Elland Road Stadium

Since the club’s foundation, Leeds United have only ever played their home fixtures at one ground: Elland Road. The ground began its life as the host of sporting fixtures much earlier than the formation of Leeds United, however. Built in 1897 and opening the same year, it spent seven years as the home of Holbeck Rugby Club and was originally called The Old Peacock Ground, named after the pub that stood opposite to it.

Leeds United also weren’t the first football team to play games on the Elland Road pitch. Leeds City Football Club was the leading professional club in the city until it dissolved due to financial difficulties, with United taking over from them as the city’s foremost side. The players of Leeds City were then auctioned off at the city’s Metropole Hotel though, interestingly, none of the players ever player for Leeds United.

General information

Arena capacity: 37,890 spectators

Address: Elland Rd, Leeds LS11 0ES, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 53°46′40″N 1°34′20″W

Year of construction: 1897

Field: GrassMaster (Hybrid Grass) lawn with dimensions of 115 yd × 74 yd (105 m × 68 m)

Seating plan of the Elland Road Stadium

Elland Road is dominated by the East Stand on one side of the stadium. This huge stand which holds around 15,000 supporters was opened in the 1992-93 season and is at least twice the size of the other three stands at Elland Road. The East Stand is a two-tiered stand which has a large lower tier of seating with a smaller tier above.

In-between the two tiers is a row of executive boxes. The stand is completed by a large imposing roof. The good thing about the rest of the stadium is that it is totally enclosed, with the corners of the ground being filled with seating. The downside is that compared to the East Stand the other stands are looking rather tired and old in comparison.

All the remaining stands have a number of supporting pillars and at the back of the West Stand (which was renamed in March 2004, the ‘John Charles Stand’ in honour of their former great player), there are a number of old wooden seats, which look as if they have been there since the stand was first opened in 1957. This stand also houses the team dugouts and television gantry. There is an electric scoreboard in one corner of the ground between the South & John Charles Stands. Outside the stadium, there are statues of Billy Bremner and Don Revie.

Unusually for a turn of the century ground Elland Road is not built in the ‘English Style’ of four distinct stands located at each side and end of the pitch. Rather it has something of the more ‘Bowl Style’ to its design, particularly with the lower tier of the stands that runs uninterrupted around the stadium. Here’s a look at each section of the ground:

• The North Stand. Better known by most as The Kop, The North Stand is where the Leeds United hardcore supporters tend to located themselves. It’s also called The Revie Stand in memory of Don Revie, the club’s most successful manager.
• The East Stand. This stand runs along the side of the pitch and has two tiers that are separated by a row of executive boxes. It can hold over 15,000 supporters.
• The South Stand. Modernised during the 2006-2007 season and also known as The Elland Road Stand because of its location by the street of the same name, this has two tiers which are separated by boxes.
• The West Stand. The West Stand is also known as The John Charles Stand, named in the honour of the former player in 2004.

Visiting spectators

Away fans are housed on one side of the John Charles Stand (towards the South Stand), in the upper tier where up to 3,000 supporters can be housed. The seating is a mixture of old wooden and plastic seats, the leg room sparse, plus there are a number of supporting pillars running along the front of the upper tier which could impede your view.

So if you can you may be better getting a ticket for the lower tier where your view is unobstructed. The facilities within the stand are very good and there is normally an excellent atmosphere.

Food on offer on the concourse includes; Cheeseburgers (£3.90), Burgers (£3.70), A range of Holland’s Pies; Peppered Steak, Chicken Balti, Potato and Meat,  Cheese, Onion and Potato (all £3.80). Away fans can be ejected (without warning) for swearing. So be on your best behaviour. Also keep colours covered outside the ground and in the city centre.

Where to buy tickets?

For reasons known only to themselves, Leeds have decided to put their tickets into categories labelled A+, A and B. Which category the match you’re hoping to see will fall into depends entirely on the opposition the club will be facing. You’ll also pay less depending on your age and where in the ground you’d like to sit. Here are the cheapest and most expensive ticket options for adults and concessions, separated according to the categories:

Home Fans*

1. East Stand: Adults £39 (B £37) Concessions £26 (B £25) Under 16’s £18 (B £16), Under 11’s £9 (£8).
2. East Stand (Upper Wings): Adults £35 (B £33), No Concessions.
3. John Charles (West) Stand: Adults £39 (B £37) Concessions £26 (B £25) Under 16’s £18 (B £16), Under 11’s £9 (£8).
4. Revie (North) and South Stands: Adults: £34 (B £28) Concessions £23 (B £21) Under 16’s £16 (B £13), Under 11’s £8 (£7).
5. East Stand Family Area: Adults: £29 (B £28) Over 60’s £23 (B £21) Under 16’s £10 (B £10) Under 11’s £5 (B £5).

