Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Thu 12 March 2026 13:40, UK

Concerns have been raised about a possible lack of transport infrastructure for Leeds United fans to get to a newly revamped Elland Road.

Leeds had plans to redevelop their famous ground approved by Leeds City Council in January, which will see the stadium’s capacity increase to around 53,000.

Elland Road’s current number of seats sits at 37,645, at a time when there are more than 25,000 Leeds supporters on a season ticket waiting list.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin previously pledged to build a mass transit system for the region but in December, it emerged the scheme would be delayed by several years.

Leeds director Peter Lowy urged the government to support plans to regenerate the Elland Road area, but concerns have been raised about the issue of mass transit in the city.

Potential hurdle emerges over Leeds stadium redevelopment

On 4 March, Lowy said work on Elland Road’s expansion had already started and would continue regardless of the mass transit system plans.

However, the Australian did admit the club wanted to make it easier for fans to get to games from Leeds city centre.

Elsewhere, the local council believe that the sale of land at Elland Road could attract £2billion of private investment to the city.

According to the Telegraph and Argus, the Labour-run council is set to sell 30 acres of land around the ground, with deputy council leader Jonathan Pryor saying the sale proceeds would be used for infrastructure projects in the city.

Although Conservative group leader, Alan Lamb, said communities in Liverpool and Manchester had benefitted from similar stadium projects, he was concerned about the delays to the £2.5bn tram system in Leeds.

He said: “The one elephant in the room in all of this is the impact of mass transit.”

Pryor, however, stressed that the Elland Road plans were not contingent on the delivery of the transport scheme.

New Leeds stadium can catapult club closer to top teams

While there are sometimes exceptions to the rule, teams with extra financial muscle tend to have huge stadiums that can generate extra revenue.

In the past decade, Liverpool have expanded Anfield, Tottenham have moved into the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Everton now call Hill Dickinson Stadium their own.

Aston Villa are considering increasing the capacity of Villa Park, while Newcastle United have explored moving away from St James’ Park to find a bigger home elsewhere.

These bigger stadiums, which are not covered by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, can help facilitate bigger transfer fees and more money circling around a club.

Leeds’ growth is arguably being hamstrung by Elland Road’s capacity. The demand for more seats is there, as evidenced by the season ticket waiting list.

A tram link to Elland Road would be a big boost for Leeds but as Lowy said, not having it is not a deal breaker. But for the here and now, the most important thing for Leeds is staying in the Premier League.

If they can do that, the stadium plans may feel a bit more concrete, something a relegation could jeopardise.