All-seated football stadia
Lord Justice Taylor’s Report of the Inquiry into the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster recommended that all grounds in the old First and Second Divisions of the Football League (now FA Premier League and Football League Championship) should be all-seated by August 1994. Lord Justice Taylor also recommended that clubs in the former Third and Fourth Divisions (the current Leagues 1 and 2) of the Football League should be all-seated by August 1999.
On 10 July 1992, following a review of the Government’s all-seater policy, the then Secretary of State for National Heritage announced that clubs in the lower two divisions of the Football League would be permitted to retain some standing terracing provided that it met certain standards.
However, clubs in the Premier League and the then First Division were still required to meet the August 1994 deadline.
Clubs promoted to the Championship for the first time have three years to convert their ground to all-seated.
If a club is relegated before the three years has expired, and at the time it is relegated it has not yet converted its ground to all seated, when it is next promoted any time previously spent in the Championship or Premiership is counted towards the three years.
At the end of the three year period the Secretary of State will, following consultation with the SGSA, normally direct that a condition be inserted in the licence restricting the admission of spectators to seated accommodation only.
Once a club has been required to go all seated it must remain so. This is imposed by the licence issued by the SGSA. The specific licence conditions are prescribed in secondary legislation (an Order) made by the Secretary of State under the Football Spectators Act 1989.
There are currently 72 all-seated international, Premier League and Football League grounds in England and Wales.