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Opinion

Hopefully my seat at St James Park is safe now…

7 years ago
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I know we ain’t there yet but….if Newcastle United get promoted, we now all know what is going to happen with seating for the away fans at St James Park.

The Premier League have agreed that all clubs, as from next season, must have at least one block of away fans at pitchside – a move which it is claimed will improve the atmosphere at top tier stadiums.

I wonder what season ticket holders at St James Park think about this, with some guaranteed to be moved (if we go up).

Now the thought I first had, was that if Mike Ashley is sensible about this, surely the idea would be to upset the least fans as possible in doing this. This would be to leave a section of away fans in level 7 and then bring it down in a long narrow section all the way to pitch level, similar to what Manchester City have.

This way it must upset the least fans possible by still using a section of level 7. Also the segregation issues to deal with, so maybe some seats lost?

If they were to move the away fans to another part of the ground altogether, it would cause extra hassle because of more people to move.

I was sitting in the Leazes corner east with my 12 year old daughter,  low down and first row behind the disabled seats, good seats- a cracking view and no danger of anyone standing up in front of us. Even if they did, the next block down is a lot lower so we wouldn’t have had our view blocked.

When I first heard about the Premier League proposals, I moved due to my daughter saying she wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting right next to the away fans, as this is how it would be if we were still sat in the Leazes corner and away fans were brought all the way down to pitchside in a strip from Level 7, if back in the Premier League.

Now, as the season goes on and we get closer to promotion, yes a long way off I know, but would fans start thinking the same In terms of moving now, while there are more choices as to where to move, even though granted this would see them charged a fee – the same as what I had to pay.

I have now got two front row seats in the lower tier of the Gallowgate End, hoping that surely to God there is no chance Mike Ashley would even think of thinking of putting away fans in that stand.

I don’t agree with the rule the PL powers are bringing in and think that every club should still have the choice of where they put the away fans, to maximise the best seats for home fans and season ticket holders etc.

I know smaller grounds have no choice but to put away fans at pitch level. Plus, this will only affect a very small number of clubs: Newcastle if we go up, Sunderland if they stay up – are the ones who spring to mind.

Would you be willing to move, or would you stop going if forced to move to level 7 etc?

I just feel that after all these years of away fans being sat up on level 7, we are going to have a lot of unhappy fans if this goes ahead as planned.

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