We’ve all been there. Well, those of us dumb enough to buy a ticket in the West Stand, anyway. We jump out of our seat as Elliott races to the goal, thinking we are about to take the lead, when the guy behind taps you on the back, and asks you (not always politely) to sit down as you are blocking his view.
How dare he impede my enjoyment of the game?
Or you’ve been a victim of over-zealous stewarding at an away-game, where everyone seemingly wants to stand, but the men in orange keep swatting you like a fly.
How dare they impede your enjoyment of the game?
I do read varying degrees of convulsion towards fellow City fans who don’t stand and sing, and have found myself tending to agree with them in the past.
But now I realise that not everyone can stand for 45 minutes at a time. It has been brought home to me as my mother who is now in her 60’s, cannot stand up all game. She is a season ticket holder, and wants to go to away games sometimes, but fears having a group stood up in front of her all game, as she cannot stand up for a whole half.
I want to stand. I want to sing. The chances are – so do you.
Not everyone is lucky enough though. I do implore my fellow-City fan to have a think about who is sat behind them when they are spending a good chunk of the match stood up. It isn’t easy to counteract a natural reaction of standing during an exciting moment, and nobody should be expected to be sat down during a goal celebration, but a little thought wouldn’t go amiss.
It does all boil down to the ridiculous regulation against standing of any form, even the safe standing proposals, by both government, police and footballing authorised. It isn’t the person behind you’s fault that we are all made to sit down.
The answer of course, is to allow safe standing. But this will not happen until the police approve of it, and until there is enough pressure on the government to make them act. At the moment, there is no reason for them to legislate in favour of it.
Or for clubs to have “singing sections” and turn a blind eye to the law-breaking.
Unless of course you get the opportunity to go to a proper football ground. Like Brentford. Tonight.
It was impossible to turn down the opportunity to stand on a terrace and watch City again. I cannot wait. FISH OUT DOLAN OUT.