Stags fans vote for safe standing at One Call Stadium

After Shrewsbury Town became the first English club to apply to have safe standing at their ground we asked Stags fans their thoughts and 84 per cent voted for safe standing at the OCS.

Shrewsbury aim to have the rail seats fitted and in use, in a section of one stand, before the end of next season.

They were quickly followed this week by Northampton Town, who have also pledged to look into it.

Shrewsbury’s stadium is 10 years old and is not governed by the all-seater stadia legislation, which permits clubs in Leagues One and Two to keep terraces that existed before 1994.

Standing has been banned in England’s top two divisions since then following recommendations made in the Taylor Report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Stags fan Malk Buxton said: “A big yes and make it pay on the gate for people who decide to go to the game at the last minute.

“Mr Radford - it’s one gate £5 per person (just say) 100 through the gate = £500 - not rocket science is it?”

James said: “Can’t see why it couldn’t work for us, especially with the efforts to improve the atmosphere, think this could help even further.

“A lot of people stand up anyway at matches in all seater stadiums which is unsafe. Safe standing is the way forward. Celtic have proved that.”

Adamstag added: “Can’t understand why anyone would have an issue with the safe standing.

“Painful lessons were made in the late 80s and early 90s but times move on. Health and Safety is completely different, as is capacity safety at grounds.

“I find it hard to see how folk wouldn’t want it.”

However, Micksut said: “The problem for us, and many clubs with ‘newer’ all-seater stadia, is that the rake on the stands is now too steep to accommodate safe standing.

“The older stands were pretty gradual inclines compared to the perpendicular drops we have now.

“To have the North Stand or Quarry Lane made suitable for safe standing areas would be prohibitively expensive, and with the “rail” type supports would probably reduce capacity even more.

“Bishop Street is the only viable option, but the old stand would need to be removed completely, and the benefit, at the moment, does not outweigh the cost.”

Chad has been unable to get an official comment from Mansfield Town so far.

However, manager Steve Evans said: “That is a decision for the boardroom.

“But as a football fan myself I am getting older and my knees are sore, so I prefer to sit down.

“I have also been at Celtic Park where when you stand up you can’t see the game.

“But I listened to Brian Caldwell, the chief executive of Shrewsbury Town, on the radio this morning. He is a good man, a good football administrator and he knows what he is doing.

“If our supporters are 100 per determined in wanting something like that I am sure they’ll make representation.

“The wonderful thing here is you have a chairman and chief executive who live and breath their supporters and if they think it’s right for them they will put it in place.”