VICTORY: Another Andrew Pope Safety Campaign Win As Extra Safety Rails Added at St Marys Stadium

 

Andrew Pope in the Northam Stand with Safe Standing
Photo: Southampton Independents

Following on from his successful seven-year campaign to get safe standing at St Marys Stadium, in 2024 Andrew Pope began his campaign for extra handrails.

He has continued his campaign and throughout 2025, he added pressure to Southampton FC, Southampton City Council and the Safety Advisory Group that issues the Safety Certificate for the Stadium.

Now, more handrails or p-rails have been added, and more are under consideration.

Andrew says:

"This is great news. I am pleased that the Saints owners and staff have listened to me, acting on behalf of Saints fans who felt unsafe on the steep stairs and who asked me to act on their behalf.

I listen. I lead. I act.

Whether it is on sprinklers in tower blocks, rail seats at St Marys or sprinklers at Southampton General Hospital, this is what the Independent Network and Southampton Independents is all about. Your safety."

 

INVESTIGATION: 2 of 3 Partners in Park and Ride Partnership Blame Southampton City Council for Being "Not Good Enough"

When given the right of reply, both Bluestar bus company and University Hospitals Southampton, have passed the buck to Southampton City Council for the failings of the Park and Ride service. 

Andrew Pope wrote to all three partners in the Park and Ride, offering a Right of Reply to his criticisms following his very long campaign to deliver a Park and Ride for Southampton.

Corporate Affairs at University Hospitals Southampton (UHS) has written to Andrew Pope:

"With regards to the Park & Ride:

The Park & Ride operates for the use of UHS staff from Monday to Friday. Southampton City Council promotes the use of the service at weekends for the public so we would direct you to the Council for any questions you have about that."

The General Manager of Bluestar replied:

"We operate the P&R under contract to the city council.  A such, it is the council that have designed and procured the service and pay for it.

You will need to speak to the council for the finer details, but I understand they have an agreement with the hospital to use their car park at weekends.

It is of course a trial, so perhaps more permanent signage will come if it becomes a permanent park and ride.  I have seen various adverts around the city and online for the service, and I also heard a radio advert for it recently too."

Andrew, who is a member of the Independent Network, says:

 

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

"I campaigned for over a decade for a Park and Ride here in Southampton, and we now have one for hospital staff during Monday to Friday. 

I repeatedly pressured the Council, bus companies and hospital for aspirations in strategy documents to be turned into reality.

Over the weekend we have the PR1 service for the public to the City Centre and on Saints home games, PR2 for football fans to St Mary's Stadium.

I am pleased to have initiated this campaign when I chaired the Council's Inquiry into hospital transport. But it was a long and hard fight, which ended after I spoke up about the Park and Ride at the Planning Meeting in 2025 where I spoke up for residents who live near the hospital.

So I was disappointed to see that it was not good enough. And I gave the right of reply to all three partners to my criticisms, in the spirit of partnership and to try to improve it.

So I am now further disappointed to get buck-passing and blaming of the Council. 

That is not in the spirit of partnership. I want these partners to work together to deliver what is needed to keep cars out of Southampton and reduce traffic, not to blame each other.

It echoes the previous disasters of the Capita contract that was scrapped in 2018 the Tory councillors wanted to keep it - and the Balfour Beatty road contract which I would like to scrap but Labour and Tory councils have continued to carry on, despite its many failings and constant complaints from residents, which I totally agree with."

Independent Network emblem

 

Andrew Pope investigated the new Park and Ride that he had campaigned on for many years. He published his findings on the Southampton Independents website, and wrote a letter to the Daily Echo, saying that what has been done is "not good enough", which was published.

Andrew also wrote to the three "partners" in the "partnership" for the Park and Ride:

1. Bluestar bus company
2. University Hospitals Southampton, which runs Southampton General Hospital
3. Southampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, Labour Councillor Christie Lambert

Bluestar responded very quickly, claiming that the Park and Ride was a "trial". This was not clear in the Council's communications about the service.

Councillor Christie Lambert took two months to reply, and provided a rather feeble response, failing to answer the many points that Andrew had pointed out. She then quit as Cabinet Member for Transport.

The UHS Chief Executive Officer David French did not provide a reponse, neither did the officer understood to be his PA. Andrew had previously corresponded with Mr French over the Park and Ride.

Southampton FC Fans On Away Days - We Have Safe Standing, But Not All Clubs Have It Though...

