Nottingham Forest have become the latest Premier League club to announce that they are considering the introduction of safe standing, according to Daniel Taylor of The Athletic.
The East Midlands club would join nine other clubs that have already implemented rail seating at their home grounds already.
These clubs include:
- Manchester United
- Liverpool
- Chelsea
- Manchester City
- Brentford
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Newcastle United
- Luton Town
Safe standing in English grounds was approved by the Government in July 2022, in time for the beginning of the 2022/23 season.
NEW: Nottingham Forest are holding talks about becoming latest PL club to introduce safe-standing areas.
Tom Cartledge, #NFFC chairman, tells @TheAthleticFC he is ‘pro-safe standing’ and that it could be brought in later this year.
Full story: ⤵️ https://t.co/kzOXcKdO0m
— Daniel Taylor (@DTathletic) February 19, 2024
Nottingham Forest discuss safe standing with fans
Forest are in discussions with the newly established fans’ advisory board (FAB) and safety advisory group (SAG) to identify the best areas to implement safe standing at the City Ground.
Discussions have also been held with the fans’ group Forza Garibaldi, who have advocated safe standing for many years. Forza Garibaldi said: “This change could potentially benefit our club more than most and therefore we believe Nottingham Forest should be at the forefront of this development.”
Safe standing could be implemented “later this year”
The lower tier of the Bridgford Stand has been mooted as the most likely option so far, with the corner of the Peter Taylor Stand nearest to the Bridgford Stand also under consideration.
Forest chairman Tom Cartledge wants to implement safe standing later this year, as well as push forward the club’s plans to renovate and expand the stadium.
The redevelopment of the City Ground is hoped to be completed by the end of 2027, but it is being held up by a lease extension issue with the Nottingham City Council.