Adam Webb has revealed that St Johnstone are hoping to open a safe-standing section at McDiarmid Park next month and praised the positive impact the Fair City Unity ultras group has had on their match day atmosphere this season.
Webb admitted the William Hill Championship leaders, who take on their fifth-placed Fife rivals Dunfermline at home on Saturday, have experienced, in common with many Scottish clubs, issues with their ultras in the past.
However, the Atlanta-based lawyer, who bought the Perth club from Geoff Brown in the summer of 2024, believes the positives far outweigh the negatives.
He is keen to follow the lead of Celtic, Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Falkirk and introduce a rail seating section in their East Stand this season.
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“It’s definitely going to happen,” he said. “I’ve been wrong in the past about development projects because there are approvals needed. February is when I’ve been told but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a bit later.
“Safe-standing is certainly an experiment worth trying. It’s a reversal of history. Forty years ago everything was about sitting and getting rid of standing because so many bad things have happened.
“The pendulum has swung and we’re now going to introduce safe-standing, not like the old terraces. If this is a success, we’re excited to do more down the line. We want young, enthusiastic fans.”
Celtic extended the ban they had issued to the Green Brigade, the ultras group which occupies the safe-standing section at Parkhead, last month due to a series of offences, including an incident at a game against Falkirk in October which has resulted in four men being charged with an alleged assault of a steward.
But Falkirk chief executive Jame Swinney last week partially attributed the Premiership club’s success this season to the presence of the Gate 20 ultras group in the rail seating area in the Kevin McAllister Stand and Webb also recognises the difference which Fair City Unity can make to Simo Valakari’s side on the park.
“We love the enthusiasm and the noise,” he said. “Sometimes there’s a bit of negativity that comes with it, whether that’s pyro or fights outside the park. You have to walk that fine line.
“But we support what they do during the games because they add energy to the stadium, which helps the players and helps everyone enjoy the day.
“We encourage them to be well behaved outside the park as well because it’s better for the club they love. I spoke to the Fair City Unity representative after the Fans Forum meeting we had recently and we had a good chat. He understands.
“There are fans who don’t appreciate if there’s some negative conduct. It’s not all the members – if somebody sprays a Celtic message on a wall, not every Celtic fan should be blamed. Of course not.”
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Webb continued, “They have some good arguments on their side. They get painted with a brush even if it’s not everybody. We’ll keep working with them to improve the positives and discourage anything negative.
“It’s a positive relationship. These guys are Saints fans through and through. It starts from a place of love. That’s their founding principle. We ought to be able to bridge the gap.
“Most of them are very young and we all know we did some foolish things as youths. We share the same love and want to forgive youthful indiscretions.”
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