Verstappen welcomes Mercedes’ resurgence as Ferrari loses
Verstappen welcomes Mercedes’ resurgence as Ferrari loses: Additional information regarding the ongoing standings at Turf Moor is provided by Burnley Football Club.
The Burnley Football Club is able to disclose that over the past several weeks, we have discussed with a number of season ticket holders the issue of persistent standing in the North Stand Lower at Turf Moor.
The Club considers it to be “persistent” when individuals in seated areas stand for extended periods of time other than for brief durations during periods of play where it may be deemed unnatural to remain seated. The exception to this rule is when individuals stand during short durations during such periods of play.
The club has reminded several identified fans in written correspondence to remain seated in their designated seat at all times, with the exception of the times listed above, because persistent standing not only blocks the views of other people and takes away from their enjoyment, but it also poses a safety risk and violates the ground regulations that are presented to fans when they purchase a ticket to attend a game at Turf Moor.
This point was driven home by the stewarding staff that was present during the matches.
Burnley Football Club is a football club that operates under a safety certificate that is issued by the Lancashire County Council. The Sports Grounds Safety Authority has been in contact with the club, asking us to intervene on the issue surrounding persistent standing before they take any additional action.
Football act
In accordance with Section 10 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 Act, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority is still in charge of issuing licenses to admit spectators to sports grounds in order to watch designated football matches, as well as ensuring that these licenses are in compliance with any terms and conditions that the authority deems appropriate. This responsibility dates back to 1989.
In the event that safety regulations relating to persistent standing are not adhered to, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority has the ability to make use of the existing Section 10 licensing authorities and enforcement measures in order to seal off blocks of seats and stands within the stadium.
Because of the potential repercussions and wider impact that this could have on a large number of supporters, we are taking a firm stance on the issue of persistent standing in the North Stand Lower block. This is another reason why we are in a position whereby additional action such as match bans for supporters who do not comply has been required.
The club attempted to settle the issue by holding meetings with the identified fans about it and making a number of other initiatives, including making an offer at the time to shift to the Barnfield Construction Stand.
However, we have an approved management plan in this stand that includes increased stewarding and safety procedures in place to provide spectator safety for those who stand for long periods of the game. Although we are required to be stringent in our upholding of the all-seater license at the stadium, we do have an approved management plan on this stand.
Burnley Football Club is committed to ensuring that Turf Moor is a safe and enjoyable environment for all supporters, and the purpose of this statement is to provide clarity regarding how we arrived at this position and the reasons why such action was taken. We are going to proceed in the same manner in order to address the problem.
We are grateful to our backers for their assistance and understanding with regard to this problem.