Norwich City F.C. home safe standing

Article posted by Coliseum, February 21^st, 2024

Image: Norwich City FC (Facebook)

The English Football League (EFL) Championship team Norwich City F.C. confirmed recently that safe standing will be implemented at their digs – the Carrow Road in Norwich, England (UK) – for the 2024-2025 seasons.

‘Norwich City FC’ stated that after thorough and extensive consultation with its supporter panel, the supporter groups and the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) the decision was made to progress with safe standing.

Preston (UK)-based the English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales (UK). Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from its foundation until 1992, when the top 20 clubs split from it to form the Premier League – the highest level of the English football league system. The Football League was rebranded as the ‘English Football League’ (EFL) from the 2016-2017 seasons.

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The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship in England and for sponsorship purposes as the Sky Bet Championship, is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and the second-highest overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League, and is currently contested by 24 clubs.

The Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk (UK). Norwich competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1902.

The 27,244-capacity Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England (UK), and is the home of the EFL Championship club Norwich City. The stadium is to the East of the City, near the Norwich Railway Station and the River Wensum.

London (UK)-based the Sports Grounds Safety Authority is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Until 2011, it was known as the Football Licensing Authority, having been set up under the Football Spectators Act 1989.

Providers Ferco will install safe standing in the Lower Barclay, Thorpe Corner (Snake Pit) and a section of the away supporters’ area over the coming Summer period.

Shrewsbury (UK)-based the Ferco Seating Systems is a company that designs and manufactures spectator seating for a variety of venues. Their products are used in sports and stadium seating, as well as in auditoriums, cinemas, education, and corporate settings. The company also makes a safe standing solution called the RailSeat. The RailSeat was originally developed in Germany to allow fans to stand safely at matches while still having access to seats for the other events.

‘Norwich City FC’ further stated that Ferco have previously carried out similar works at the 60,411-capacity Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 18,439-capacity Loftus Road Stadium in London, England, the respective home stadiums of the Scottish Premiership team (the top division of Scottish football) Celtic F.C. and the EFL Championship team Queens Park Rangers F.C.

The safe standing areas permit the supporters to stand for the duration of a match. Standing is not required in these areas, however, supporters risk restricted pitch views if they are seated when surrounded by the standing supporters. These areas are introduced to help keep supporters safe whilst standing.

Supporters wishing to relocate their season ticket seat into the Lower Barclay or Thorpe Corner must join the safe standing waiting list here by March 15^th. The club will then contact supporters after this to arrange seat relocation, subject to availability.

The supporters will need to renew their season ticket prior to joining the waiting list to relocate their seat.

The season ticket holders wishing to move their seat into any other area of the ground, including those who wish to move out of the Lower Barclay and Thorpe Corner, should contact the club’s ticket office by phone on 01603 72 1902 (option one) by April 19^th.

Shared Zoe Webber, Norwich City Executive Director, “Safe standing is something we’ve been keen to implement at the Carrow Road for some time, but it was important that we properly consulted our wider fan base and the relevant safety authorities. We’ve had some very engaging conversations with the supporter groups and the official supporter panel, as well as some important feedback from the season ticket holders. We’d like to thank all of those that have engaged with the club throughout this process. We also understand that safe standing may not be for everyone and we’ll do our utmost to accommodate the supporters in other areas of the ground should they wish.”

Added Jon Darch, Consultant, Ferco, “As a long-time campaigner for safe standing and now an agent for Ferco Seating, who introduced safe standing to the United Kingdom in 2016, I’m delighted that our many years of positive discussions with the Norwich City have now come to fruition and that ‘The Canaries’ fans will soon be able to cheer the team on standing in areas officially licensed for the purpose.”

Click here for further details on season ticket renewals for the 2024-2025 campaign.

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