Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Soon after Andrea Radrizzani took over as the major shareholder of Leeds United in 2017, the Italian businessman bought back Elland Road from Teak Commercial Limited for approximately £20 million. Two years later, when it seemed like Leeds were on the way back to the Premier League under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, Radrizzani announced plans to expand the stadium.
The current capacity of Elland Road is 37,792, and Leeds have been selling out the stadium ever since their return to the top flight in the 2019-20 season. There are currently more than 20,000 supporters on the waiting list for season tickets, highlighting how an expansion is desperately needed.
Before making any plans for stadium expansions, securing Premier League status and creating a sustainable model is key. Luckily for the West Yorkshire club, the Premier League relegation odds at the time of writing suggest they are safe. Leeds can currently be backed at 11/1 to end the season in the bottom three, with Burnley looking the most likely side to join Norwich and Watford in the Championship next term.
There are currently 13 stadiums in the UK with a higher capacity than Elland Road. This is a massive swing from when Leeds were one of the country’s biggest clubs. Up until the 1990s, Elland Road was among the most recognised stadiums in England, and it was used as a venue for matches at Euro 96. Leeds now want to recapture those glory days, and a stadium expansion will be one way to set about doing that.
Before Leeds went into financial turmoil in the 2000s and ended up in the lower rungs of English football for 15 years, there had been some talk about relocating to a brand new 50,000 capacity stadium. Fans had voted in favour of the proposed move to a new ground in Skelton, but the idea was put on hold after the club was relegated from the top tier.
Now, the plan to move has been scrapped in favour of enlarging the current ground to a capacity of 55,000. Chief executive Angus Kinnear said that Leeds are one of the few clubs in the country that can justify having a stadium with a capacity higher than 55,000, thanks to the massive fan base. He also detailed how the plan would take shape, with a focus on developing the West Stand first. There would then be a move to work on other areas such as the Don Revie stand. Fans want to turn the legendary section into a single tier "wall of noise".
Staying in the Premier League and becoming an established top flight team is the priority of Leeds now. If that goal is achieved, fans can reasonably expect to see a stadium expansion in the next few years.
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