Elland Road Stadium

Elland Road Satdium located in the Beeston are of Leeds has been the home of Leeds United since the clubs founding in 1919. It is the 12th largest football stadium in the United Kingdom and as well as football matches has hosted rugby league matches and concerts.

History

The stadium used to be owned by Bentley's Brewery and gained the nickname The Peacock Ground due to its proximity to the New Peacock Inn which used to be located on Elland Road and was demolished in 1974 due to the construction of the M621 and the Old Peacock opposite the South Stand which was rebuilt in the mid 1960's. The ground was bought by Holbeck Rubgy League Club in 1897 for the price of £1,100 who built a new stand before the start of the season. In 1902-1903 a local football team Leeds Woodville shared the ground. Holbeck wend bankrupt in 1904 folowing defeat to St Helens in a crucial play-off game leading to a new football team Leeds City taking up residence in the ground after being founded at a meeting in the citys Griffin Hotel the following August.

Leeds City launched an extensive building programme purchasing additional land around the ground from Monk's Bridge Iron Company, building new stands including a new grand stand with changing rooms and training facilities. A new record attandance of 36,000 was recorded for the grounds first FA Cup semi-final in 1910 between Everton and Barnsley. Works were also done to improve the pitch and drainage. During the first world war the ground was used by the army for drill practice and as a shooting range. In 1919 Leeds City were disbanded after they were found guilty of making illegal payments to players during the war, Yorkshire Amateurs moved into the ground for the remainder of the 1918-1919 season.

In 1919 Leeds United were founded and moved into Elland Road for the start of the 1919-1920 season. Further improvements were made to the ground including the erecting of a barrel shaped roof over the south stand leading to the stand gaining the nickname the Scratching Shed, the Lowfields stand on the east of the ground was further expanded and a large banked terrace was built on the Gelderd Road side of the ground. This new banking was refered to as the Spion Kop, a reference to a hill in South Africa where hundereds of men died during a battle in the Boer War. The ground was not developed further in the 1930's or 40's but did see a new record attendance in 1932 when 56,000 turned out to see Leeds play Arsenal.

The 1950's saw two major developments at Elland Road, the first was in 1953 when Leeds played Hibernian on a Monday night under the newly installed floodlights which cost £7,000. In 1956 a fire swept through the west stand causing a massive amount of damage, the fire brigade attended but were not in time to save the stand as the roof collapsed and fell through the terracing. The club offices, changing rooms and medical facilities were all destroyed in the fire. An appeal was launched to raise money to rebuild the stand after the insurance money came short. The new stand costing £180,000 was opened for the start of the 1957-58 season with room for 6,000 standing and 4,000 seated above. There was another fire in 1959 but serious damage was avoided when it was extingised by the club secratery and several directors.

In the sixties Elland Road saw its first televised game when Leeds played Everton in 1965. Several improvements were made during this period as Leeds experienced success under the management of Don Revie. In 1968 the banked Kop was replaced with a new stand costing £250,000, this new stand left a 60 foot gap behind the goal which was turfed and the Elland Road pitch moved 30 foot north. In 1970 the new Kop (Gelderd End) was joined to the West stand and Lowfields with the opening of the north-west and north-east corners. In 1974 the current South stand was built with 16 executive boxes, the first in Europe. Also in 1974 three new floodlights were erected, the tallest in Europe with one more erected in 1978 to complete the quartet.

In 1982 the ground was sold to Leeds City Council for £2.5 million, there were initial plans for massive redevelopment but non of these came to light and Elland Road would have to wait until the 1990's for its next development. In 1992 the south-east corner was constructed connecting the South stand to the Lowfields. It's current distinctive yellow seats have earned the stand the nickname the Cheese Wedge. In 1992 a new conference centre was opened at the back of the West stand. In 1992 construction of a new East stand on the Lowfields Road side of the ground began, the stand opened in 1993 with 17,000 seats in two tiers and 25 executive boxes housed under europes largest cantilever roof. In 1994 the stadium was converted to all seater based on regulations set by the Taylor Report investigation into the Hillsborough disaster.

