Stand Up, Sit Down
LEANING on Kevin Halls' recent posting on attendances - why does the Club not get involved with The Football Supporters Federation and resurrect the safe standing campaign ?
Supporters get badgered to sit down at home games and left alone to stand when they are away - it creates unnecessary public order issues and inconsistent stewarding.
Some fans would rather stand - so why don't we lust put in some terracing at The Ricoh ?
For Coventry City's part and discounting the irony of Highfield Road's status as a pioneering all seater - it offers the paying public choice.
Football Clubs like to pretend they are big business - our club will be turning over considerably less than the neighbouring Tesco across the car park - and it should remember one thing - today's customer demands choice.
A simple view then - why can we not have a standing area - our no frills range if you will - cheaper walk up admission, cash only but no less Sky Blue.
The vast majority of professional stadia in this country are still predominantly terraced and it is still the preferred view on the continent.
Indeed there is no better example of profitable terracing than in the Bundesliga where entrance fees are capped - Federal Government insisting that football is first and foremost community entertainment - but average gates and club coffers are swelled because of stand up, sit down choice.
Would such maverick direction at Coventry fill the Ricoh ?
Of course not - but with a half full stadium and marketing ideas not breaking any new ground then is it such a crazy notion if it helped improve supporter choice,value for money and an enhanced match day experience for some ?
Most of the population do not watch live football and never will - for us that do there are different reasons for doing so - but actively supporting your team means involvement on match day.
For some fans being shoulder to shoulder with other Sky Blues would make a difference and everyone of us has experienced the atmosphere at smaller tightly packed grounds where it is not about your song but your voice.
You don't want to go back to Highfield Road and queue all half time for a pee no more than you would pay Sky TV for a "restricted view" on your TV set but we can consider alternative ways to make The Ricoh a better home.
Terracing at the Ricoh - I wonder what Jimmy Hill would think ?
While We Sing Together
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This is a subject close to my heart and I'm grateful to Thommo for bringing this up. Whilst we might not agree on whether refurbing Highfield Road would not have been a better solution that moving to the Ricoh, we seemingly DO agree that there seems no logical argument against the introduction of safe standing. The problem with many new grounds is that the 'home 'end' is difficult to recapture - room for 5000 standing behind the goal in the CET stand would do wonders to give the Sky Blue Army an opportunity to sing together!
Standing at football has become a bit a 'holy cow' - it shouldn't be. It makes perfect sense.
There are a lot of us who would love to be able to stand up to watch games, and behind one goal would be great,but can you honestly see that happening ?
We are living in a health and safety world these days,cotton wool wrapping will soon become a sport !