Campaign for safe standing at games

Let me first of all introduce myself. My name is Steven Powell. I work on a part-time freelance basis for the Football Supporters' Federation, which represents supporters of clubs and national teams at all levels in both England & Wales.

Some weeks ago Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock promoted an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons at Westminster calling for a considered debate on the introduction of safe standing areas in England & Wales. Standing was prohibited by law in the top two divisions down here following the Hillsborough Disaster. Although there is no statutory prohibition on standing at football grounds in Scotland, the SFA and the SPL were arm-twisted into introducing an all-seated requirement on the basis that similar legislation would be introduced in Scotland to that south of the border if they did not.

The EDM has so far received the support of 92 MPs, including representatives of the Labour (45), Conservative (21), Liberal Democrats (18), Democratic Unionist (2) and Social Democratic & Labour Parties (2) and Plaid Cymru (1). It isn't often that you see MPs with as radically different views as Ann Cryer and Anne Widdecombe on the same side of the ball!

I and my FSF colleagues down here are hoping that you and other websites / fanzines will want to circulate your members asking them to contact their Westminster MPs to ask them to join their colleagues south of the border in signing the EDM. The FSF (and before its formation in 2002, its two founding partners, the former Football Supporters' Association and the National Federation of Football Supporters' Clubs) have campaigned long and hard for the repeal of the regulations requiring all-seater stadia by law in England & Wales.

I don't assume that you personally are in favour of safe standing. That would be presumptious. If you are however, I hope you'll want to do what you can to get Scottish Westminster MPs to sign the EDM. Whilst it will not bring the repeal of the regulations itself, it will help us to force the Westminster Government into a debate on the issue.

You can find details of the EDM and which Westminster MPs have already signed it by going to: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31670&SESSION=885

You can find out contact details for your Westminster MP by simply typing in your home postcode at the following site: http://www.writetothem.com