I can't imagine a worse part of the ground to go to based on your comments. The Top Balcony is my preference & the issue doesn't seem to crop up quite so much up there for some reason. The obvious solution is to have safe standing areas for those who wish to stand, but not a return to the old style terracing, this would leave the seats for those who prefer to be seated. Hopefully, sense will soon prevail as these little conflicts can spoil the match somewhat, whether you wish to stand & are being told not to, or prefer to sit & find you can't see unless you stand & maybe not even then.

Next you'll be telling us we can't clap..

Jim, it's the Glwadys St...none of us had a perfectly clear view of everything when we were small children, but it didn't stop us from catching the bug.

Next time, discreetly pop him onto your shoulders when Forrest gets going.

On a serious note, I'd warm to the idea of an all-standing section.

Don't have that much sympathy really. It's the Street End and you really can't expect people to remain seated at all times!!

Its a shallow stand so all it takes is for one person to raise their head a little and in the fear of losing sight of play you get the whole stand on their feet.

If everyone remained as they are there would be no need, but as I say, it only takes one person.

Can't imagine why it doesn't crop up on the top balcony Dennis, very strange!

I appreciate your issue, Bill. We attended the Boxing Day fixture this year and had brought our new daughter-in-law from Oz to her first Premier League match. For the first time in 50 years, I went in the Park End stand and although it was a few quid more, the view was far superior. My son wasn't too impressed, as he missed the atmosphere of the Street End but for my wife and Jess this was by far the best option, as they could see without any obstructions.

I suppose it depends who you are with and the sort of experience you are looking for but, if you take him again and can't get into the family enclosure, then the Park End stand will give him a much better view. For the contributor above who had little sympathy – grow up, the kid needs to see the game, for crying out loud.

You were in the Lower Gwladys Street, what do you expect?

Don't tell me they were the only seats in the whole ground left, and even if they were you should have booked them earlier.

Bill, your naivety is to blame in this instance.

He wasn't naive, he was given false advice from the ticket girl who should know her job better.

I doubt it was his first match Nick.

However, it could have been, so yes the ticket girl should be instructed to give a brief description and so needs to take some blame.

Come on, lad – what do you expect in the Street End? Personally I think it's ridiculous that people are starting to get banned for standing; you can't help yourself. I'd be all in favour of having one of the stands converted into a standing terrace, not only would it improve the atmosphere, it'll boost the capacity of the ground.

I took my 5-year-old lad to the derby this year for his first game and sat against the Main Stand wall at the far Park End, and too be honest it was perfect. He sat on my lap for most of the game, stood on his seat for prolonged stints of standing and when we scored I threw him up onto my shoulders to soak it in. I knew it would be the case and too be honest expected him to miss most of the game but with a bit of planning and thought it was great.

Rightly or wrongly, when I asked him what he enjoyed most about the game, he said “the scores” (goals), “singing”, “wrestling” (a low level scuffle between a handful of blues and reds in front of us after they went 1-0 up), “the park” (ground) and though he didn’t say it I know he found the continuous bad language from the crowd a bit of an eye opener too. Two of the above, as a parent you might want to cut out but, the more you try and police and sterilise the crowd, the more you kill the atmosphere, which is a massive part of going to the game.

I’ve subsequently taken him to the Boxing Day game and we sat on the half-way line at the back of the Main Stand, where he had a completely unobstructed view, almost no bad language etc but he enjoyed it far less because what gave him the initial buzz was the noise, atmosphere, colour and sheer spectacle of the derby as much as the game – and it was this that has got him hooked and he wants to go back for more.

I look back on my formative years attending football from 4 onwards where I watched games sat on a stantion until I was old enough to stand – and even then you missed plenty but that in a way was the trade off for being there, it was all part of the deal. Had I not understood that, I would have stayed at home and watched it on TV.

Bloody hell! What do you expect? Glwladys St has always been like that — totally not suitable for an 8-year-old in there. There are always tickets left for the Bullens Road, a much better option next time you go.

I was in the Street End this weekend for the first time in ages and I can kind of understand the frustration.
I am 6'-6'' and am very conscious of the poor sod sat behind me whenever I go to the match. But if everyone else is standing, what choice do I have? I'm not going to stay in my seat and see nothing just so the person behind me can see.

