Leeds United delay Elland Road development with ‘Significant Investment’ required
Leeds United have paused plans to develop Elland Road further after failing to earn promotion to the Premier League, according to Dan Plumley.
The 49ers Enterprises are keen to improve the stadium to improve revenue streams and attract more fans, but after the playoff final defeat, the plans have been put on the back burner.
When asked if that could hold the Whites back in the short-term, football finance expert Plumley believes it’s a tricky balance to strike but feels it’s sensible since the club will earn far more revenue in the Premier League which would help make the project easier to complete.
“It’s a tricky balance,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
“I think you’re right, to deliver something like that is an easier project in the Premier League as an example, purely because of the revenue on offer.
“It’s not to say you can’t do it in the Championship, but you would need significant investment anyway from potential owners or other funders to sort that development out and it’s just an easier project to take on when you’re in a bigger league and the revenue on offer is higher as well.
“You’ve got more options. Every club is also looking at it if they can, so Leeds are in a position of trying to do something with the stadium to grow revenue. There are other clubs looking to do that as well, some clubs can’t because of location and there are old stadiums in English football.
“So you’re trying to get a jump on your rivals as best you can but these projects are really tricky given the nature of where football clubs are based and that is something Leeds can’t control.
“It’s trying to strike that balance. It’s something they’ll have their eye on in the long-term for sure, and there’ll be an activation method behind that at some point and it may be that some of this investment coming from Red Bull is potentially something that could be used towards that as well if that’s in the plans.”
Leeds United not in a rush to improve Elland Road
While making a great stadium even better is always something fans will be happy to see in their owners’ plans, there is no rush for it at Leeds right now.
Elland Road is still rocking every week it’s used, and the fans are packing it out regularly. But while it could do with modernising, there isn’t a huge clamour for it and it isn’t holding the team back from succeeding.
Should the club get back to the Premier League then the demand for tickets will increase and the need for upgrades will become a bit more urgent, but in the Championship it isn’t necessary right now.
The full attention and priority of the club should be getting the club back in a position for promotion and that means focusing on things on the pitch rather than off it.
It’s a sensible decision from those in charge and shows the fans that the club is in safe hands going forward, with plans in the pipeline to improve.
In other Leeds news, the club could be forced to wait to seal a new Premier League loan.
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