Safe standing will be in operation during Chelsea’s first Premier League fixture of 2022 against Liverpool, the club have announced.
Thomas Tuchel’s side meet the Reds at Stamford Bridge on January 2, marking the start of a trial period for licensed safe standing.
Chelsea - along with Championship side Cardiff and top-flight rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - applied to be an early adopter of safe standing from next month and in November were approved by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and sports minister Nigel Huddleston.
The Blues have already installed rail seating in the Matthew Harding Stand lower tier and Shed End upper and lower tiers in preparation for the trial, with fans who have tickets in those areas allocated a seat but also with the choice of standing should they so wish.
“Should they wish to they can remain seated but they must be aware that surrounding fans may stand and there is no dedicated area only for those who wish to sit,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“The trial does not extend to Champions League games. Rail seating will operate as previously this season for matches in that competition.”
The club added: “It should be noted that standing in any other areas of the stadium is not permitted.”
The trial marks the end of a blanket ban on standing in English football that has stood for more than 25 years.
The progress of the trial involving the early adopters will be monitored closely by the independent firm CFE Research, with findings passed on to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) ahead of a decision on the potential wider roll-out of the scheme from next season.
