Investigating the introduction of safe-standing areas within UK football stadiums

History of sport stadium legislation: After the Bradford City’s Valley Parade stadium fire in 1985 (56 deaths) and the disaster occurred at Hillsborough in 1989 (96 deaths), new legislation was introduced in the UK, requiring the top two divisions of English football to provide all-seater accommodation (Sports Grounds Safety Authority, n.d.). This legislation was written to blame spectator behaviour, with a focus more on control rather than safety (Rigg, 2019; Taylor, 1990), and has been in effect for more than 30 years. However, there has been a shift in opinion within Parliament on safe standing (Rigg, 2019), and a trial was undertaken in 2022 in Cardiff City, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur’ stadiums.