The Gwladys Street is built at an extremely shallow angle compared to more modern stands around the Premier League. The girl who sold you the tickets should have know this and suggested the Park End instead.

I would suggest an official complaint to the club about their sales team, but not about the standing.

Steve, "What choice do I have?" At 6'-6'' I'd have thought all you need to do is clench your buttocks and you'd be raised to the right height to see!

I'm vertically challenged. I used to have a work colleague who would come into my room when I might be on my feet and he'd say "No, it's ok, don't stand – oh, you are"!

Kevin Hudson, I reckon when you were a kid, you were paying nowhere near what fans pay today for a ticket. For all you know, while you were a kid then, you were half-wishing that those bodies infront of you would not block your view.

Derek Turnbull, brilliant answer, how sympathetic can you get. The ticketing office should take part of the blame for advising such.

Yes, all these are part of a long standing discussion of whether standing or not, and where and what. I don't quite see this discussion being resolved in the immediate. Stewards should be other group that should get their job done.

I would say Jack was lucky to go in the street end for his first game, Bill. Imagine today's spoilt kids being subjected to the terrifying ordeal that was the Boys Pen. Every week you would see lads about 14 years old knocking shite out of smaller kids and taking their goodies off them.

The main aim of being in the Boys Pen was to bunk out sharpish. It was easier to break out of Walton Nick to be honest. Trying to clamber over Razor wire as the Plod twatted you with massive headache sticks... I swear I saw Bill Kenwright in there a few times as well trying to climb out. Ha Ha Ha.

No, Bill, I think Jack had it well cushy for his first game.

You get the occasional copper telling us to sit down but unfortunately you pays your money you take your chances with the Gwladys Street. Especially at the back with the funny marijuana smell too..

Can someone tell me, is it alllowed to switch places with people in order to have a better view? Thank you for effort.

Tony Marsh......totally concur. You went in the Boys Pen, survived the low level intimidation that wouldn't have been out of place in San Quentin and then, at three quarter time, escaped. Why though ? You always tried to get into the stands but the fella always stopped you, so you went in the ground and managed to see feck all. I recall being at the game against Spurs in 63 that more or less clinched us the league. Left the pen and got into Goodison Rd and, of course, missed the Alex score one of the most iconic goals ever seen at Godison.
First time in the pen I was eight. Social services would be called in today !

Park End or Top Balcony is as good as it gets at the old lady. Its when you go to the Emirates or Wembley that you realise how badly we need a new stadium. The mancs might of been whinging about £62 but you get a shit hot view and a very comfy seat. I do find these days however that Firstrow sports offers up the best value for money.

Goodison could certainly do with a bit of updating Sam, but I wouldn't rather have the Emirates. It's another boring bowl & they've designed all the intensity out of it - I definitely prefered Highbury.

This whole subject is interesting, and is getting some press attention at the moment in the form of debate as to whether there should be standing accommodation for those that prefer that way of watching games.

Clearly following Government intervention the edict was passed that stadia must be all seater. The belief that this would improve safety. Throughout this thread it is clear that it does not work, many in the excitement of the game stand, as the OP stated and in my mind jumping up and down around seats is an added danger. However, to contradict that, I among the tallest and seating suits me.

It should be about choice IMHO, there is scope for selective areas being used for safe standing. Models that I would advocate would be like the Scoreboard end at OT, the standing area not being too deep, and also the barriers proving a good support against vast swathes of people moving and crushing the unfortunate, I have experienced that dreadful feeling in the Stretford end, in the Kop and probably worst, in the Kippax at City. An incident happens and a surge follows leaving you simply out of control, and losing any contact with those you started watching the game with. Accident waiting to happen.

Equally, what is the family enclosure at Goodison was, in my opinion a safe standing area,and In these times where almost everyone has squeezes on budgets then that may be an option to get more people in and at a lower cost to them.

