The wellbeing of Premiership football fans could soon be influenced by a unique sports ground safety initiative developed in Cumbria.
The Football Licensing Authority, the statutory body which oversees and takes forward the Government's stadium safety policies in football, says it is keen to find out if the Cumbria County Council's distinctive sports ground safety scheme can be applied at some of the nation's most prestigious football clubs.
In licensing sports grounds in Cumbria, the County Council is unique in having developed:
A comprehensive auditing system of safety at Cumbrian sports grounds;
A requirement for safety officers nominated by clubs to look after the wellbeing of spectators at sporting events to be interviewed and assessed by the county council;
A 'During Performance' inspections sysyem of stewards during matches;
Regular events where clubs are updated on their duties in light of any legislative changes;
Streamlining the annual safety certification of sports grounds;
Offering help and advice to grounds that do not require certification.
Cumbria County Council is responsible for issuing safety certificates to sports grounds that can accommodate over 10,000 spectators and stands with a capacity for 500 or more fans.
The County Council's innovative approach to safeguarding spectator safety has resulted in Cumbria's sports grounds licensing officer, Liam Briggs' appointment as Chair of the North of England Sports Ground Group.
This has also lead to the county council:
Becoming a consultee for the draft new guide (5th edition) to safety at sports grounds;
Advising the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on current for sports grounds safety legislation;
Becoming an advisor to the Core Cities Group who regulate Premier Football Stadiums;
Getting involved in setting up a specific national website for sports grounds advice.
Twenty local authorities are represented on the Group which oversees safety for sports grounds, stretching from Lincolnshire and Cheshire to the Scottish border, which are attended by hundreds of thousands of people each week.
Councillor Geoff Prest, Chair of the County Council's Development Control and Regulation Committee which oversees sports ground safety, said: "Cumbria is leading the way on sports ground safety.
"The work of our sports ground safety officer Liam Briggs in developing many of these new innovations has sparked a great deal of interest from other authorities and agencies involved in safeguarding spectators wellbeing.
"Making sure thousands of people can come together safely for an enjoyable sporting occasion is an enormous responsibility and I am delighted that Cumbria is developing the policies and methods necessary to meet that responsibility effectively."
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Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337