Neil Champney

Sat 6 June 2020 7:30, UK

The sooner Leeds United fans can get back to watching the Whites at Elland Road, the better for everybody. 

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on nearly every area of day-to-day life – and football has been no exception.

Going to a match and being around that many people in such a crowded space already feels like a distant memory, and we’re all under no illusions as to how long it could be before things return to normality.

But according to the Mirror, Leeds supporters could actually be allowed back into Elland Road as soon as September.

The national outlet reports that Premier League clubs believe there is a “genuine chance” that fans could be able to attend games for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

Obviously, it would be strictly monitored, and attendances would be hugely reduced to allow for social distancing, but there seems to be a growing belief that it would be doable.

And provided that it is safe – and assuming we get promoted – we would be all for the idea.

It would take some getting used to, granted, and having to sit two or three seats away from everybody else would be strange to say the least, but it would surely be better than nothing.

Even if grounds were only one third full, the atmosphere would still be one third better than it would be in an empty stadium.

And while it wouldn’t be anything like the level of revenue that clubs are ordinarily used to, at least having some supporters in would generate some gate receipts.

Nothing is written in stone, of course, and September might prove to be an optimistic roll-out date, but we think there are certainly some legs in this plan, if the relevant authorities choose to pursue it.

In other Leeds United news, Eddie Gray issues verdict on how many matches Leeds must win to earn PL return.