I also went in the Boys' pen, all those years ago, I had a ladder that I used to climb up that wall in a bullpens Road so that I could peer over the wall, I stretched my neck to see what the half time scores were at the other games, A 1-1, B 2-0 etc, the world has moved on and how we are allowed to watch our football needs to adapt otherwise even fewer will go to the game, more will go to the pub, more still will use first row, and a decline that is in place will escalate.

Many on this thread have noted there own experiences, next time you are at Goodison. Or any other game,have a look around at the age groups of people there, I do not want to, but I will generalise, it is becoming an expensive sport to watch and if we can not have it how we want it then there are plenty of options elsewhere, as I said, look at the ages of the people around you.

Sorry to ramble, and thanks for reading,

Ian

Not that interesting Ian as this thread has only captured 22 comments.

Now if you were to start a thread entitled 'Kenwright is a wonderful chairman' or 'Kings Dock: Kenwright did his best' - then you'd be in business!

Standing is less likely in the top balcony partly because you are slightly removed from the atmosphere but mostly because it's a bit scary.

I don't like the idea of the return of standing areas and, if it happened, would not want to go back to it. I'm too old for all that now. Also, I think football has changed and it doesn't really fit anymore. I just don't think it'd catch on.

Unfortunately for Bill, the poster, the Gwladys was a bad choice for him. It might be worth letting the box office know, for future reference, that the area is not best suited to an 8-year-old.

I'd like to consider myself a pretty considerate person, but at the game I can't help myself. If there is an exciting moment in the match, positive or negative, I instinctively rise to my feet and then either jump up and down or put my head in my hands. I do it in the ground (I sit top balcony) I even do it if I'm watching us in the pub or at home. I genuinely can't help it.

I'm of the opinion that it's not a bad thing. If everyone just sat there staring at the pitch it's be boring. You can watch pretty much any game in the pub (everyone knows a pub showing games they shouldn't) and so you are essentially paying for the atmosphere.

I went to my first game in 1992, and they have always played music before the game and at half time. My dad told me that in his day there was no music and the fans spent pre-match and half time chanting. Bring that back I say. Except Z-Cars obviously.

Standing up at games has moved on from the horrors that some describe above. I have seen systems (Google it) that are completely safe to use in football stadiums and are probably a better and safer option than what we have now, with people standing up in cramped areas that are not fit for purpose.

I do understand that bringing back standing areas is an emotive issue, particularly here on Merseyside but, when the subject raises its head, the anti lobby seem to go from the standpoint that we are going back to terracing that was in every ground pre-Hillsborough, what is being proposed for standing areas now is nothing like that, and really it's now time to revisit the debate on bringing back safe standing areas.

On the OP, I've been going to GP since 1971, and don't think I actually saw a live goal til about 1974. I used to watch them on MotD later on, but still loved going every other week.

The whole point is about choice, Danny. You wouldn't have to give up your seat just because others wish to stand, in fact you'll probably be able to stay in your seat if others aren't bobbing up & down in front of you every few minutes.

I don't understand why you don't like the idea of something you won't have to do, but others prefer to do. I also don't know what you mean by "football has changed and it doesn't really fit anymore" – there's plenty of matches lower down the leagues where you can still stand on terracing & plenty of matches in all-seater stadiums where many supporters stand for the whole match.

In reality, standing is an ongoing occurrence that isn't going to stop, so it would be better & safer for all if it were properly managed in designated areas.

I went to watch the Swansea game as my first game also; 36 years old and living in Australia it was a dream come true. I was located in Row QQ of the Lower Gwladys and being 6'-2" had to duck every time we stood up so I could see between shoulders.

I may be wrong, but your first game will always be special as long as you were there. In saying that, though, the roof is bloody low, I can see now why we need a new stadium or fix the one we have.

And a special thanks to the locals who made me wet myself laughing, some of the best banter ever. We don't get that in Oz.

Bill Goodall, I've asked Everton to sell Row QQ on Lower Gwladys Street as an obstructed view (or as a new classification of obstructed) because of that. If you have a warning of what to expect then it's your choice.

Everton obviously weren't interested.

May I suggest you make a complaint?

Did you get stoned Bill?

Derek it would be a good idea to sell those as an obstructed view. Once we get over the jet-lag, I probably will send feedback.

Tony, high as a kite!