Toon to evict standing fans

Feb 3 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

NEWCASTLE are threatening to evict their own fans – and slash ticket allocations for Manchester United supporters – in a clampdown on standing at St James’s Park.

But the Magpies have been warned they risk causing pointless confrontation with supporters through their new hard-line stance.

And the issue has revived calls for safe-standing areas to be introduced to Premier League grounds.

The Red Devils’ travelling army has been warned its numbers will be limited if they refuse to stay in their seats when the two Uniteds meet on Tyneside on February 23.

But, at the same time, Newcastle have also vowed to evict home fans from seats “adjacent” to the away section.

Manchester United’s allocations at Middlesbrough and Sunderland have been cut in previous seasons, but this is the first time Newcastle have vowed to get tough with fans who refuse to stay in their seats.

In a campaign called “United Front Against Standing”, Newcastle officials stated: “The Magpies, as a result of recent Government decisions, have been contacted by officials over the problem of persistent standing by away fans at St James’s Park.

“Should the practice continue, Newcastle United may be forced to reduce the capacity adjacent to the visiting supporters, where our home fans continue to stand, and the allocation of tickets we currently offer Manchester United’s travelling fans . . .”

But the warning is set to fall on deaf ears, according to Independent Manchester United Supporters’ Association spokesman Mark Longden.

“It’s a completely worthless exercise,” said Longden. “If standing was a deliberate act of defiance, then people may be able to heed a warning like that.

“But standing simply comes naturally to fans at football. It’s not done to annoy anyone.

“Most confrontations in grounds these days are caused by the authorities clamping down on fans standing up.

“But the only solution to this is to separate those who want to stand and those who want to sit by creating safe sanding areas in Premier League grounds.”