Elland Road has for 120 years been the home of Leeds United FC, Yorkshire’s most decorated club. The stadium was bought by the club for just £4500 after previous owners Holbeck Rugby Club went out of business.
Leeds played their first game at the ground in October 1904, going down 0-2 in a friendly against Hull City. By 1910, the ever-improving Elland Road was hosting an FA Cup semi-final between Barnsley and Everton in front of 36,000 onlookers.
In 1923, attending games at Elland Road was so popular, that a whole road and tram stop were constructed to grand fans ease of access. The modern Elland Road boasts a fervent matchday atmosphere and is one of the last remaining bastions of traditional English stadia.
Elland Road Stats
Opened officially in 1898, Elland Road is home to Leeds United FC. With a capacity of 37,792 it stands as of the best known stadiums in England.
Located in Leeds, the stadium has played host to major games down through years, as well key internationals, Royal appearances and major rugby and boxing events.
It is of course as home of Leeds United, three-times champions of England in their heyday, that the stadium has served as one of the cornerstones of club football in Britain as the packed Leeds United stands will on their heroes in white.
Elland Road Key Facts
Capacity: [37,792]
Address: [Elland Road, Beeston, Leeds, England LS11 0ES, UK]
Year Opened: [1898]
Home Team: [Leeds United]
Record Attendance: 57,892 (Leeds United vs Sunderland, March 15th, 1967)
Owner: Leeds United Football Club Limited
First Fixture: Leeds United vs Hull City, October 15th, 1904 (first Leeds United game)
Did you know: In 1977 Elland Road played host to Royalty, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the stadium as part of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebration, with more than 40,000 turning out to welcome the monarch.
Elland Road Design and Architecture
Elland Road very much follows the traditional British stadium plan, with four independent stands built originally, before the venue moved towards a fully enclosed arena. In former times, many areas of the ground, including behind both goalmouths, would have been terraced areas, though they have been replaced with full seating to meet modern stadia safety requirements.
Now, the Elland Road stands bear witness to some of the great Leeds United names of yesteryear. They are the Don Revie (North) Stand, the Jack Charlton (East) Stand), the Norman Hunter South Stand and the John Charles (West) Stand.
Elland Road Seating Plan
The Leeds United stadium seating plan is below, showing all the relevant areas for your matchday visit. Elland Road’s North and South Stands are behind the goalmouths and both provide major sources of support to the home club when games are played. Outside the east side of the stadium, fans will find homages to Leeds United greats Don Revie and Billy Bremner in statue form and these are both recognised meeting points and gathering areas for fans, both pre and post-match.
The East Stand runs the length of the east side of the pitch and is the most recent stand in the stadium. On completion in 1994 it was the largest cantilever stand in the world, holding 10,000 spectators in the lower tier and a further 7,000 in the upper tier.
Away fans are accommodated typically in the John Charles West Stand, in the south-west corner of the stadium. There is regular allocation of 3,000 seats for visiting fans, encompassing both the upper and lower tiers, as shown in the Elland Road stadium seating plan.
Leeds United had plans in the early 2000s to build a completely new stadium in the south-east of the city but these never came to fruition after the club fell into financial difficulty. Currently, the most likely option would be redevelopment of the West Stand to increase the overall capacity to 53,000.
Elland Road Tickets & Pricing
Tickets to attend Elland Road for Leeds United games are typically sold on a phased basis. My Leeds Priority Members are first in line, while a ticket exchange system is in place for Season Ticket Holders and a ballot system is used. The cheapest Leeds United season ticket costs £384 and can go up to £646.
Due to the demand and levels of Leeds season ticket holders and members, there are very few general sale tickets for home games. Resale sites typically offer tickets for Leeds home games at prices around £100 per game. Demand for Leeds United home games typically outstrips supply, with Leeds United’s season ticket waiting reported to have gone beyond 26,000 people.
Elland Road has sold out for every home Leeds league game in the six-year period from 2018-2024 (when fans were permitted to enter).
How to get Elland Road Tickets
The most likely way to get tickets to watch Leeds at Elland Road is via the Leeds Memberships or season ticket schemes.
The MyLeeds+ membership costs £65 per year for adults, while the MyLeeds membership is £50 per adult. These give fans exclusive home match ticket access and priority access to the LUFC ticket exchange programme along with the chance to apply for away tickets and free entry to Leeds U21s and LUFC Ladies games played at Elland Road.
