Leeds United’s new chairman Paraag Marathe has issued his plans for the club’s long-term expansion of Elland Road this week.
Despite dropping out of the Premier League last season with some poor performances, Leeds are still plotting for an ambitious future.
Elland Road is central to those plans if the club are to go onto big things in the future, hopefully after a promotion-winning campaign in the Championship.
The Daily Mail has now shared Paraag Marathe’s plans for Elland Road in the near future, having successfully completed a takeover of the club this month.
Here, we look at two key plans for the stadium expansion that fans should be buzzing about…
Stadium capacity increase, but no bowl
As the report outlines, Leeds have over 20,000 people already possessing season tickets, and a further 20,000 on the waiting list for one.
While that demand is likely to have shrunk with Leeds back in the Sky Bet for this season, there is still a lot of hope and confidence it won’t be a long stint outside the Premier League – especially not 16 years.
The plans for Leeds expanding the stadium are said to bring Elland Road up to a 55,000-seater, nearly enough to completely include those on the waiting list.
What is most important about this proposal is that there is no thought whatsoever for the club to lose the traditional roots embedded in Elland Road, so now soulless bowl stadium.
Instead, the club are going to be expanding akin to how Liverpool are doing Anfield, with the same stands, just bigger and newer.
Transport boost
Those who head to Elland Road on a biweekly basis know of the struggles to either park, walk, or get a bus to the stadium.
On the outskirts of the city centre, it’s an inconvenient journey for most match-going fans with the sheer lack of accessibility by public transport – either you queue for the shuttle bus, or face walking.
The above report points out Peter Lowy’s aims to break through to the city council about this complete disconnect, and aims to put it right:
“Lowy, it can be disclosed, is in talks with Leeds city council about that vast horseshoe-swathe. They are ambitious. Leeds has, for too long, been a city held back by a transport system that consists of buses and more buses.
“There is no underground, no tram network. While it is early, discussions include the prospect of Elland Road becoming a transport hub to link neglected South Leeds with a city centre it has been disconnected from since the building of the M621 back in the early 70s.”