Elland Road was bought back by the club from Leeds City Council in 1998 for £10 million. Several plans were hatched in the late 1990's and early 2000's to redevelop the West stand to be similar to the East or even move the club to a new ground in east Leeds but none of these came to light. In 2004 Elland Road was sold again, along with the Thorp Arch training ground in order to service the clubs debts, Leeds signed a 25 year lease on the stadium. In 2006 the South stand was refurbished and a new members bar, Billy's Bar, opened accessible from Elland Road. Further planned developments include the replacing of the South stand boxes with seating and building of shopping centre and hotel at the back of the East stand.

If England are successfull in their 2018 World Cup bid Elland Road could be expanded further having been announced as part of the bid in 2009. Plans include the replacing the West stand with one similar to the East stand and could also include the redevelopment of the Gelderd End.

Stands

Revie Stand (North Stand, Gelderd End, Kop)
Capacity: 7,000
Built in 1968 and changed to all seating in 1994 the Revie Stand is home to the most vocal of the Leeds United supporters, most of the chants start from here. The Revie Stand is largely inhabited by season ticket holders. The stand is often still refered to as the Kop by most fans in reference to the Spion Kop, a battle during the Boer War.

East Stand (Lowfields Road)
Capacity: 17,000
Built on the site of the former Lowfields Road stand in 1993 the East Stand is the largest in the ground. The East Stand comprises of a lower tier with 10,000 seats where the Family Enclosure is and a 7,000 seat upper tier, in between the two tiers there are 25 executive boxes. The stand is also home to the club offices which are accessible from Lowfields Road.

John Charles Stand (West Stand)
Capacity: 11,000
Opened in 1959 after a fire destroyed the previous West Stand the John Charles stand is the oldest in the ground. It has 11,000 seats, the top half was originally seating but the bottom paddock was converted at a later date. This stand also houses the changing rooms, directors box, press box, team benches and is connected to the Banqueting Suite which ajoins the stand.

South Stand (Scratching Shed)
Capacity: 5,000
The South stand was built in 1974 to replace the old Scratching Shed, it contains 5,000 seats and 16 executive boxes. The South stand and South East corner are usually used to seat away fans. Underneath the South Stand is Billys Bar, a members bar, opened in 2006. There are currently plans to remove the executive boxes from the South Stand and replace these with around 3,000 additional seats.

Directions

From the South
Head up the M1 then join the M621 at junction 43. Come off the M621 at junction 2 and follow Elland Road the A643. Official car parking can be found all along Elland Road on each side of the road.

From the West
Follow the M62 to junction 27 and join the M621. Leave at junction 2 and follow Elland Road the A643. Official car parking can be found all along Elland Road on each side of the road.

From the East
Follow the M62 to junction 28, head north on Dewsbury Road, the A643. You will cross several roundabouts and the White Rose Centre on the right hand side. Just after you pass the Drysalters pub on the left hand side you will need to turn right onto Elland Road. Alternatively you could leave the M62 at junction 29 and join the M1 heading north, then follow the directions from the south.

From the North
If traveling south on the A1 join the M1 at junction 44. Leave the M1 at junction 44 (M1 junction 44 this time, not A1), follow the A639 west towards the M621. Join the M621 at junction 7 and head west, follow directions from the south. From the City Centre you should follow the A653 to join the M621 heading west or follow the A58(M) inner ring road heading west to join the A643, see map below for details.

By Bus
From outside Kirkgate Market on Vicar Lane get the 51 or 55 to Elland Road.
From Neville Street get the 1 to Beeston Hill.
Football Specials run from Neville Street to the Elland Road Bus Terminus, £2.50 return.

View Google Map of Elland Road and Facilities

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