Manchester United to install 1,500 barrier seats in J Stand early next year

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: A General View of the Stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League Group H stage match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford on December 02, 2020 in Manchester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Manchester United are to install 1,500 seats early next year as they prepare to trial safe standing at Old Trafford.

This is something we’ve wanted at the Theatre of Dreams for some time to help enhance the atmosphere. TRA are doing their bit to help matters too as revealed in a recent interview with Stretty News.

While fans can finally return to Premier League matches in some parts of England from this weekend, Manchester is in Tier 3 so fans will have to wait longer before coronavirus restrictions are eased.

But there is positive news with United trying to make progress on the safe standing front.

All-seater venues were made mandatory in the top tiers of English football since the 1994/95 season following recommendations on stadium safety in the Taylor Report after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

United’s plan is to introduce barrier seating at Old Trafford — a safe way for fans to stand at matches and improve the stadium’s atmosphere, but with local government officials giving a green light to trial 1,500 barrier seats installation is due to start in early 2021, as reported by the Mail.

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Him Liggett, operations director, spoke via Zoom at a Fans’ Forum in November: “We now have confirmation from the SGSA (Sports Grounds Safety Authority) that we can make arrangements to install circa 1,500 seats with barriers in the J Stand area, as part of the proposed trial.

“Due to the ongoing impact of Covid and the fact that we are playing matches behind closed doors, the work to install the seats with barriers will commence early in the New Year.”

Unfortunately he added a note that the government have yet to give an update on when they would “take forward its manifesto commitment to introduce safe standing.”

Something to look forward to in the new year as well as getting back to games with your mates!

Read more: Manchester United could make move for Barcelona winger in January

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