Leeds United confirm major change to Elland Road expansion masterplan amid £1bn vision — TBR Football 2/10/25

Adam Williams

Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises are forging on with their plans to increase Elland Road’s capacity to 53,000 but have made a key personnel change that could reshape the project.

Leeds United are one of the best-supported clubs in Europe and for years have been unable to satisfy matchday demand at their stadium, whose last major renovation came in 2011.

Now back in the Premier League, 49ers Enterprises recognise that increasing ticketing income will be central to their ability to compete with the division’s middle classes and the so-called ‘Big Six’.

In the last published financial year, 2023-24, Leeds generated £31m through the turnstiles. That was by far the highest figure in the Championship and behind only the Big Six, Newcastle and West Ham in England.

TV income is centrally negotiated and, as steadily as Daniel Farke’s side have started 2025-26, is volatile based on sporting performance.

Commercial income meanwhile is scalable but highly competitive, so matchday – which has historically been the most neglected of clubs’ three primary revenue streams – is now essential for closing the gap.

The plans drawn up by the 49ers for Elland Road draw heavily on their experience in US sport, where their San Francisco NFL franchise generates the highest ticketing income across the division.

That means Leeds fans can expect a heavily commercially-orientated stadium that squeezes as much as possible out of hospitality and premium seats, as well as provisions to increase dwell time in LS11.

Speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire said: “Leeds supporters hoping the season ticket waiting list will soon translate into seats at a bigger Elland Road may end up disappointed.”

Leeds United appoint new architect to oversee Elland Road expansion

As exclusively revealed by TBR Football last month, 49ers’ Enterprises have raised £120m in capital to help fund the redevelopment of the stadium as part of their long-term bid to boost the value of the club to £1bn.

Currently, work is set to start on the Elland Road 2.0 in 2026, with the approval to host up to eight lucrative non-football events annually.

However, it is not clear whether the latest news – as broken by industry publication Architects’ Journal – will affect that timeline.

KSS Design Group has worked on the blueprints for the stadium, getting them almost to the point of shovels in the ground.

But Architects’ Journal, quoting sources from the firm itself, have confirmed that Leeds have now awarded the contract to deliver the stadium to a rival firm, BDP.

The company already has a boots-on-the-ground presence in Leeds, with a studio less than a 10-minute drive from Elland Road.

Speaking to Architects’ Journal, BDP architect director Luke Harrison: “Elland Road is the heart of Leeds United and the city itself. We know what this club means to its supporters and the wider community, and that’s why we understand the responsibility to create a legacy here.

“With our studio team in Leeds already shaping development across the city, we can really bring the stadium expansion into our design thinking and take it to the next level. Our aim is simple: to design a ground that honours the club’s history, tells its story, and gives Leeds United and its fans a stadium that matches their ambition for the future.”

David Kerlie of KSS meanwhile said: “We were surprised to learn in August that the club was going to retender the latter design stages of the project.

“KSS are obviously disappointed that we will not be able to complete the design for our Elland Road Stadium expansion but hope BDP will do justice to our carefully crafted design proposals.”

Leeds need to keep pace with Premier League stadium revolution

Tottenham have fired the starting pistol on a race for Premier League clubs to revamp their stadia.

Their 62,000-seater arena opened in 2019 and set a new benchmark for multifunctionality, revenue maximisation and fan experience.

Leeds want to keep pace with their own plans for Elland Road, while Everton are now enjoying the fruits of a new stadium that is expected to more than double their matchday income.

Liverpool have recently completed an expansion, while Man City are in the middle of one. Arsenal are considering following suit. Man United and Chelsea meanwhile could build new grounds altogether.

The view among 49ers Enterprises’ limited partners – the co-investors in the Leeds private equity exercise – is that the stadium is absolutely central to their grand vision for the club.

When they eventually exit, Elland Road will be the main selling point on price.