Ticket prices for league matches at Elland Road can range from £35 to £60 for adults and£20 to £35 for juniors (under 16s).
Matchday Atmosphere and Fan Experience
Elland Road traditionally boasts a passionate atmosphere, with Leeds United revered as one of the best-backed teams in English club football. The Whites support are often credited with lifting their team to great heights. As such, the ground is an intimidating place for away teams to visit.
The matchday atmosphere builds outside the stadium, typically with crowds assembling at the Don Revie and Billy Bremner statues. Once inside, Leeds fans are notoriously boisterous in their backing of the home team when the Elland Road capacity is reached.
With the compact nature of Elland Road, the addition of a strong travelling support for the away team can help ensure the famous old ground is capable of generating on of the best atmospheres in English football, particularly when arch-rivals such as Manchester United or neighbours Bradford City are in town.
How to Get to Elland Road
Elland Road is around two miles from Leeds Train Station, making it a feasible matchday walk in friendly weather. A taxi typically costs less than £15 from the station, while there is also the option of train-change to Cottingley, which is closer to the Leeds United stadium.
How to access Elland Road for Home Fans
Home fans can access the stadium from the north, west, east and south, generally arriving from the Elland Road side of the ground. For convenience there are ticket offices to service home supporters at the West Stand and the North East Stand.
How to Get to Elland Road for Away Fans
Travelling fans also converge on the stadium via Elland Road, with visiting supporters housed in either the West Stand Upper or Lower tiers, depending on the numbers on their allocation. Typically, away fans are given 3000 seats for most games. Depending on the game and the opposition involved, additional security measures may be put in place for stadium access to ensure the safety of all patrons.
Hotels Near Elland Road
Leeds is a bustling and thriving modern city with lots of offer the visiting football fan, outside of the game itself. There are plenty options for hotels near Elland Road, suiting all budgets, while the city centre is nearby for those hoping to sample all that Leeds has to offer.
Dakota Leeds
Featuring 94 luxurious bedrooms, Dakota Leeds is located in Leeds, 300 metres from Trinity Leeds and 300 metres from Leeds Town Hall. The hotel is a 5-minute walk from Leeds Train Station.
Address: 8 Russell St, Leeds LS1 5RN, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 113 322 6261
Website: Dakota Leeds
Crowne Plaza Leeds
In the heart of Leeds, Crowne Plaza offers a luxurious spa, an indoor swimming pool and modern rooms, and Leeds’ bustling shopping area is just a 10-minute walk away.
Address: Wellington St, Leeds LS1 4DL, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 113 531 3200
Website: Crowne Plaza Leeds
Novotel Leeds Centre
With private parking, a stylish restaurant and fitness centre, Novotel Leeds offers spacious rooms. The hotel is situated in central Leeds, just three minutes’ walk from Leeds Train Station.
Address: 4 Whitehall Rd, Whitehall Quay, Leeds LS1 4HR, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 113 242 6446
Website: Novotel Leeds Centre
Pubs, Bars Near Stadium
Leeds is a vibrant and modern UK city with a host of eating and dining options and hugely popular pub to satisfy every needs, with options from traditional English pubs to sleek modern bars.
The Old Peacock
The nearest pub is the Old Peacock which is just behind the South Stand. It is for home supporters only and a real opportunity to sample the pre-match atmosphere amongst the Leeds faithful for neutrals.
Address: The Old Peacock, 251 Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 8TU
Phone: +44 113 271 5962
Website: The Old Peacock
The Commercial
The Commercial is a great British pub at the heart of the Morley community with a warm welcome and family friendly atmosphere offering the perfect place for catching up with friends.
Address: 78 Elland Road, Churwell, Leeds, West YOrkshire LS27 7QR
Phone: +44 113 3459725
Website: The Commercial
Billy’s Bar
Billy’s Bar is located at the South Stand end of the stadium on Elland Road and serves a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks along with a selection of hot delicious pies. This bar is for home supporters only.
Address: Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 0ES
Phone: +44 0371 334 1992
Updates on Elland Road
Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear believes redevelopment of the stadium’s John Charles and Don Revie stands is the best-case scenario now, with plans for a relocation shelved. There is no formal planning application with Leeds City Council as yet, but the club did publish a formal statement on September 23rd, 2024, which set out their ambitions for how they would like the process to unfold.
Here are more photos of Elland road to checkout:
