Wolves offer deal to stop fans standing

Wolves today announced they will talk with fans over 'safe standing' if supporters sit down for the rest of the season.

The club has issued several warnings to fans in the Jack Harris Stand to stop standing or risk the capacity behind the goal being cut.

Calls have been met with mixed success, but the club has now been warned by the city council if their fans persistently stand in the final four home games this season there is a danger the stand's capacity could be reduced. Molineux's capacity will already be reduced next season due to the stadium development.

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey said: "If the fans in the Jack Harris Stand in particular refrain from persistently standing for the remainder of this season, then I'm serious about committing to the debate.

"I hope the fans will sit down for the remaining matches and participate in on-going discussions.

"The club is supportive of all-seater stadia and we believe it has improved safety and encouraged more people to attend matches.

"However, we have always regarded it to be important to engage in meaningful discussions with our supporters.

"This debate could take place via the Fans' Parliament initially, and include the Football Supporters' Federation if appropriate.

"However, one problem that seems to get overlooked by some fans is there is easily an equal number of fans who want to sit but can't because people stand in front of them."

Mr Moxey stressed he did not want the club to be seen as the "enemy within".

"Persistent standing is a major distraction when we ought to be pulling together to help the team remain in the Premier League," he added.

"Instead, we're worrying whether the local authority will enforce a reduction in capacity because of our fans' refusal to heed genuine advice."

A return to a safe form of terracing has been gaining momentum for some time.

A total of 145 MPs have signed a motion calling for a re-opening of the debate on safe standing.

And a petition has been launched nationally by the Football Supporters' Federatio.

It calls for clubs in England's Premiership and Championship to allow safe standing based on the successful German 'rail seats' model.

The petition was launched following a meeting in Westminster hosted by Bath MP Don Foster, who has tabled a bill in Parliament to have the ban on standing in the top two divisions overturned.

The petition aims to demonstrate that there is considerable demand and it contains more than 10,000 names.