get this issue addressed once and for all. Cardiff got this sorted by making one area of a stand standing area only. That was after consultation with the board, fans, fans organisations and the SGSA.