THE Daily Echo today launches a campaign to re-open the emotional debate as to whether safe standing areas should be reintroduced into Premiership football grounds.

Events at Southampton's St Mary's stadium in recent weeks have highlighted the ongoing issue which refuses to go away.

There are Saints fans who would love to stand up again at matches in a safe standing area. Indeed, there are thousands like them at all top flight grounds.

We feel they should have a choice - whether to sit or to stand. At the moment there is no choice.

All we are asking is the government lift their collective heads out of the sand and TALK and LISTEN.

Talk to those supporters organisations that want the chance to explain their views.

Listen to what they have to say.

Those who stalk the corridors of power at Westminster are not even listening to their own MPs, those who are elected to fight such causes.

A private members bill was launched earlier this year, but it was never debated.

Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight - this newspaper is NOT condoning the fans who continue to stand in seated areas.

Standing for the entire match in an all-seater stadium is an offence. It spoils the view of those who are seated behind or near to those who are standing, and it goes against the wishes of the club and the police.

It has also made stewarding at St Mary's a tough job. Those stewards are Saints fans and don't deserve any abuse that has been thrown their way for attempting to make fans sit down.

So why does this newspaper want fans to be allowed to stand up in a terraced area if that's what they want, and it's proved to be safe? Don't we remember Hillsborough and the Taylor Report?

Yes, we do remember. We will never forget. But that was 13 years ago and the government had to be seen to be doing something to ensure a similar tragedy will never happen again.

There are many sensible people who believe that the tragedy did not happen purely because fans were stood up.

It was a whole catalogue of circumstances - such as a decaying stadium, inadequate stewarding and policing and fans being caged in on all sides.

Acting on recommendations from the Taylor Report, the government announced that terraces would become a thing of the past and all top stadiums would become all seated.

Lest we forget, the Taylor Report never blamed the loss of 96 innocent lives on the fact the Leppings Lane Stand contained terracing.

Whilst many fans mourned the loss of terraces, there was an acknowledgement that in their present state, many of them had to be replaced. But replaced by what?

At the time, the only thing to replace them with was seated areas.

Yet the technology now exists to enable fans to stand up in a safe environment.

In Germany some of the top stadiums have safe standing areas for league games that convert to seats for European and international matches.

And which country have been given the chance to stage the 2006 World Cup, beating England's bid in the process?

We are not calling for the return of all-terraced grounds.

Nobody who is keen to see safe standing on the political agenda again wants to watch another Hillsborough. The safety of all fans must be the number one priority at all times.

What is clear and evident in the 21st century is that safe standing areas can be implemented into top flight stadiums to the advantage of everyone - clubs and fans.

So what are we waiting for?

In the coming weeks the Daily Echo will be looking at the safe standing issue and talking to the people involved in pushing for the debate to be re-opened.

We will also be giving you the chance to make your voice heard by printing addresses of key players in the political game you can write to. We have to make them listen.

Back in January the Daily Echo interview Football Licensing Authority chief executive John DeQuidt, who insisted "martians had more chance of visiting Earth" than fans had of standing at Premiership grounds again.

He said we took his words out of context. But he was wrong. He displayed the attributes nobody likes of people in power - he wasn't listening to those who wanted to talk sensibly and intelligently.

But we feel the time to talk has come, because this is an issue that isn't going to go away.

On today's back page the Echo editor Ian Murray has written an open letter to Sports Minister Richard Caborn. We have sent such a letter off to Mr Caborn, and we look forward to sharing his comments with you.

In the meantime, we are keen to hear your views on safe standing - whether you are for OR against the idea.

Is safe standing the way ahead? Is it right that we can stand in the Nationwide League but not at St Mary's?

Is it right that we stand at rock concerts, with alcohol freely available inside music venues, but not at Premiership grounds?

You can write to myself, Simon Carter, c/o the sports desk, Southern Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton, or email me using the link above.

We will be publishing your views at regular intervals. And remember, YOUR views matter. They could help make a difference.