Phil Hay makes Elland Road redevelopment prediction after what he’s seen at Leeds United
Phil Hay has predicted that Leeds United will not redevelop Elland Road until 2026 or 2027.
Elland Road is one of the most iconic stadiums in the United Kingdom, seating almost 40,000 people for a game of football, though it appears the club are slightly behind with their changes.
Having predicted that those alterations will not be until at least 2026, Hay has offered examples of the different aspects of Elland Road that have led him to these conclusions.
Speaking via The Square Ball podcast on Friday (14 June), he said: “Someday, you need the project at Elland Road of everything getting rebuilt. But in the meantime, they haven’t really done the incremental, small upgrades to make it steadily better.
“I remember when [Massimo] Cellino was here and somebody asked if they could have new signs at Thorp Arch because some of them were dropping to bits, some were faded or whatever else.
“I don’t know how much that would have cost, but for a football club, you wouldn’t have been talking much. The swimming pool was shut, with tiles hanging off the wall. The stuff you would expect to be maintained hasn’t been, or at least wasn’t.
“Thorp Arch has had money spent on it because [Marcelo] Bielsa wanted that to happen, and in the Radrizani era, there was money put forward for that to take place, but you walk into Elland Road and it doesn’t feel like it’s been touched.
When will Leeds United begin redeveloping Elland Road?
Of course, if redevelopment works is to begin at Elland Road, the foundations must stay the same due to the sheer amount of history in between the four walls.
However, with the recent investment from Red Bull, there is no reason why Leeds cannot begin making structural upgrades, as well as adding new technology which would help the team improve.
While Luton Town’s promotion to the Premier League was extremely different, with the league having to force the club into improvements to reach specific rules about stadiums, it would not hurt the club to invest in the stadium.
Also, if the Whites are serious about consolidating their position in England’s top flight, they must ensure that their stadium is as good as it could be, and it appears Hay has many pointers for the club already.
His points surrounding Thorp Arch are reasonably concerning, especially considering the amount of talent that Leeds’ academy continues to churn out each year. It is also scary to think how much it could be improved with a little refurbishment and investment.
In other Leeds United news, Goodman has warned the club risk being taken advantage of with regards to another exit-linked player.
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