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Safe standing allowed at Premier League and Championship stadiums next season

Manchester United and Manchester City were two of the teams to take part in safe standing pilots.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 5th July 2022

Teams in the Premier League and Championship have been permitted to introduce safe standing areas at stadiums next season.

Following safe standing pilots undertaken in the second half of last season by the city’s two local teams, Manchester United and Manchester City, as well as Cardiff, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, the UK government has now announced that the top two tiers of English football will be allowed to offer safe standing.

Brentford, Wolves, and QPR have already confirmed they will join the aforementioned clubs in offering designated standing areas for both home and away supporters from the start of the 2022-23 season.

The success of the pilot scheme has lead to a reversal of the 30-year rule, which required all supporters to be seated at stadiums.

Stadiums in England’s top two leagues have been required to be all-seated since laws were introduced following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

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Sky Sports News says it understands that Liverpool FC are not considering introducing the options for safe standing next season, but the club may decide to extend or increase their existing rail seating provision after having run a separate pilot for it last season.

It’s not just domestic football that’s been given the green light either either, as it’s also been confirmed that Wembley Stadium will also offer limited safe standing for fans from both sets of clubs at domestic matches later in the season, with the Football Association (FA) set to trial safety rails at England’s Nations League match against Germany in September – but at that stage, supporters must remain seated.

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Read more: Andy Burnham joins campaign calling for the introduction of a new ‘Hillsborough Law’

The green light given for safe standing comes after research was undertaken by CFE Research, which found that, despite there being a rise in anti-social behaviour and disorder at some football matches during last season, this was not related to the pilot of safe standing areas.

The research also found no evidence that the safe standing pilot areas led to an increase in standing in other parts of the stadium, and more than half of fans surveyed (52%) said they felt safer with the introduction of safe standing areas.

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Only 5% of fans surveyed said they felt less safe.

Manchester United and Manchester City were two of the teams to take part in safe standing pilots / Credit: Alex Motoc (via Unsplash)

“We’re confident now that we can roll out safe standing,” explained Sports Minister, Nigel Huddleston.

“Based upon what I have experienced and we have learnt through the pilot programme, safe standing is set to deliver an electric atmosphere at our football stadiums. Fans have long campaigned for its introduction and we have worked carefully with supporters groups, including the families affected by the tragic Hillsborough football disaster.

“I am proud of the work that has gone into this rigorous process, and that we have delivered on our manifesto commitment to get fans back on their feet in stadiums.”

Martyn Henderson OBE – chief executive of Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) – added: “This is an historic moment for football – and, most importantly, for the fans who have campaigned for this change and will be safer as a result of today’s decision.”

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Manchester United announce record revenue despite on-pitch struggles

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Manchester United have declared a record revenue figure for the full 2025 fiscal term, even with their poor performances on the pitch over the past 12 months.

They may still be a continually struggling Premier League side who seem to be in a perpetual state of transition, but they remain nothing short of a global giant in terms of sporting brands.

Yes, despite Man United recording two of the worst finishes in domestic history in the previous two campaigns and head coach Ruben Amorim having already overseen the worst start to a top-flight season in the modern era following the defeat on derby day, the football club has reached a monetary milestone.

According to their official reports for the fourth and final quarter of the financial year, they brought in a record-breaking £666.5 million throughout 2024/25 – but, as always, it’s more complicated than that.

Released on Wednesday, 17 September, Manchester United PLC confirmed that they had managed to record the biggest revenue figures on several fronts despite crashing out of the Europa League, finishing 15th in the table overall and failing to secure a place in any European competition this season.

The first half of Amorim‘s tenure at Old Trafford saw the club’s worst competitive placing since 1973/74, a.k.a. the last time the Red Devils were relegated from the first division.

Nevertheless, a fresh shirt sponsorship agreement with Snapdragon, new brand partnerships with the likes of Coca-Cola, an extension of their contract with travel experience company, SportsBreaks, and numerous other deals saw United achieve a record commercial revenue of £333.3m.