Away Fans*

John Charles (West) Stand: Adults £39 (B £37) Concessions £26 (B £25) Under 16’s £18 (B £16), Under 11’s £9 (£8).

Concessions apply to: Over 60’s, Under 23’s and Full Time Students.

* These prices are for tickets bought in advance of the game. Tickets bought on the day of the match can cost up to £5 more per ticket.

As is the case with most top clubs nowadays the official website is the best place to head to for Leeds United tickets. You can also buy your tickets from the club’s ticket office, located at Elland Road Stadium itself. If you’d rather then you can also buy them over the phone by calling the ticket office directly.

How to get there?

Elland Road is a little outside of the city itself, but it’s still easy enough to get to. Here are the more common methods of transport you might consider using.

Elland Road is well signposted around the Leeds area and is situated right by the M621.

From The North

Follow the A58 or A61 into Leeds city centre, then follow signs for the M621. Join the M621 and after one and a half miles leave the motorway at the junction with the A643. Follow the A643 into Elland Road for the ground. Go down Elland Road past the ground on your right and the Old Peacock pub on your left, you will come to a couple of entrances to a couple of very large car parks (£5).

From The South

Leave the M1 at Junction 43 and take the M621, towards Leeds City Centre. You will pass the ground on your left and then you need to leave at the next Junction 1 and turn left onto the A6110 ring road. Take the next left onto Elland Road for the ground. Just as you go under a railway bridge there are entrances on either side to a couple of very large car parks (£6).

Surprisingly (considering the number of vehicles) the traffic leaving the car parks seemed to disperse quite well after the end of the game. A good tip for Elland Road is to park in Car Park A. They normally put away fans coaches here. From here you will be back on the M621 within 10 minutes of coming out of the ground. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Elland Road via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Post Code for SAT NAV: LS11 0ES

By train

Leeds Railway Station is around a 35 minute walk from Elland Road. Probably best to either take a taxi or one of the shuttle buses, that run from near the station to the ground.The shuttle buses cost £2.50 return. The pick up point is in Sovereign Street, opposite the Hilton Hotel (on Neville Street), about a two minute walk from Leeds train station. The buses drop you off at the ground on Lowfields Road, at the corner of the South and East Stands.

As you come out of the station main entrance, cross the road and take the stairs down to the street below. Turn right and cross the road and you will see the double-decker buses lined up. The first bus in the queue also sells the tickets for all the other buses. It’s best to get a return ticket as then you don’t have to queue up after the match to get a ticket back to the station, you just walk straight onto the bus.

It is best to leave the station from the rear exit, from where you can walk down the short hill out of the car park and follow the road around to the left. At the traffic lights go ahead (the road bears slightly left) and follow Whitehall Road for just shy of half-a-mile, passing under a railway bridge and then forking left down Springwell Street, to cut off a corner.

At the end of Springwell Street, you come to a roundabout exit road with a zebra crossing in front of you. Cross at the zebra crossing, taking the next exit road clockwise around the roundabout. This is the A58 Domestic Road. This road becomes Domestic Street after about 400 yards (Domestic Road turning right and heading up to an overpass) and continues slightly uphill for about another 400 yards, passing under another railway bridge. There is a zebra crossing up here, which you should use to walk up the right-hand pavement. Upon reaching the top of the hill, you come to a garage, and some small shops, where you should turn right onto Shafton Lane.

At the end of Shafton Lane, turn left onto Ingram Road and follow this until you see a pedestrian bridge ahead, as the road bears left, becoming Tilbury Road. By now, you should have seen the football ground over to your right. Cross the M621 via the footbridge, turning right at the bottom, and head down Elland Rd towards the stadium.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

The R2 is a match day only shuttle bus service that runs from opposite the train station out to the ground. Alternatively bus numbers 51, 52 and 55 run from the city centre to Elland Road, though they are suspended an hour before and an hour after the match so make sure you get there with plenty of time to spare!

