Southend United owner Ron Martin has admitted he had not ruled out giving Blues fans standing room at the Third Division club's proposed new £12.5million super home.

The Shrimpers have lodged a planning application with the town council for a 16,000 all-seater stadium on the Fossetts Farm site at Eastern Avenue.

And Martin - chairman of the Shrimpers' joint venture partner and major shareholder, Billericay property developer Martin Dawn plc - said he would consider terracing as part of the plan.

"I would not rule out terracing at our new stadium as I believe it helps to generate a better atmosphere," said Martin.

"Just recently our fans have been asking if we could let them return to the North Bank part of Roots Hall.

"This section of the ground currently accommodates visiting supporters. But it has the best acoustics and helps a few hundred travelling fans sound very noisy.

"I'm told this used to be the main home end at Southend where all the supporters would stand and sing.

"And we have given a lot of thought to letting our fans return there - even though it is now a seated area just like the rest of Roots Hall.

"I can fully understand that people attending football matches like to jump up and down, scream and shout. And we will consider the idea of terracing and it's safety implications."

Terracing at Roots Hall was replaced during the early 90s as Blues competed in the First Division, but now they are back in the basement league they would be allowed to send their fans back on to the terraces.

"To play in the Third Division a football club must have a 6,000 capacity stadium, with at least 2,000 seats," said a Football League spokesman.

"Terracing is allowed in Division Two and Three. But teams with genuine ambitions of making Division One and higher would be well advised to have all-seater grounds.

"A football club entering Division One with terracing still intact would need to go all seater within three years to meet the criteria of the Football Licensing Association."

Blues attracted their biggest ever Roots Hall gate, 31,090, for an FA Cup third round tie with Liverpool in 1979. However, the modern day Roots Hall can officially house just 12,306 comfortably seated spectators.

By Bernie Friend

Reporter's e-mail: bernie.friend@notes.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.