Orlando City released their Virtual Stadium Tour today and more info on the stadium... Orlando City's downtown stadium will be a 100% privately funded project. The site is two blocks from the Amway Center, within walking distance of the downtown bar district, one of the best locations of any soccer stadium in the country! The stadium has been designed with the intention of creating the loudest and most intimidating atmosphere in Major League Soccer, with North America's only safe-standing supporter section and a low slanted roofline to amplify crowd noise. Stadium Details 25,500 capacity 360 lower bowl Canopy to enhance crowd noise and provide shelter from sun / rain Field sunken 8' below ground level to offer spectacular views from street level All natural grass playing surface Single deck safe-standing supporter section Expansive fan plaza spanning 10,000 square feet http://orlandocitysc.io-media.com/web/index.html# The most interesting thing to me is the safe standing area and how large it is. Good job OC.
I know that LAFC is planning on doing the same thing, and I have to assume that MNU will as well. Atlanta is an NFL stadium so probably not, and Miami is a fantasy so they're probably planning on a 15,000 person floating terrace complete with unicorns and magical Beckham elves.
As long as there isn't a pen I think we're OK. That was the number one problem in England, when the crowd started to move there was no place for people to go. Even jumping on to the field in an emergency is better than getting crushed to death. Concrete standing is, to me, infinitely safer than the metal benches that some of us stand on, because those things get slick as hell when beer is applied. I've seen people at StubHub fall down backwards and take out the four or five rows behind them. It's like the worst of all worlds.
FWIW, CONCACAF technically bars standing areas, although I wouldn't be surprised if they just copy-pasted UEFA's rules... We have a small section in Montreal with just steps and no benches, and there wasn't any problems in CLL. And most of Central America still has just concrete steps as stands.
I'm sure CONCAAF would be very accommodating when they realize the money they'd lose by reducing capacity.
Neville Neville, they're in defence Neville Neville, their future's immense Neville Neville, they ain't half bad Neville Neville, the name of their dad