A REVOLUTIONARY new design for safe standing areas at football stadia has been unveiled.

And as the newspaper leading the campaign for a debate on safe standing, the Southern Daily Echo was given a preview viewing of the innovative stand at a private gathering in Bristol yesterday.

The design is the brainchild of football fan and inventor Nick Jervis, who has been secretly working on the project for several years alongside Nigel Pinson-Fleming of the organisation Sporting Solutions.

The innovators have confidently hailed the new stand as the answer to the conflict between sitting and standing (see picture right) at Premier League football.

And Phil Gatenby, spokesman for safe standing campaign group SAFE, said he believed the new design could herald the breakthrough in convincing the government to re-open the safe standing debate.

The new-style stand is completely original and differs from the 'kombi' safe standing areas at German grounds, which have removable seats.

The Sporting Solution-backed design incorporates seats, but at a raised level, which crucially means that if spectators choose to stand they are at the same height as anyone sitting.

Therefore fans would have a designated space, but would be free to sit or stand without impeding anyone else's vision.

Each viewing area has a safety barrier in front, with the seats completely unobtrusive and clear of the aisles when not in use.

The back of the safety barrier in front even provides a foot-rest for those fans that choose to sit.

The new style stand has been designed to fit straight into existing Premier League grounds like St Mary's without any major rebuilding and would keep the capacity at the current level.

Design wizard Jervis said: "Like every football fan I was deeply affected by the Hillsborough disaster.

"But this new design is completely safe and would give the fans the best of all worlds.

"The idea just came to me one day when I was watching football on television at home and we have been working on it for a number of years.

"It would only require a minor adaptation to be installed in a ground and would be ideal in a new stadium like St Mary's.

"It is a compromise on terracing and no-one is suggesting we should go back to the old style of grounds, but what it would do is give the fans the safe choice that they want."

Pinson-Fleming added: "Football and supporters naturally equals emotion and it is impossible to stay seated when your team scores.

"This design would appease fans who want to stand and those who prefer to sit, but would have an element of control and would be totally safe."

Gatenby was impressed with the invention, adding: "This new idea has to be considered. We want people to have the choice whether to sit or stand. The government has refused to debate the issue until there is new evidence - well now there is new evidence."

The design has already been patented and Sporting Solutions are planning to publicly unveil the stand shortly, possibly at a venue in Southampton.