Arsenal intend to install safe standing zones at the Emirates Stadium over the next couple of summer, according to a report.
Former Arsenal shareholder Darren (@DarrenArsenal1) reports on social media that the club plan to install safe standing in the Clock End lower tier at the Emirates Stadium this summer, allowing fans to use the new safe standing zones from next season.
The plan is then reportedly to install safe standing in the North Bank lower tier in the summer of 2027.
On top of that, the intention is to introduce limited safe standing in the Clock End upper tier, for when that part of the ground is needed for the away end in cup games.
According to the same source, there will be no change in capacity to accommodate the new safe standing areas.
Reports in the past had suggested that Arsenal were open to introducing safe standing, but that the change would come with the drawback that the stadium capacity would have to be reduced. Arsenal themselves confirmed in 2022 that safe standing certainly wouldn’t increase capacity.
It seems the club have now come up with a plan that would allow them to install the new seats without making any changes to the number of seats at the ground.
The introduction of safe standing at the Emirates Stadium is long overdue, and it seems the club are initially targeting the areas of the ground where fans already stand more often than not.
Then safe standing in the Clock End upper tier should help to address one of the issues Arsenal have had in recent seasons with cup games, with local authorities deeming it unsafe for the club to house away supporters in the upper tier due to the risk of persistent standing.
That led to the unfortunate scenario last season where Manchester United took a huge portion of the lower tier instead, and a further 1,000 seats were left unused by either club.
Safe standing would hopefully solve that problem, allowing the extra away fans to sit (or stand) in the upper tier as well as the lower.