 

Southampton Independents Andrew Pope
In the New Safe Standing Northam Stand Pre-Season 2024/25

Leader of the Southampton safe standing campaign Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope at St Marys in 2018

"As I said in the Daily Echo, the safe standing at St Marys Stadium has been a resounding success, despite the abject performances on the pitch this season. It benefits 7,000 fans in the Northam stand. And it benefits 3,000 away fans. When Saints fans travel to away matches, they do not always have safe standing. Because even now, not all grounds have it.

Throughout the seven-year campaign, I regularly said to people that things only change if you stand up and fight. If you just whinge, roll your eyes and say it's terrible, and do nothing, and it won't change, surely things won't change. Fans of other clubs are having their own battles with their own clubs over safe standing.

Campaigns are hard and take a lot of work. The safe standing campaign took seven years and involved me working with Saints fans locally and nationally, and fans of other clubs, manufacturers, officials, directors, councillors, members of Parliament and members of Government.

This campaign was very difficult but I believed it was badly needed, and nobody else was providing the leadership in Southampton. Not the directors and chairmen, and no fans that I was aware of. So I did.

The law had to be changed. Southampton FC chairmen, owners and directors in the past tried to ignore the fans and the campaign. And they are doing it again now with my new campaign for better hand rails at SMS.

But in the end, they had to listen to my campaign, and they called me in and asked me what I thought of their plans. And they did listen to my answers and act on them.

It was a fight, which I won. Still, even now, fans of other clubs are still having their own fights with their own clubs.

Fans of other clubs have got in touch with me, to ask for some tips on how to make it happen. One of them has been Stand United, the campaign for safe standing at Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United. They are still waiting for safe standing, and fighting to make it happen.

They've produced an excellent "Safe Standing Tracker" website, which they maintain. It shows which clubs have it, and which clubs do not. Things are changing because fans are making it happen. It's only when football fans work together that change happens.

The Plymouth Argyle Fans Forum on Thursday gave a firm commitment to safe standing, but no timeline. A Plymouth fan who is a close friend, told me about it. It's there on their video.

Safe standing talk, but not enough action or firm dates, was what I was faced with many times. Things only happen when the pressure is increased, which I did, using experience.

Why keep track of what is happening elsewhere?

Because Saints fans will benefit when they cross our great country to follow Southampton, whether in the Premier League or Championship. Away sections are changing to safe standing, so it is in our interests that I am in touch with their local campaigners and help them to bring it in. So if asked, I will continue to do that.

Meanwhile I continue the campaign for better hand rails and better safety at St Marys Stadium. If you want to help, get in touch. I already have some quotes from fans, but welcome more."

 

Former Councillor Andrew Pope
speaking to BBC South Today

The Southampton Independents Logo

Safe Standing "A Resounding Success" - Now The Next Step in Our Saints Fan Safety Campaigning

Andrew Pope Letter Daily Echo 25 October 2024

The Inquest into the death of Saints fan Simon Oakley has concluded, as reported by the Daily Echo.

Following the Inquest, Southampton Independents Andrew Pope has had a letter published in the Echo as a response to requests that he has received from Saints fans for "grab rails" in the aisles of the stands.

 

Part 1 of the Letter to the Daily Echo

Having led the seven-year-long successful safe standing campaign, with 7,000 fans in the Northam Stand better protected with rail seats, Andrew says in the letter that he agrees with campaigner David Davies and the other Saints fans that had contacted him. Andrew has written to Southampton FC, Southampton City Council and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.

 

Part 2 of the Letter to the Daily Echo

The Sports Grounds Safety Authority has already replied to say that while it is not a legal requirement, Southampton FC could go ahead and install grab rails:

"there are no legal requirements for radial stairways leading to stadium seating areas to have grab rails (sometimes known as comfort rails). It is a matter for the stadium to consider whether they want to go over and above the legal standards."

Responses from Southampton FC and the Council are awaited.

Stand Up If You Love The Saints - JOB DONE AND CAMPAIGN DELIVERED - Safe Standing at St Marys Stadium

2017 Rail Seats Demo in Southampton
organised by Andrew Pope

2024 Safe Standing Northam Stand
St Mary's Stadium for Lazio "Friendly"

 

by Andrew Pope, leader of the campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium 

Attending the pre-season "friendly" versus Lazio this week, Andrew said: 

"The first photo shows the demonstration of rail seats that I organised in Southampton. The media attended. But it was not attended by the chairman and directors of Southampton FC, who I invited. They snubbed me back then. In the end, they invited me in.

