Safe standing at Shrewsbury Town: Shropshire firm proud to lead push
A specialist stadium seating company has said it is delighted at the prospect of installing safe standing at Shrewsbury Town.
It was revealed earlier this week that Shrewsbury Town Football Club had taken a huge step forward in its bid to become the first club in England and Wales to install rail seats after a crowdfunding appeal reached its £62,500 target.
And for Atcham-based Ferco, this means they will not have to travel far for their latest contract.
The firm, which was established in 1983, is a leading company for stadium seating and has installed its products all over the world, from convention centres in Kuala Lumpur to the legendary Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
The company was also responsible for installing safe standing rail seating at Celtic Park in Scotland, the home of Celtic Football Club, and the installation of 60,000 seats at the Emirates Stadium - home of Arsenal FC.
Now, subject to the approval of necessary certificates for the safe standing area at Shrewsbury Town, they will be moving onto site later this year to get the rails up and running in time for the end of the season.
The plan is to install 500 rail seats in the Salop Leisure Stand at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.
The rail-seats allow fans to stand but also include a fold-down seat should the need arise for the area to converted to a seated section for any particular game or event.
Dave Hubbleday, marketing manager at Ferco said: "For Shrewsbury to be the first team to put in safe standing in England and Wales, is a huge coup. It is not only big for them but also for us.
"We have installed rail seats at Celtic Park but for it to be a local team makes us very pleased.
"We are very happy to be working with them once the necessary conditions have been passed."
Spearheaded by Shrewsbury Town Supporters’ Parliament in partnership with the club and sports fanfunding specialists Tifosy, the campaign raised £62,500 through contributions from almost 1,000 fanfunders.
A considerable contribution from FansBet, whose ambassador is former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, helped them reach their target.
Safe standing has been something that fans nationwide have campaigned to see introduced for many years, as government policy currently prohibits many clubs from offering supporters the chance to stand.
As a club with an all-seater ground able to introduce a rail seating section, Shrewsbury Town will now lead the way in making the case for a change in policy and adding a standing option to the matchday experience for all clubs and fans.
