The location of the away section in a stadium is rarely about the quality of the seats. It is determined by how people arrive, move and leave.
Segregation begins outside the ground
Safety planning treats the journey to and from the stadium as part of the event, and visiting supporters are usually routed along a defined path from a specific direction.
The away section is then placed at whichever corner that route reaches first, so arriving supporters enter without crossing home crowds.
This is why away sections are so often in a corner rather than behind a goal, since corners have their own entrances and can be isolated cleanly.
The section must be self-contained
An away allocation needs its own concourse, catering and facilities, because sharing them with home supporters would defeat the separation.
That requirement rules out large parts of most stadiums, since interior circulation is usually continuous around the bowl.
Physical barriers and sterile rows are used to complete the boundary, and those buffer zones cost seats that could otherwise be sold.
Departure is the harder problem
Everyone leaves at the same moment, which produces the highest-risk period of the day and the one that most influences the seating plan.
Away supporters are frequently held back briefly so the home crowd disperses first, and that requires a section that can be contained without blocking others.
A section positioned deep within a stand cannot be held safely, because the people behind it need the same exits at the same time.
Allocation sizes and their consequences
Competitions typically require a minimum away allocation as a proportion of capacity, and clubs must be able to expand or contract the section accordingly.
Flexible boundaries are therefore built in, with movable barriers letting a club adjust the size between a small league fixture and a large cup tie.
The seats immediately adjacent are often left empty when the allocation is small, which is a deliberate cost rather than poor sales.
What this means for atmosphere
Placing visiting supporters in a corner concentrates their noise into a small area, which is why away support often sounds louder than its numbers suggest.
Home clubs sometimes position their most vocal supporters nearby deliberately, creating an exchange that both sets of fans regard as part of the occasion.
Safety planning and atmosphere therefore pull in the same direction here, which is unusual, and stadium designers take advantage of it where they can.