The second photo shows how it ended. 

I was so pleased to be able to take my place in the safe standing area of the Northam Stand. 

I have delivered my campaign for Safe Standing for Saints fans, after seven years of hard work, including:

• a petition that was supported by Saints fans, and discussing, working and meeting with directors and safety authorities including the Sports Grounds Safety Authority
• speaking on BBC Radio Solent and Wave 105
  
• appearing in several articles in the Daily Echo and prompting front page reports, including giving the Echo this exclusive which was caused by my action during the campaign
  
• getting the support of most councillors at Southampton City Council
• lobbying ministers and provoking Parliament and getting the law changed, working with other campaigners across the country
  
• being quoted or mentioned in national news and magazine articles
• publishing here on the Southampton Independents website and social media
  

Now fans can safely "Stand Up If You Love The Saints", as it says in the footbridge tunnel.

See you at the match!"

 

Andrew Pope at the footbridge tunnel in 2018

 

 

CAMPAIGN DELIVERED: Safe Standing for Fans At Southampton FC's St. Mary's Stadium

 

Andrew Pope Began The Campaign in 2017

Southampton Independents, led by co-founder Andrew Pope, has delivered another campaign win after a seven-year battle on behalf of fans of Southampton Football Club ("Saints") to get safe standing installed at St. Mary's Stadium, the home of Saints. 

 

Our campaign made this Echo front page

And this main article on Safe Standing

 Andrew says:

"I started this campaign in 2017 and kept it going despite resistance from Southampton FC itself because Saints fans wanted to be able to safely Stand Up If You Love The Saints, just like it says in the footbridge to the Stadium. I listened to fans and I acted for fans, providing the leadership that was not being provided by the (then) directors of the Club.

After a difficult time trying to work with those former directors of Saints, and due to my leadership of the campaign, in April 2023 I was invited to a meeting at St. Mary's Stadium with more recent directors Tim Greenwell and Toby Steele.

Tim and Toby confidentially briefed me on the proposals and asked for my feedback, after I had contacted the Sports Ground Safety Authority, the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and St. Mary's Stadium Safety Advisory Group.

And of course, after I had heightened the issue via national and local media, starting a petition and using the Southampton Independents website and social media, pressuring Southampton FC into doing Safe Standing. The Daily Echo and BBC Radio Solent interviewed me and published articles.

Andrew's Rail Seat Demo for Southampton Media

Another front page generated by Andrew's campaign

 

Directors have come and gone during this long seven year campaign, but I am pleased that Southampton FC directors eventually listened to my suggestions and acted on my concerns for safety and order at the Stadium. It took time, but I think these proposals are much improved from the very concerning proposals that I was initially presented with that seemed to want to make Safe Standing fail (see above Echo front page).

I kept my silence for a long time, as agreed with the directors, and waited patiently for the proposals to be altered. I am pleased that other fans on the Fans Advisory Board more recently told the Club what I had already told successive Southampton FC directors and chairmen over seven long years.

In addition to the new entire Safe Standing Northam Stand, away fans are being moved - something that Saints fans have wanted for years - and Saints fans are being prioritised instead in the new Northam Stand for Safe Standing.

Other clubs have done this - installed safe standing and putting away fans in the corner quadrant instead of prime position behind the goal, so I am pleased that Southampton FC are doing it too. St. Mary's is our home.

Fans will soon be able to stand safely and make more noise to support their team.

Thanks to the Daily Echo and BBC Radio Solent for reporting on my campaign over all these years. It has been hard but it will be worth it.

BBC Radio Solent asked me what I would do if I won the campaign. I said that I will be standing and shouting in supporting Saints with the rest of the fans.

And I am delighted to have delivered this campaign, for fans to be able to be Standing Up For Saints with me in the Safe Standing area next season, whether Saints are in the Premier League or The Championship!"

 

Women’s Football versus Men’s Football - What Did Saints Fans Say?

England versus Wales
at St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton
Photo: Andrew Pope

by Andrew Pope, 28/12/22

Do you agree that the five issues below are the most important for Saints Women’s fans now, when compared with men's football?

Or do you think there are other issues that are more important? 

If so, what are they and why do you think they are more important?

