What has changed in ground safety?

The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, colloquially known as the Green Guide is a UK Government-funded guidance book on spectator safety at sports grounds. The Guide provides detailed guidance to ground management, technical specialists such as architects and engineers and all relevant authorities to assist them assess how many spectators can be safely accommodated within a sports ground.

It has no statutory force but many of its recommendations will be given force of law at individual grounds by their inclusion in General Safety Certificates issued under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 or the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sports Act 1987.

It is written by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (formally the Football Licensing Authority).

Following the Ibrox disaster in 1971 when 66 people were killed, the government commissioned a report by Lord Wheatley the following year. In his report Lord Wheatley said: While not seeking to set out a code of practice in the sense of statutory regulations which have to be observed in all cases, I have, with the assistance of the Technical Support Group, provided what should be regarded as guidelines towards a proper standard.

I trust that these will be of benefit both to clubs in deciding what they should do in making improvements, and to licensing authorities in deciding what should be looked for."

As a result of Lord Wheatley's report the first guide was published in 1973.

Following the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 when 56 people were killed, Justice Popplewell was commissioned to produce a report into safety at sporting venues. The results of his report were incorporated into an expanded second edition of the Green Guide which was published in 1986.