‘There’s simply no expectation’ – Phil Hay shares what he’s been told by Leeds about final games
Leeds United do not expect fans to be able to attend their remaining nine matches of the Championship season, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
According to the Guardian, the EFL plan to resume the Championship season at some point in June with the remaining fixtures – including the play-offs – played over a period of 56 days. However those fixtures would take place behind closed doors in order to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus.
Former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Hay has been in contact with Leeds about what they expect to happen with their final games of the 2019/20 season and he’s been told that there is next to no chance of fans being able to attend those matches.
“I obviously keep in touch with Leeds regularly about this and there is literally no expectation on their part that if and when the games start, that they’ll be anything other than behind-closed-doors fixtures,” he said on the Phil Hay podcast.
“There’s simply no expectation at all at the moment that you’ll be able to have crowds in the stadium, certainly to begin with.”
It is gutting for Leeds fans to know that it is very, very unlikely that they will see their side win promotion to the Premier League in the flesh.
Elland Road has been packed all season and these fans have waited so long to return to the top-flight of English football.
It would be cruel for them not to be able to witness promotion at Elland Road but we would all rather that happen than the season being struck off.
Still, it is a nice thought that next time fans will be able to go to Elland Road, they could be watching Premier League football.
In other Leeds United news, Patrick Bamford has reacted to a recent update from the EFL.