You can comment below - comments are moderated - or you can get in contact at sotonindies@gmail.com or on the Facebook page at Southampton Independents (@SotonIndies).

Southampton Women’s Football Team plays in the second tier of English womens’ football, called the Barclays Womens’ Championship. This article discusses the most commonly-raised issues from fans from the Southampton FC Women’s Supporters Group. The Group is not affiliated with Southampton Football Club (“Saints”), but is registered with the Football Supporters Association (FSA) as a supporters club.

In November 2022, I asked these fans, via their moderated Facebook group the following question: 

“The women's game is developing. What do you want to see brought over from the men's game and what do you not want to see brought over?”

There were 33 comments from the 22 fans who responded*. Whilst this gathering of data is not scientific or academic, it is purely qualitative and time-specific. It does not reach the magic 100 for surveys of public views and is not necessarily representative of the views of all fans of the Saints Women’s team.

However, the issues that emerged were as follows. It is, at the least, a starting point in airing the views of fans of the women’s team versus the men’s team and the fan culture from men’s football that fans would and would not like to see brought over to women’s football.

The most common issues raised by fans during the discussion were:
    • professional referees were needed in the Barclay’s Womens’ Championship because the perceived standard during the first few months of the season was too low
    • play-acting, cheating or diving should not be brought into women’s football
    • criticism of the food and drink at St. Mary’s Stadium
    • the desire for a family-friendly atmosphere with more singing and chanting but not violence, drunken behaviour, swearing or other “agro” as in the men’s game
    • player pay was mentioned by some fans. There was not agreement between about whether women should be paid the same as men, or how or whether that would be realistically achieved.

Other issues were raised, but none of these were raised by more than one fan.

Data was gathered in November 2022, analysis was done and this report was written by Andrew Pope, who is a former Independent Southampton City Councillor and NCTJ-trained journalist of Southampton Independents. Andrew is also a Saints Women’s football season-ticket holder. Andrew was also the lead campaigner for the successful Southampton Independents campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium (see photo below and other articles on this website).

Andrew Pope at the rail seats demo
during the Safe Standing campaign
for St. Mary's Stadium

CAMPAIGN VICTORY! Andrew Pope Succeeds In His Campaign For Safe Standing at Southampton FC and St. Mary's Stadium

 

Daily Echo 10th August 2022
Our Campaign Win!

 

UPDATE (13/8/22): After 5 years campaigning, with our increased pressure on Southampton FC producing our victory, officers of Southampton FC have finally announced in public that they will be bringing safe standing in. It happened at the Fans Forum earlier this week. Saints' admission was in response to a question from Adam Blackmore of BBC Radio Solent. Southampton Independents had been in touch with BBC Radio Solent prior to Southampton FC's announcement, to inform them of our campaign victory.

Andrew Pope Demonstrating Rail Seats
At A Media Call He Organised in Southampton in 2018

We have great news. Another campaign win for Southampton Independents and Andrew Pope. We've won on Safe Standing at St. Mary's.

We have given the Daily Echo an exclusive on our 5 YEAR campaign for Safe Standing a St. Mary's Stadium. They write:

Daily Echo Website Late on 9/8/22

"The step forward for safe standing is a victory for former independent city councillor Andrew Pope who has been campaigning on the issue for five years. 

He says it would improve the atmosphere and matchday experience for both home and away fans.

Now, he's been contacted by Saints to say they are looking to 'adopt and embrace' safe standing."

Daily Echo 10th Aug 2022

 

Andrew, who is a former Southampton Independents councillor, said:

Andrew at St. Mary's in 2018

"I am delighted that after five years of leading the campaign for Safe Standing, that Southampton FC have finally confirmed to me that they will be doing a trial and that I will be consulted on the designs, which I understand are imminent.

I would like to thank Tim Greenwell of Southampton FC for listening to me on my concerns regarding fan safety and for confirming this trial, Jon Darch of the Rail Seats Roadshow and Ann Ramage of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.

I would also like to thank the Daily Echo for covering the full course of my campaign over the five years.

As for Southampton City Council, their responses to my Freedom of Information requests have been an embarrassment to our City. They denied the existence of the campaign, their own letter to Southampton FC and even that the Full Council meeting happened. I am considering complaining to the Information Commissioner's Office."

Southampton Independents listened to Saints fans.

Southampton Independents acted for Saints fans.

Labour and the Tories were nowhere to be seen. They do not listen to residents. They do not act for residents.

