Council 'surprised and disappointed' by closure of stand at Barnsley FC
The club says its closed the West Stand to supporters due to structural issues
Barnsley Council officials say they're 'surprised and disappointed' at a decision by Barnsley FC to close the club's West Stand to fans.
The club made the announcement yesterday after 'extensive structural inspections' of the stand.
It says repair work is urgently needed and the closure is partly due to 'crowd management issues'.
The 130 year old West Stand is the only original part of the Oakwell stadium left standing, but has had numerous alterations over the years.
It was made all seater in 1995. It currently has a capacity of around 4,700.
Around 1,000 season ticket holders will be relocated to seats elsewhere in Oakwell. Visiting journalists and media will still be allowed access on match days.
In a statement, Barnsley Council said:
"The Council inspected the ground on behalf of Oakwell Community Assets Limited (OCAL) as the landlord on 21 September 2021 and found the physical infrastructure (including the West Stand) perfectly safe to host professional football and accommodate fans in all areas to the capacity set out in the current Safety Certificate.
"The club didn't raise any concerns during this visit."
"We're somewhat surprised and disappointed for the supporters at the decision that Barnsley Football Club have taken to close the West Stand, and we urge them to make their desired improvements and get the fans back in as soon as possible."
Barnsley Council has a 50% stake in the group which owns Oakwell; Oakwell Community Assets Limited.
It was set up after the local authority stepped in the save the club following its administration in 2003.
Speaking after the closure of the stand Barnsley FC Chief Executive Officer, Khaled El-Ahmad, said:
“The safety and security of supporters and staff is of the utmost importance. I made a promise internally to both staff and fans alike to be transparent regardless of how difficult the news is to share.
“The decision is purely based on a structural report and a number of West Stand specific crowd management challenges.
“With the history associated to this stand, in addition to the knowledge that a number of supporters have sat here for consecutive seasons, the Club appreciates both the emotional and practical problems this decision brings.
“Please know that we have members of staff working tirelessly to implement solutions in time for our next home game.”