Hatters ask for supporters views on Safe Standing as Luton confirm they 'definitely plan' to include it to boost atmosphere at Power Court

Luton Town have confirmed they are 'definitely plan' to include some areas of Safe Standing at their new stadium in Power Court with the club believing it will also 'benefit the atmosphere' at home games.

Following the responses from a survey back in September 2021 asking Town supporters whether they would like to see such an initiative when the club finally move home, responses showed over 90 per cent wanted to see some form of safe standing.

Two-thirds also stated they would prefer to stand at matches, and over three-quarters wanted to see the areas situated behind the goal.

With that in mind, the club have launched another survey asking supporters for some more detailed opinions as the Hatters put the finishing touches to their detailed plans for the 17,500 stadium, which CEO Gary Sweet confirmed recently are expected to be submitted before the midway point of 2022.

A statement on the club website said: "Plans for Power Court are becoming more detailed by the day and we’d like to ask supporters to help us as we approach detailed planning.

"A standing ban has been in place in the top two tiers of English Football for over 25 years, but the Government and Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) gave five football clubs permission to trial safe standing areas from 1st January 2022.

"Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Championship club Cardiff City were each granted a special licence to take part in the trials, which are proving to be positive.

"We definitely plan to include some Safe Standing at Power Court, but we now need to define what proportion we install - and where best to place these areas to maximise atmosphere and answer fans' preferences.

"We firmly believe supporters should be given the choice whether to stand or sit to enjoy the game, and it appears that the early success of the trials will undoubtedly allow for this to happen.

"At Kenilworth Road, whilst the venue is technically an all-seater ground many choose to persistently stand in certain areas. We estimate this is over 20% of attendees.

"From a club perspective, not only do we feel that you deserve to have a choice whether you sit or stand, but we also feel it would benefit the atmosphere at Power Court.

"Standing fans can be a little more vocal in their support of the team and will help provide zones around the ground according to your preferences.

"We believe that modern stadiums will incorporate more Safe Standing areas according to supporter demand and, for us, this could act as an important differentiation between Power Court and more typical stadiums."

Luton also went on to add some key facts Safe Standing for anyone who is unsure what it means, which were.

- The days of packed-out, overcrowded terraces have long gone. Every person standing will have their own space equipped with a safety rail in front and a foldable seat to allow them the choice to stand and watch the game, or sit at intervals.

- A safe standing space will occupy the same footprint as a regular seat.

- Installing Safe Standing spaces is marginally more expensive than installing regular seats.

- As such, ticket prices are not likely to be any cheaper (or more expensive).

- Installation of Safe Standing will not increase the capacity. The same number of supporters will occupy the same space as regular seating.

- Whilst this is certainly the case for the foreseeable future there are some supporter organisations that would like to see - and are predicting - a slight relaxation of this: for example, parents being allowed to bring a child into the same space.

- We are not relying on such a relaxation for Power Court but will (just to be safe) reserve sufficient safety standards for access, convenience and concourse space should this happen.

- Persistent standing in areas where supporters expect to sit is problematic, and it is felt that the introduction of standing zones and giving supporters and choice will stop this from occurring, reducing tensions between supporters. It also means supporters sitting will be expected not to stand.

- If Safe Standing is allocated for home supporters at Power Court we will also be required to offer Safe Standing for away supporters too.

To complete the survey then just visit the link here.