Statement issued as Leeds United quizzed on Elland Road South Stand away fan proposals — YEP 7/8/25
By Kyle Newbould
Leeds United are pushing ahead with plans to expand and
develop Elland Road.
Leeds United Supporters' Trust (LUST) say the club have
‘reassured’ them the South Stand will house mostly home fans even in the event
of away-end ‘overspill’ into some sections.
Leeds are continuing to progress with plans to expand and
develop Elland Road with their target capacity of 53,000 a significant increase
on the current 36,000 maximum. Planning applications were submitted earlier
this summer but within the documents, a proposal to move away fans from the
West Stand into the South Stand raised serious concerns.
The club are yet to make any official comment on the
proposal and while sources insist nothing is set in stone, there has been
push-back from fans who see the South Stand as the beating hub of Elland Road
on matchdays. LUST have previously insisted they are ‘strongly against’ the
idea and on Thursday provided a fresh update regarding talks with Leeds.
A statement published by LUST on X said: "We followed
up with the club, and emphasised the importance of maintaining our
uncompromising atmosphere in the South Stand, which the club fully acknowledge
and back. We also need to recognise it's complex for the club to navigate these
challenges when making much needed improvements to the stadium, but the
priority is to maintain the atmosphere during games that comes from each end of
the stadium.
"We are told that whilst none of the plans are set in
stone at this stage, the focus is to look at the usage of the South West Corner
for away fans, subsequently it may require an overspill into a section of the
South Stand subject to capacity requirements, however, we are reassured if this
plan goes ahead the majority of the South Stand will still be housing home
fans."
Leeds United yet to comment on Elland Road South Stand
proposals
It is unclear if the proposal is seen as permanent or a
temporary measure while the West Stand, which currently houses away fans, is
redeveloped. Leeds plan to increase the stand’s capacity from 8,000 to 17,750
while also expanding the North Stand from 10,414 up to 15,300 via a ‘phased
construction’.
A public consultation on the plans will conclude on Friday
August 8, with feedback so far overwhelmingly positive. As of Wednesday
evening, more than 700 responses were submitted, 665 of which were in support
of the plans, while a group of 48 professional and specialist bodies have also
been consulted.
Leeds have stressed from the offset that maintaining the
famous atmosphere inside Elland Road has been paramount to their plans, with
expansion hoped to enhance the experience rather than detract from it. Speaking
earlier this year, Whites chairman and 49ers Enterprises chief Paraag Marathe
vowed to keep that ‘unique’ feeling inside the ground.
"The opportunity to refresh a century-old stadium,
coupled with the legacy of Leeds United is unprecedented,” he said. “Our plans
reinforce our commitment to the long-term success of the club and I am excited
that we are going to be able to welcome thousands more supporters to every game
in a stadium that retains the unique atmosphere of Elland Road. We look forward
to sharing our plans with supporters and the local community for their
input."