Could we see a safe standing section at Easter Road in the next seven to eight months? Hibs are carrying out consultations with supporters with a view to assessing the viability, and backing, to create such an area in the Famous Five stand - but there's a lot to get through before they start ripping out seats, so to speak.

The idea of reintroducing standing sections at Scottish football grounds is nothing new - the Scottish Premier League (SPL) gave the go ahead for safe-standing pilots back in December 2011, some 13 years after making it a condition of membership for top-flight clubs to have an all-seater stadium. Chief executive Neil Doncaster indicated rail seating, as used in Germany's Bundesliga, would be the preferred form of safe standing and nine of the 12 SPL teams quickly threw their support behind the idea. 

A few years later Celtic became the first top-flight club to introduce a safe-standing section, in the north-east corner of the Lisbon Lion Stand, in June 2015 following lengthy negotiations with fans, football authorities, and Glasgow City Council and Kilmarnock followed suit with similar sections in the East and Moffat Stands at Rugby Park opening in December 2019. 

Singing section trials at Easter Road

So far, Celtic and Kilmarnock are the only top-flight clubs to have introduced safe standing sections although other teams have explored the potential for similar. Hibs recently contacted season ticket holders to get their thoughts on the introduction of a safe-standing section at Easter Road as part of a wider, longer-term engagement with supporters that started with a consultation concerning the relocation of the club's singing section from the southern end of the East Stand to the Famous Five Lower tier. 

Trials were carried out, initially at the club's home UEFA Youth League matches last season, and again in the early rounds of the Europa Conference League campaign this year with a view to improving the atmosphere at the ground.

Hibs have already carried out in-person and online consultations with supporters about the potential relocation of the singing section and the introduction of a safe-standing area and last week sent out a survey to those with season tickets in a bid to garner 'additional feedback on a range of points that were raised and discovered' from the initial dialogue.

The messaging on the survey reads: "We understand that changes to anyone's seating arrangements can be met with mixed feelings. Our supporters' views and satisfaction are of the utmost importance to us, and we've been working diligently to ensure that any potential changes are designed to enhance all Hibs fans' overall matchday experience."

Club chiefs are keen to establish just how many people would relocate from elsewhere in the ground to a safe-standing section, but are only too aware of the disruption to those currently housed in the Famous Five Lower who may not be keen on moving to another stand or joining the standing section. Then there are those who would be keen on being able to stand at games without being part of the singing section. Simple and straightforward, it is not.

Data collected from the latest survey will be used to make a decision which could be implemented as early as summer 2024, although the timeframe will obviously depend on the outcome of the consultation and myriad other factors.

What have Hibs previously said about safe standing? 

Former executive chairman Ron Gordon, who passed away in February, spoke in animated terms about safe standing back in September 2021. 

"We have that on the list," he said, when asked about it. "Ultimately the idea of developing a safe-standing section should be part of our thinking. It's the way people want to enjoy football, right?

"What we are trying to do here at Hibs is give people more of a complete package in terms of coming to the football game. It’s sport, but it is also entertainment; it’s a day out with your family, your mates, whatever, and we want to enrich that. Many, many people love going to football and standing, so we want to give them that. I think what we’re trying to do with ticketing, the kiosks, hospitality is give people more options so they can pick what they like. It is about giving the fans a better experience."

It's that last bit that seems crucial - 'giving the fans a better experience'. In the last 18 months or so Hibs have overhauled their hospitality offering, introduced LED advertising boards, installed giant screens in two corners, and generally tried to drag the stadium into the 21st century. Safe standing featured high on Gordon's list of desired improvements for Easter Road and if it does get the green light from fans and the authorities, it would be a nice nod to his enduring legacy.

How would safe standing work?

Any safe-standing section would almost certainly comprise rail seating as used at Celtic Park and Rugby Park. Frames are installed on a permanent basis and employ the same dimensions as standard, fixed seats. The frames connect to form a continuous rail between 35 and 45 inches in height along the full length of each row and the seats can be locked to create a safe standing space with barriers behind and in front, designed to prevent the swaying and crowd surges that were commonplace on vast terraces in the past.

One of the main positives of rail seating is that it allows for stadiums to be converted to all-seated with relative ease if required. 

As things stand (no pun intended), European games necessitate the return of an all-seated capacity but UEFA announced in July 2022 plans to trial safe standing at matches in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League taking place in England, France, and Germany. 

It obviously remains to be seen not just if Hibs fans back the introduction of a safe-standing section, but also if they qualify for Europe. Either way, the ability to have a standing section and an all-seated stadium would be beneficial, regardless of UEFA's movement on the subject.

What happens now?

With the fan consultation process Hibs are hopeful of not just identifying the volume of support for a safe-standing section among the fanbase, but also gaining an insight into how large a proposed standing area would need to be. 

As for when Hibs might make an announcement? The season ticket campaign for the 2023/24 campaign launched on February 20 2023 so it would seem safe to assume that, provided they stick with a similar date this season, a decision will be reached and communicated to the fans before the end of February 2024.