This summer, Leeds United took back ownership of Elland Road 20 years after the club sold it when they were in financial difficulty. With the stadium back in their hands could changes be coming?
The stadium, which has been the club’s home since 1919, was bought by Greenfield Investment Pte Ltd in 2004. At the time, Greenfield was part of the same parent company that owned The Whites.
“Whilst this may seem like only a subtle change in corporate structure, I know that our supporters will understand its broader significance in signalling our ownership’s intent that Leeds United and Elland Road should always be inextricably bound,” chief executive Angus Kinnear said.
Leeds’ new majority owners, 49ers Enterprise, aren’t shy about tackling stadium projects as they opened Levi’s Stadium, home of their NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers. As a result, could stadium plans be coming to Elland Road?
Are more seats coming to Elland Road?
TBR Football chatted exclusively with Kieran Maguire, a football finance lecturer at Liverpool University and industry insider. He shared his insights on what the future could look like for Elland Road and gave us a broader look at Leeds’ financial situation.
“In relation to Leeds, I suspect 49ers Enterprises will have a greater focus on improving facilities at the higher end of the Elland Road project, in terms of hospitality etc.” Maguire said.
“The return on those investments tends to be much higher than offering additional seats to the core fanbase. But if there is an opportunity to add a couple of thousand seats, we are probably looking at no more than 3,000 to 4,000 maximum. The main focus will be on improving what the club can offer to the corporate sector.
“The prices charged and the ability to increase those prices is much greater than it is for regular season ticket holders. If additional tickets are laid on as part of the revamp, I suspect they will go to members as opposed to season ticket holders.
“From an economic point of view, these are the people that are likely to pay higher prices and pay more for merchandise and so on. With American owners in particular seeing clubs as entertainment and tourism hubs as opposed to sporting institutions, this is the best way of maximising revenues.”
These next few years should be exciting for fans as they see if improvements are indeed made to the stadium and if more seats are added to ensure that supporters continue to make Elland Road a special place.