Southampton Independents does provide leadership. But it also listens to and works with Southampton residents.

Andrew adds:

"We've had it confirmed by the Council in their second FoI response to me - the Labour-run and Tory-run councils did nothing. That's not just my opinion. It is a fact proven by Southampton City Council officers. 

Just the one letter - in four years - was sent by the Council on safe standing. And that was ordered by the motion that I forced through the Council! 

The contents of the letter by former Labour Leader of the Council Christopher Hammond were very weak. He didn't bother to consult me before sending his letter form of limp lettuce. So I had to up the pressure.

And it is just as well that Saints fans did not rely on the "Executive taking the lead" as written to me by Labour Councillor Dave Shields after he and the other councillors majority voted for my motion. Because the FoI response PROVES he and successive Labour or Tory councils did nothing!

It's another campaign win for me and Southampton Independents, but most importantly, for Saints fans and Southampton residents. That's what Southampton Independents exists to do."

England versus Wales
St. Mary's Stadium

 

UPDATE (9/8/22): Announcement By Andrew Pope on Safe Standing - Five Years Later, Southampton FC Still Refusing To Publicly Commit To Safe Standing

 

Andrew Pope Demonstrating Rail Seats
and Showing the Dangers of Standing With Existing Seating
Photo: Southampton Independents

UPDATE (9/8/22)

Andrew Pope says:

"Recently, after upping the pressure, I have achieved improved dialogue between the Safe Standing campaign, officers of Southampton FC, the Rail Seats Roadshow, Saints fans and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. But Southampton City Council have been no help. Why?

Because in a Freedom of Information request (FoI), Southampton City Council denied to me that the Full Council meeting in 2018 - where I achieved support for my motion for Safe Standing - ever happened! They said no Council meeting occurred between 2017 and 2022 on safe standing.

Incredibly, the Council's FoI response also denied that any correspondence ever occurred between the Council and Southampton FC. Southampton City Council's FoI function has limited credibility. This correspondence did not happen? Well, I've seen the correspondence. I told the Council that what they wrote was pathetic, and there was correspondence. But the Council's own FoI response denies it!

Perhaps the Daily Echo, BBC Radio Solent and other local and national news organisations all reported on my campaign, and they had imagined it? It's the Council getting it wrong again. The Football Supporters Association definitely had heard about my campaign. But the Council denies it.

Reality definitely seems to exist in a parallel universe to the FoI staff at Southampton City Council! Their FoI response was abysmal, it was very wrong, and I've asked them for an Internal Review, which has already gone past the deadline they gave me. Nobody can trust the Council's FoI responses when it is this bad.

I have again raised concerns with officers of Southampton FC about safety and persistent standing at St. Mary's Stadium, particularly around the repeated problems at the segregation line between home and away fans - a source of repeated flashpoints during last season. I have urged Southampton FC not to consider Block 1 for any safe standing. Almost every other location in the Stadium would be preferable for any trial.

After five years, I am hopeful of a breakthrough.

Because of the improved dialogue, I am now more hopeful than ever that Southampton FC will engage meaningfully with me and other independent fans on Safe Standing, and I strongly believe that fans will get our trial of Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium. "

More news to follow, hopefully via local news media...

---

Other Premier League Clubs Have Installed Safe Standing – Why Are Saints Delaying?

"Five years after, Saints will still not commit publicly to definitely bringing in safe standing.  How long are they going to wait?"

 

The leader of the campaign for Safe Standing at Southampton FC, Andrew Pope, attended St. Mary’s Stadium for a Women’s Euros 2022 football match. Andrew was saddened to see that safe standing had still not been installed. It reminded the former Southampton Independents Councillor to get an update and up the pressure on the new owners of Southampton FC.

When Andrew asked Tim Greenwell - who is Chief Governance and Operations Officer for Southampton FC – he was told:

"We are currently in discussions internally and with our supporters group about safe standing.

We are building our own plans around this issue and are working with the right people to determine whether this is something that is right for St Mary's and our supporters.”

Andrew responded:

Andrew at St. Mary's

 

“Five years after I started the campaign for Safe Standing, Saints will still not commit publicly to bringing in safe standing. This is frustrating. And it is despite it now being legal to do so because the Government changed the rules after years of campaigning by us football fans. Our campaign victory happened earlier this month.

How long are Southampton FC going to wait to apply for a safe standing licence? Other clubs have been early adopters.

