With the news yesterday that the Premier Concourse was reopening, many thought that this would mean away fans were going to eventually end up moving, but today the club have released a statement that says otherwise.
Today they have confirmed that away fans will remain in the North Stand Upper area, which has had it’s issues in the past with people throwing things down to home fans beneath them. Earlier this season we became a cashless ground, and even enforced a ban on coins and vapes in the stands. As well as this we have apparently increased the number of stewards in the area, lit the area up better and improved their cameras to ID people more accurately.
Things like netting had been looked at by examining other clubs in Europe and how effective it is and they believe it wouldn’t reduce the risk of the more common things being thrown.
At the end of the statement, it mentioned that we are in communication with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority who are looking at our proposal for railed seating at the Roker End and in the North Stand Upper to address persistent standing too.
Personally, I think it would be good to have the fans in the lower bowl, I think if there were better seats up for grabs more away fans might be tempted to come up here and the atmosphere would subsequently improve. Anyway, they’re staying where they are.
