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Standing room at Old Trafford?

Cape Town - English Premiership champions Manchester United are reportedly looking into the possibility of introducing a standing area for spectators at Old Trafford.

According to the SportBusiness website, United chief executive Ed Woodward is open to the idea that was put to him at last month’s fans forum, in a bid to improve the atmosphere during games at Old Trafford, according to The Independent.

However, it is currently illegal for EPL and second-tier English Championship clubs to provide a standing area for fans within their stadia, following the Football Spectators Act that was implemented after the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 where 96 fans died due to overcrowding at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday’s ground.

New legislation would need to be passed to overturn the rule, and infrastructure within Old Trafford may need to be altered to accommodate a safe standing area.

United welcome Southampton to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 16:00 SA time.
 
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