Coventry confirm safe standing for 2024-25 season

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, The Coventry Building Society Arena, which now has a capacity of over 32,000, was first opened in 2005

Coventry City are to introduce safe standing at the Coventry Building Society Arena next season.

The Championship side have announced that 2,732 seats will be converted into safe standing areas following a recent trial period.

Under the new plans, each fan will have their own ticketed standing space, with individual rows separated by barriers.

This follows a survey done by the club, in which over 80% of those who took part supported the introduction of safe standing.

The stadium's managing director Paul Michael told the 鈥淭he successful trial run in partnership with the club has proved that standing can be managed safely in designated areas and bring a positive boost to the matchday experience for fans who would prefer to stand."

Michael added that the new safe standing areas will 鈥渃ontribute to maintaining the incredible atmosphere generated by Sky Blues fans".

Work to install the new areas is set to start during the summer and will be completed ahead of the 2024-25 season, which begins on the weekend of 10-11 August.

League One side Shrewsbury Town were the first English club to apply for safe standing and had it in use for 2018, followed by Wycombe Wanderers later that year.

Safe standing was first used in the Premier League at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in 2022, with other top-flight clubs, such as Burnley, recently opening new sections.