The return of safe standing to English football stadiums in the Premier League got underway with a trial at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as 12,000 Chelsea fans across the iconic Shed End and Matthew Harding Stand were given the chance to stand up and watch a game of football.
To some, that might seem a bit small fry. “You get to stand up, well done.” But, this is something that hasn’t been allowed at football grounds since the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives.
Chelsea are one of four Premier League clubs, along with the two Manchester clubs and Tottenham, as well as Championship outfit Cardiff, who had applications to operate licensed safe standing areas approved by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority approved in November to begin the trial at the start of this year.
Chelsea’s game against Liverpool on Sunday was the first match to see the trial take place and the riotous 2-2 draw between the two sides was perhaps the perfect advert as to why safe standing advocates have been so keen to bring it back to the top two tiers in English football.
It would have been hard to remain in your seat in any case in SW6 on Sunday, especially in a rip-roaring first 45 minutes that saw Liverpool race into a 2-0 lead before two Chelsea goals in 245 seconds from Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic brought the home side level before the break.
The atmosphere was white-hot, as would have been expected between two of the League’s elite teams and with both having so much on the line over the 90 minutes with the form of Man City threatening to turn the title race into a procession.
Chelsea’s fans certainly - and vociferously - showed which side they were on as the fall-out from Romelu Lukaku’s clumsy interview with Sky Italia continued, with the striker left out of the matchday 18 entirely by head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Those in the safe standing zones might have needed a seat at the break after a truly spectacular first half of football which was a superb advert for the Premier League.
The game ended 2-2 after a breathless encounter and many at Stamford Bridge have said it was one of the best atmospheres for some time. Tuchel did his best to increase it even more in the second half, constantly turning to the east stand - where there are no safe standing zones - to whip the home crowd up.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, a big advocate for the return of safe standing, said after the game: “The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has campaigned for Safe Standing at Stamford Bridge for years and we are pleased that Chelsea is leading the way with this trial.
“It was fantastic to see so many supporters standing safely at the game – it contributed to an excellent atmosphere and the railed seating kept supporters safe and protected.”
Was it simply the safe standing that improved the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge on Sunday? It is hard to say. This was Chelsea versus Liverpool, two big rivals battling it out, the team in second taking on the team in third. It was hardly going to be quiet.
There were plenty of moments throughout the game where even those who could only sit down were forced to jump up from their seats, such was the brilliant attacking quality on show between two of England’s best teams.
But as adverts go for the return of safe standing, it couldn’t have gone much better. It is over to Manchester United now, who take on Wolves in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Monday night, and we will see how it works for them.
