With the introduction of safe standing, things will look and feel very different when we return to St Mary’s Stadium next season.

Bringing back memories of days gone by, these images evoke scenes from a time long past.

During that era, the atmosphere at football stadiums resonated with the clatter of wooden football rattles. The players competed amid a sea of spectators donning striped scarves and sporting flat caps.

The classic football terrace possessed a distinct allure, creating a unique ambience within historic football arenas that is rarely replicated in the contemporary all-seater stadiums of today - although that's soon to change at St Mary's Stadium.

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Following the tragic events at the Heysel Stadium in 1985 and the devastating Hillsborough disaster on April 15, 1989, a shift occurred in the way safety measures were implemented in stadiums.

In response to the findings of Lord Justice Taylor's report on the Hillsborough disaster, football stadiums nationwide, including The Dell in Southampton, transitioned to all-seater venues to prioritise the safety of fans.

A significant transformation was set in motion by the Taylor report. At numerous historic football venues across Great Britain, old terraces and even entire stands were removed to make way for modern all-seater facilities.

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However, over recent years the Football Association has relaxed its own ban in favour of "Safe Standing", a system designed to allow spectators to stand without the possibility of getting. crushed.

The “Safe Standing” bill was presented to the House of Commons by Don Foster MP in 2012 and proposed to give all football clubs the freedom to build, or maintain existing, safe standing sections in their stadia if they choose.

The MP pointed to countries such as the United States, Germany and Canada who were already providing safe-standing areas which allowed clubs to cut their ticket prices as more people could watch games.

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The former sports spokesman said in Lord Justice Taylor’s report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster the fact the supporters were standing was never highlighted as the cause of the fatal surge.

Numerous individuals involved in the topic believed that the real concern was not about standing at football games, but rather the construction of barriers in front of fans that led to issues.

In light of the progress made in stile regulation, closed circuit television implementation, and stringent adherence to health and safety protocols required in today's modern clubs, it is evident that times have evolved.