Leeds United in good hands under Paraag Marathe after Elland Road redevelopment news
Paraag Marathe is clearly the right man to oversee the rebuilding of Elland Road at Leeds United after what a former colleague has said.
Speaking to LeedsLive (14 October), Jack Hill, who helped oversee the redevelopment of San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium alongside Marathe, said United fans should be excited at what the future holds.
After completing their takeover at Elland Road in 2023, Marathe and 49ers Enterprises’ plans to expand Elland Road to a capacity of 53,000 could still struggle to meet the sheer demand for tickets in LS11.
Hill said: “I dealt quite a bit with Paraag. He would help us with the decisions – we like an involved owner.
“The key to these projects is the communication and he was very easy to communicate with. We didn’t have to sit around waiting for ownership to make up their mind.
“[Marathe] is very knowledgeable and very up to date on what it takes to undertake these huge projects. He was a tremendous resource for us.”
Paraag Marathe must earn the trust of Leeds United fans
Upon their entry onto the club’s boardroom all the way back in 2018, the 49ers have had redevelopment in mind for Elland Road’s antiquated facilities and below-demand capacity, particularly in the West Stand.
The rebuilding of the stadium’s West and North Stands will see the capacity smash through the 50,000-barrier, but United fans will wonder just how much of that capacity will be for season ticket holders.
With a waiting list beyond 26,000 for season tickets at present, it remains to be seen how the increased capacity allows for that number to come down, while also allowing for new corporate facilities.
With Marathe at the helm, though, the Whites have a seasoned operator who oversaw a huge project to build the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium from scratch, thus making a rebuild arguably more straightforward.
The proof will be in the pudding for Elland Road, but with the club still battling to get out of the second tier, fans’ attention will turn towards how Marathe can steer the club back to the Premier League.
In other Leeds news, Daniel Farke could call upon a left-field option to solve United’s depth issue after what he did this week.
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