Phil Hay reveals tentative Leeds plan to expand Elland Road capacity to 50,000
Leeds United have “tentative plans” to expand the capacity of Elland Road to 50,000, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Elland Road is already one of the biggest stadiums in the country but the Yorkshire giants regularly sell-out matches with the club boasting the highest average attendance in the Championship this season.
According to transfermarkt, Leeds’ average attendance this season is 35,321 when the capacity of Elland Road is 37,890. The stadium is, on average, 93.2 per cent full and the fact it’s not 100 per cent may be down to the high price for away tickets with home tickets usually selling out.
It now seems that there is talking going on about expanding the capacity of the stadium with Hay reporting that there are plans in place to rebuild the West Stand.
It is understood that the club would seek to make the West Stand match the East Stand in height, and that would increase the overall capacity to a huge 50,000.
That would make Elland Road the seventh-biggest club football stadium in England after Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Stadium, the Etihad, Anfield and St Jame’ Park.
Hay says that there are two good reasons why expanding the West Stand is necessary, “to address the fact that demand for tickets is outstripping supply but also to increase commercial income as Liverpool are doing with Anfield”.
We would love to see Elland Road be one of the biggest stadiums in the country and it would no doubt be packed every week if the club is back in the Premier League.
Maybe, once Leeds have re-established themselves in the top-flight, we will see this happen.
In other Leeds United news, Patrick Bamford has hit out at Twitter trolls.