Premier League: Manchester United authorised to install 1,500 standing places at Old Trafford

Manchester United FC (Premier League) has received approval from Trafford Council (local authority) to install a standing area of "around 1,500 barrier seats in the North-East quadrant" at Old Trafford (74,879 capacity), announced the club on 29/04/2020.

Standing places had been banned in the United Kingdom since 1989 and the introduction of a law passed following the Hillsborough disaster on 15/04/1989, in which 96 spectators were crushed to death during a match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield (ENG) in a crowd surge caused by police who attempted to ease crowding outside the stadium by opening a gate into part of the stadium. The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), a government body, is responsible for ensuring the safety of spectators in sports venues.

Manchester United "submitted a proposal to the local authority (Trafford Council) earlier in the year, following changes to the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide)," added the English club, which "will now discuss…