A new Elland Road is on the horizon. Leeds United and owners 49ers Enterprises want to give their home stadium a facelift and increase capacity. On Monday, they formally announced the expansion plans in the first step towards a new future for the grand old ground.
But what does it mean for Leeds the club and Leeds the city? The Athletic answers the key questions. Why do Leeds need to expand Elland Road? The club have outgrown their famous stadium. Memories of 20,000 fans suffering through the dark years are long in the past — Leeds have sold out every home match for the past six years and getting your hands on a ticket is a tough ask.
The now infamous waiting list for season tickets is at a whopping 26,000 people with very few supporters making it off that list each season. Advertisement Chief executive officer Angus Kinnear confirmed to the Square Ball podcast that, on average, the number of season tickets that become available each year is about 30, which will not make huge inroads into that waiting list. The transformation of Leeds’ on-field fortunes, with better football culminating in promotion in 2020 and a stint in the Premier League , means engagement from fans is up.
Owners 49ers Enterprises have also brought steady ownership to the club after periods of turmoil. They aim to take the club back to the top flight at a minimum. Leeds want to make sure they are Premier League-ready and capable of getting more fans into the ground that they have called home since 1919.