Elsewhere, match revenue was also up and reached new heights, tallying approximately £160.3m in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2025 – the most they have ever registered when it comes to ticket sales, concessions, and other transactions in and around game days.

Controversial increases to some ticket prices and seat changes no doubt helped tip the scales in that respect, but it’s also worth clarifying that they still posted overall losses of £33m.

Although this number is a reduction of more than 70.8% what they lost last year (£113.2m), there is still plenty of concern among supporters over how money is still not only being spent but moved around.

Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS board did pay sizeable chunks of MUFC’s debt, which has piled up at an alarming rate in the two decades since the Glazer takeover, but there has still been plenty of borrowing.

In addition to a number of shorter-term loans, there has also been an increased level of amortisation and significant transfer spending this summer, despite being admittedly cash-strapped.

As well as actually having less money to play with over the past 12 months, they are also set to receive less in TV rights and broadcasting revenues this season due to not making it into any European competition, hence why they went on a post-season Asian tour to try and make up for funds lost.

It’s estimated that the business earned a further £8 million from these games, but it’s also worth noting that significant sums have been spent not only on new signings but also on severance fees and redundancy packages, so it’s hard to assess how much this extra injection helped with the fine margins.

Divisive CEO and former City Football Group exec, Omar Berrada, wrote in the comments section of the full findings and financial report: “As we settle into the 2025/26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.

“On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long term. Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.”

Yet again, it’s worth noting that the same ‘streamlining’ her refers to includes sacking over 450 staff across two rounds of lay-offs.

He adds: “We are also investing [in upgrading] our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.

“Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford regeneration project backed by UK government
Total Manchester United revenue may be up but they’re about to shell out seismic outlay for their new stadium costs.

Berrada signs off by insistig that for the club to have “generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United.

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“Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans, and best-in-class value to our partners.”

“As we start to feel the benefits of our cost reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch.”

What do you make of Manchester United’s 2024/25 annual report and how it fits into the wider picture/struggles elsewhere around the club?

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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FIFA confirm new changes to international breaks – and many fans are divided

Danny Jones Danny Jones FIFA confirm new international breaks schedule explained

Global sporting body FIFA have announced new changes to the annual football calendar and the ever-divisive international breaks, specifically.

It’s fair to say that not everyone is in agreement over the update to what many fans and even players already find a frustrating format.

Put simply, FIFA have revealed that they will be merging the traditional September and October breaks into one extended period of international football from 2026 onwards.

Once again, although the decision has been met with plenty of support, it has also faced just as much, if not potentially even more, resistance.

As detailed by multiple outlets following full confirmation on Monday, 13 September, footy fans are now looking at a combined 16 days of watching national teams in World Cup qualifiers and other fixtures.

While other clubs further down the footballing pyramid will still be able to watch their team, supporters of Premier League sides and several other divisions will see domestic action cease for roughly three weeks when taking into account rest days between international and club fixtures

Besides incorporating more teams into this year’s World Cup (now a 48-team affair) and the still relatively recent advent of the Nations League – which UEFA introduced in the hopes of creating more interest in the much-maligned international breaks – this is one of the biggest changes in some time.

At present, there are typically four breaks: September, October, November and March/April – not including major tournaments themselves.

One criticism of this format has been the stop-start consequence it has on club football, and indeed, struggling to create any real momentum and/or excitement, as well as the impact on form it sometimes has on players both away on national team duty and when they get back to their clubs.

Another big concern these breaks have always been met with is the added risk of fatigue and injury.

Despite being athletes who regularly train to remain at the peak of their physical fitness, the increasingly congested fixture calendar – particularly for those playing in England, with multiple cup competitions, the prospect of European football AND no break over Christmas – continues to push bodies to the limit.

Once again, these new changes to international breaks won’t come into effect until next year, but there are plenty of pros and cons that professionals and supporters alike will continue to debate until the new schedule is implemented.

Where do you land on all of this?

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Featured Images — MCaviglia (via Wikimedia Commons)/US State Department/rawpixel.com

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