Will Saints be the last adopter?

Will Saints be the last to give its fans what they want which is to stand safely at the football? I hope not.

Yes, they need time to plan it safely, but even Cardiff City have beaten them and they are in the Championship, not the Premier League.”

 

Rail Seats Roadshow's Jon Darch
Showing How Dangerous Unsafe Standing Is Now
Photo: Southampton Independents

As shown on this website, back in 2017, Andrew started a petition for Saints fans that received around 1,000 signatures, and organised a demonstration of rail seats – one form of safe standing - in Southampton. 

As a Southampton City Councillor, Councillor Pope proposed a motion at Southampton City Council on 16th May 2018. The motion was carried by the majority votes of councillors. The full text of the Motion is below.

Andrew added: 

“At the Austria-Northern Ireland Women's Euros match, I stood with other fans in the Itchen Stand for almost the entire match. No stewards asked us to sit down. 

Standing without rail seats is common at every Premier League match, but it is not safe when the Stadium is packed. 

Safe standing must be the future at St. Mary’s Stadium. 

I’m glad that my Freedom of Information request to the Council revealed that talks are happening by Southampton FC speaking with the Safety Advisory Group and SGSA. Other responses from the Council were extremely worrying and they will be revealed in due course.

I hope that safe standing will happen in the next year. But why so slow?

And why is the communication from Southampton FC with its fans on safe standing, so lacking?

Southampton FC claim to be speaking to a supporters group. I believe they are called "Saints Voice" but most fans have never heard of them.

I've asked Southampton FC for more details of what this supporters group has done to push for Safe Standing, but had no response.

From what I've discovered myself, there has been very little pressure coming from Saints Voice on safe standing. I'm sure those individuals on Saints Voice are well-meaning, but they are not independent of the football business or its owners.

I saw this sort of thing when I was a union rep 20 years ago - company management tried to undermine the union by creating an "employees voice". This was to by-pass the independent union, whose reps were elected.

Southampton FC seems to be pretending that it listens to fans so that it can claim to the authorities, including the SGSA, that it talks to fans. But it seems to be more like a "tickbox exercise" than a genuine body with fan power.

Fans pay Southampton FC a fortune in ticket prices every year. They deserve to be listened to and their concerns acted upon.

This requires an independent organisation with elected representatives who can be removed if they do not represent fans."

---

Minutes of Annual General Meeting, Council - Wednesday, 16th May, 2018 11.00 am

https://www.southampton.gov.uk/modernGov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3542&Ver=4

16.

Motions (a)  Cllr Pope to move:   This Council supports standing up for Southampton FC fans and standing up with Saints fans. But since the Taylor Report, and changes to safety regulations, fans are not allowed to stand up at the match.   Yet Saints' fans passion means that they do stand at every match in the Itchen and Northam stands. They want to stand. They want to sing. They want to shout. Safe standing allows them to support the team with more passion and to do so safely.   This Council supports the national campaign for Safe Standing in the Premier League, and supports Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium.   This Council agrees to write to the Board of Saints and to the Secretary of State to urge the Government and/or Parliament to change legislation to allow trials in the Premier League and then full installation of rail seats or other safe alternatives.   UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE THE MOTION WAS DECLARED   CARRIED.     RESOLVED: that the Motion be approved.

Stand Up If You Love the Saints? Let's make it happen...

So'ton Indies Councillor Andrew Pope
on the way to St. Mary's last Friday

Do you want to stand up if you love the Saints? Southampton Independents want to make it happen. With your help, we can.

Last year, Southampton Independents (So'ton Indies) asked local Saints fans whether they wanted us to campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium. They did. So we have taken the lead.

That's what independent councillors and residents do - stand up together to achieve a better future for our City and its residents.

So'ton Indies Autumn 2017 leaflet

Since starting the campaign, our City Councillor Andrew Pope has:

• got the issue on the front page of the Daily Echo (see the back of our Autumn 2017 leaflet above and link here)
• has appeared on with Sasha Twining on her BBC Radio Solent programme to promote the campaign
• hundreds of Saints fans have signed our petition and 
• Councillor Pope has garnered verbal support from other City councillors

Andrew has also secured a venue for the demonstration of rail seating, and has agreed with the Safe Standing Roadshow to bring the demo to Southampton.

