About stadium

Stadium introduction

Elland Road has been home to Leeds United since the club’s formation back in 1919. Previously used to host the fixtures of both Leeds City and Holbeck Rugby Club, the stadium was originally called the Old Peacock Ground after the pub opposite the pitch, however it shortly became known as Elland Road after the first stand was erected at the start of the 1898-1899 season. Before Leeds United moved into the ground, the ground was developed by resident team Leeds City who constructed three covered stands. The club attracted decent sized crowds in their first season in the league with an estimated 22,500 fans watching the local derby against Bradford City on 30th December 1904. The club’s success was not to last however as they were expelled from the football league in 1919 after a scandal emerged involving illegal payments to footballers during the war. Leeds United purchase the ground for a bargain £250, and slowly began to ascend up the structure of the football league. Elland Road remained largely unchanged in the period immediately after and before the war, only really developing when iconic manager Don Revie took over in the 1960s. The record attendance of this era was set on 15th March 1967 when 57,892 fans watched an FA Cup match against Sunderland when the club were in the First Division. Like the majority of British clubs, the tragic events of Hillsborough and subsequent publication of the Taylor Report in 1990 was set to have a profound impact on modern day football. The club undertook its largest renovation project in 1992 when the Lowfields was replaced by two-tiered 17,000 capacity stand. By 1994 the ground was an all-seater after the famous Kop terrace was converted. Since the turn of the millennium different chairman have proposed relocation to new stadiums, however nothing has materialised so far. Peter Risdale’s plans in 2001 were scuppered by financial turmoil, and recently emerged plans to remodel the ground for the 2018 world cup have all but failed as they were contingent on England being awarded the right to host the tournament.

How to get to the Stadium

Elland Road, Leeds LS11 0ES