Taxi

Getting a taxi from Leeds Railway Station to Elland Road should take less than ten minutes if the traffic’s favourable. It will cost you something in the region of £13, though do be aware that traffic in Leeds can be a nightmare around kick-off so if it takes longer you’ll pay more.

Facilities

Various parts of Elland Road have been renovated and improved in recent times, most recently in the 2011-2012 season, so you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good the facilities are at a stadium that was originally built in 1897. The concourses are pleasant enough, with places to grab a snack or a quick drink before kick-off and at half-time.

Hospitality

Elland Road has excellent hospitality options befitting one of the finest locations in the city of Leeds. Here are a few of the choices available:

• The Peter Lorimer Suite. Named after the club’s all-time record goalscorer, this suite offers a three-course menu, reserved table dining and padded seats in the upper tier of The East Stand.
• The Nineteen 19 Suite. Given a name that reflects the year the club was founded, time spent in this suite will see you enjoy a two-course carvery, dedicated waitress service and padded seats in The East Stand.
• The Gary Speed Suite. Named in honour of the Leeds United legend, this bright and modern suite will see you receive a one-course buffet-style meal, a pre-match preview by a former Leeds player, a private cash bar and padded seats in The East Stand.

Private hire

Elland Road is one of the premier private hire venues in the West Riding of Yorkshire. With a huge number of executives boxes to use for smaller meetings, a host of larger suites available for conferences, banquets, parties or more and a dedicated staff that can attend to your every need, you won’t be disappointed with the service you receive should you choose to host an event at the home of Leeds United.

Pubs & Bars Near Elland Road

At the ground itself next to the away turnstiles is the entrance to Howards, which is a small bar for away supporters only. Opening two hours before kick off, you need to show your away ticket to gain entrance. Outside the North East corner of the stadium, there is a small fan zone, which has live music and a number of food and drink outlets, some of which serve alcohol. Although primarily for home fans, some visiting supporters have been using the facility too.

Otherwise, there is the Drysalters pub which is about a ten minute walk away from the ground. It has a good mix of home and away supporters, has real ale, plus large screens showing televised football. To find this pub; with the Old Peacock pub behind you, turn left and follow the road down to the very end. Pass the entrances to a number of car parks and go under a railway bridge.

At the end of the road, turn left along the dual carriageway and the pub is a short way down ‘tucked in’ on the left. Otherwise, alcohol is served within the ground in the form of draught Fosters Lager, John Smith’s Bitter and Strongbow Cider (all £4 a pint), Strongbow Dark Fruit Cider (£4.50), plus small bottles of red and white wine (£4).

Just a few doors down from the Old Peacock pub (which is behind the South Stand and is not recommended for away supporters) is the Graveleys chippy, which does brisk business on matchdays. There is also a McDonalds outlet situated across the road from the East Stand.

Elland Road Hotels

Leeds has a number of theatres as well as top-class sporting venues, so the city is used to welcoming people to stay for the night. As such you’ve got a host of hotels available to choose from, though here are some of our favourites.

1. Clayton Hotel Leeds – £60+. Address: City Walk Sweet Street, Leeds, LS11 9AT. Just over a mile from Elland Road is the Clayton Hotel. Former a Bewleys, the Clayton has a fitness centre, a restaurant, meeting rooms and free Wi-Fi. There’s also self-parking, for those who want to drive.
2. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Leeds City Centre – £80+. Address: Granary Wharf, 2 Wharf Approach, Leeds, LS1 4BR. With a rooftop terrace, a fitness centre and two bar areas, the DoubleTree in Leeds is the ideal place to head to for a relaxing night before a nerve-wracking match-watching day.
3. Quebecs – £100+. Address: 9 Quebec Street, Leeds, LS1 2HA. About one and a half miles from the ground is Quebecs, one of the nicest hotels in Leeds. They offer a restaurant and lounge area, a conference space, free Wi-Fi and self-parking.

History

Elland Road is the twelfth largest football stadium in all of England and is also the second largest outside of the current Premier League. It has not only been used to host Leeds United games but also rugby matches for Holbeck Rugby Club and the Hunslet Hawks. Both Huddersfield Town and Bradford City have played matches at Elland Road.

Elland Road has also been used to host non-Leeds matches, such as FA Cup semi-finals when they were held at a neutral venue rather than at Wembley. The ground has been renovated numerous times, keeping it as up-to-date as is possible for such an old venue. It hosted matches for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and has also been used to hold concerts for bands such as Queen, U2 and The Happy Mondays.