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Leeds United Supporters' Trust contact FSA as games to be played behind closed doors

Jonny is a University of Leeds journalism graduate who became part of the FootballInsider team in Spring 2024, and recently worked as Head of Media for Widnes Vikings Rugby League club. Writing as a freelance reporter and commentator for The Sporting News and StatsPerform, he has covered matches in competitions including the FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, as well as the Champions League, Women's Euro 2022, Six Nations and the Rugby Union World Cup.

Published on:

28 Jun 2024, 9:59 am

The Leeds United Supporters' Trust have reacted to the club's decision to play several pre-season friendlies behind closed doors in Germany.

Posting on X [28 June] after the Whites' announcement that they would be heading to Germany for a pre-season training camp, the LUST said they were set to escalate the issue to the Football Supporters' Association and its European equivalent the FSE to get more information.

United previously posted on their club website [25 June] that due to circumstances beyond their control, friendlies played during this camp would be behind closed doors, despite the club's efforts to change this.

The LUST said that a policing decision had forced the verdict despite three other clubs announcing tours with fans allowed, and it remains to be seen if their talks with other trusts provide a positive outcome.

Leeds United fans could be robbed of chance of European tour

The Whites have been no strangers to widespread pre-season tours in recent years, twice heading to Australia to play several friendlies in both 2019 and 2022.

The years either side were much more challenging on this front, with the covid-19 pandemic ruling out any chance of tours 2020 or 2021, while Premier League relegation in 2023 put paid to another.

Daniel Farke's side hardly need distractions when it comes to their preparations for the new campaign, having gone within one game of promotion by losing the Championship play-off final to Southampton.

We understand the decision to play behind closed doors was a policing decision. Since the announcement we’ve seen three other clubs announce a similar tour with fans allowed. We are in the processing of escalating this to the @WeAreTheFSA and @FansEurope to get some more info. https://t.co/VCOuCG253u
— LUFC Trust (@lufctrust) June 28, 2024

However, given the German and his players are already embarking on a trip to his home country this summer, not allowing fans to attend their friendly matches is far from a fair move to make.

Germany are currently hosting the European Championships no less, and accommodating tens of thousands of fans in the process from all over the continent.

Therefore, allowing a few hundred extra Leeds supporters at the conclusion of a huge footballing celebration, to watch their side prepare for a crucial season, shouldn't be too much to ask.

In other Leeds United news, an update about Liam Cooper’s future at Elland Road is expected to emerge in the coming days

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