Barnsley FC announce that West Stand will close at Oakwell with immediate effect

Barnsley FC has announced that the West Stand at Oakwell Stadium will be closed until further notice following structural inspections.

The club added that there were safety concerns and crowd management issues were also raised and cited as rational to close the 130-year-old stand.

Barnsley have said that the closure will be immediate meaning that neither fans nor directors will be permitted to their seat for the next home fixture.

A relocation process will take place for the 21/22 season for the 1,000 season ticket holders who sit in the stand.

Chief Executive Officer, Khaled El-Ahmad, said: "The safety and security of supporters and staff is of the utmost importance. I made a promise internally to both staff and fans alike to be transparent regardless of how difficult the news is to share."The decision is purely based on a structural report and a number of West Stand specific crowd management challenges.

"With the history associated to this stand, in addition to the knowledge that a number of supporters have sat here for consecutive seasons, the Club appreciates both the emotional and practical problems this decision brings. 

"Please know that we have members of staff working tirelessly to implement solutions in time for our next home game."