Councillor Pope has now submitted a motion to the May Full Council meeting of Southampton City Council. The motion, which is a call to action for the Council, is designed to garner support from Saints fans, other councillors, the owners of Southampton FC and the Government. 

Councillor Pope says: 

"Due to the changes after Hillsborough, the law must be changed to allow Premier League clubs like Southampton to install Safe Standing, and to allow councils to license Safe Standing at local grounds. 

But we need the help of the Saints owners to make a public statement of support. I know they support it in private, from my contacts in the Safe Standing campaigns across England. 

But we need Saints' PUBLIC support, and they must "break ranks" from other Premier League clubs. They must take the lead in the Premier League, like Southampton Independents has with the Safe Standing campaign here in Southampton. 

Other clubs like Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur are warming to the idea. 

Let's have "The Southampton Way" meaning Saints lead on the pitch as well as off the pitch.

I very much hope that ALL 48 Southampton City councillors, old and new after the 3rd May elections, will support the campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's."

Denise Wyatt, Leader of Southampton Independents and Council Candidate for Redbridge Ward at the 3rd May local elections, says:

So'ton Indies Council Candidate for Redbridge Denise Wyatt

"Last Friday, Andrew and I went to St. Mary's to watch the Women's World Cup Qualifier between England and Wales. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, especially all the men, women and children flying our nation's beautiful flag, the Cross of St. George. 

Denise on the way to St. Mary's

St. Mary's is a great stadium but fans want to be able to stand and shout. And to stand and shout safely. The owners of Saints should invest in fan safety and give fans what they want. Fans pay a lot of money, so they should get their say and not be ignored.

At Southampton Independents, we believe that fans should have more say about what happens at their clubs, because fans are the true custodians of football clubs - not the current owners who often are just passing by. 

I urge all Saints fans to get behind our campaign and to sign our petition. 

If elected to the City Council on 3rd May, I will be seconding Councillor Pope's motion.   

The petition, joined with the Council Motion, will help to defeat those party poopers in Government and the Premier League who want to stop Saints from having the fantastic Safe Standing areas like they have at Celtic and Borussia Dortmund. 

Let's create a "Saints Wall" with Safe Standing at St. Mary's!"

Today (Sunday 8th April 2018), Councillor Pope has been interviewed by the Daily Echo for a new piece in the newspaper. This should appear tomorrow (Monday 9th April 2018), so keep an eye out.

Councillor Pope says:

"At the 3rd May City Council elections, please vote for our Redbridge and Millbrook Council candidates Denise Wyatt and Ed Edworthy."

Denise Wyatt and Ed Edworthy

UPDATED: Local Media and Football Fans Back Safe Standing

BBC Radio Solent's Sasha Twining
on iPlayer

UPDATED (13th September 2017): Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope appeared on the Sasha Twining programme today. It is available on the iPlayer here (until 12th October). If the link doesn't take you directly to the right spot, the safe standing segment is at 2h 10m 24s in. Have a listen and let us know why you support safe standing by contacting us here.

In the programme, Andrew explains that the campaign is not about returning to the old-style terracing, before the Hillsborough disaster. Andrew is sticking up for what many Saints fans want - to stand and to stand safely. Andrew has supported safe standing since he first saw rail seats at a football conference in 2012.

Andrew said on the programme:

Councillor Andrew Pope

"I think it is important that fans have their say in the way clubs are run... The law needs to be changed to allow safe standing using rail seats...

It's important to me because enforced seating hasn't worked.

People stand at every match.  

People are paying money and they should get what they want, not what they are given."

As you can hear, fans of other South Coast clubs called in to the programme to support safe standing and said that they are campaigning for it at their clubs.

Southampton FC Chairman Ralph Krueger's response to our campaign is also read out on the programme.

(12th September 2017): The Daily Echo has put our Safe Standing Campaign on the front page today.

Daily Echo Front Page

The online version of the Daily Echo article is here.

Andrew says:

"PLEASE VOTE YES in the Daily Echo Survey to support Safe Standing.  

It isn't dangerous. It's safe! 

That's why it's called Safe Standing! 

And that's why the Sports Grounds Safety Authority has authorised trials at League 1 and League 2 grounds.

Now we want them to authorise it for the Premier League and Championship. 

So if you haven't already, please sign our petition."

If you want to help our campaign, please get in touch via email at sotonindies (at) gmail.com or by phone on 07580715687.

More updates to follow soon...

Once again, Southampton Independents are about actions, not words. We listened. We acted.