HAVING had his season ticket revoked for standing up during a match, 58-year-old Burnley FC fan Harry Gaskell, of Colne, has had it restored -- now that he has signed an undertaking to stay glued to his seat in future.

But while the club has not commented on the case -- which arose when Mr Gaskell stood up in another sense for two supporters ejected from Turf Moor after putting up a flag on one of the stands last September -- it had previously stated that six fans had had their season tickets withdrawn for persistently standing up throughout matches.

But, for all the laudable concerns about crowd safety, isn't it time that clubs' preoccupation with supporters standing up was toned down by a dose of common sense? People go to watch football, after all, for excitement -- events on the pitch and passion in the crowd naturally bring fans to their feet. It's normal, not naughty -- and should be allowed for by clubs and the football authorities... perhaps by heeding the growing call for old-style terraces to be restored.