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Premier League club bosses have been told that a clear majority of fans want the option of being able to stand during a game. The research, conducted by polling firm Populus over the last 16 months, was discussed during last week's Premier League shareholders' meeting in London. But the Premier League is currently some way from backing any campaign for a return of standing as it says research shows "only 5 percent want to stand for an entire match." Unlike the English Football League, Premier League clubs have not yet reached a joint position on whether they should back calls for the government to drop the all-seater rule for the top two divisions, which has been in place since the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. It is understood the league is still consulting clubs and experts on the matter but the Populus survey, which is based on thousands of responses, has underlined the fact that this issue is not going away. The Premier League wrote to the clubs last summer asking if any of them would be interested in taking part in a safe-standing trial, but last week it emerged that sports minister Tracey Crouch has rejected a request from West Brom to install 3,600 rail seats at The Hawthorns next season. She later told Press Association Sport she was "not convinced'' of the arguments for repealing the all-seater rule, believing only a "vocal minority'' want to stand and clubs should use existing legislation to force fans who persistently stand to sit down. This prompted an angry response from the English Football League, the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), West Brom's safety officer and fans across the country, with an online petition for safe standing on the government's website attracting almost 65,000 supporters in a week. In a statement, the Premier League said: "As part of ongoing discussions about the possible introduction of standing in top-flight football, the Premier League is conducting its own research. "The results so far suggest a majority of fans like the idea of standing areas in principle but only 5 percent want to stand for an entire match. Additionally, the majority want the option of being able to stand and sit during a match. "This subject is complex and nuanced and clearly requires more research looking at how standing areas might impact Premier League stadiums, overall fan experience at matches and safety standards. "Taking this into account we understand and appreciate why the minister for sport would require far more evidence before considering a change to the current all-seater policy.'' Supporters of safe standing are unlikely to be disappointed with the survey's findings as they have long argued that most fans just want the choice. Most safety experts have also come around to the view that standing behind a plastic seat -- as is currently the case at almost every away stand in the top two divisions -- is not safe, whereas standing behind a waist-high metal barrier is. This last point is why a growing number of clubs, including several in the Premier League, are keen to copy Celtic's lead by installing rail seats -- a flexible option with a seat that can be flipped up and locked away when it is being used as a standing area. As it happens, Celtic's rail seats make up 5 percent of Celtic Park's capacity. The belief that safe-standing sections could also improve the atmosphere during games is also another factor driving the debate forward. Manchester City are hosting the Sports Grounds Safety Authority's (SGSA) annual conference on Thursday, with Premier League executive director Bill Bush, City operations director Danny Wilson and the FSF's safe-standing expert Peter Daykin among the speakers. Jon Darch runs the Safe Standing Roadshow that promotes rail seats as a safer option for fans who want to stand. He told Press Association Sport he wants to know more about how and when this survey was conducted but said "even taken at face value'' it suggests as many as 4,000 Manchester United fans want to stand at Old Trafford. "So why would the Premier League, which is effectively a trade association, want to prevent one of its members from catering for that market?'' Darch said. "They would not block United if it wanted to put in another executive box. "And if 95 percent of fans really do not want to stand, why is the league doing nothing to help them go to away games, where the vast majority stand throughout? "If they were to introduce standing and sitting sections to away ends, they would instantly make away games more accessible to those who cannot stand or do not want to stand to watch the game.''
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