Leeds employee hails ‘incredible’ Elland Road development
Noel Whelan has hailed the “incredible” Leeds United supporters as the Yorkshire club close in on a record attendance in Premier League 2 competition.
The former Whites striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the demand epitomises the need for an expansion to Elland Road.
As per Leeds Live (20 April), over 16,000 tickets have been told for Leeds United’s under-23 clash against Man City on Friday (22 April).
The current record attendance for the competition stands at 17,525 – set by Everton in 2017.
Leeds United under-23’s sit 11th in the top development league – just four points clear of the relegation zone.
Whelan insisted the bumper crowd will provide a “great experience” for the young stars.
“That just says it all about our club,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“We knew we had incredible supporters, and this is just the latest evidence of that.
“It’s not the first time we’ve gone over the 10,000 mark – and that’s fantastic support.
“This sort of thing just epitomises why we need a bigger stadium. A lot of these fans can’t get tickets for the Premier League games.
“For me, this sort of demand just proves that an expansion to Elland Road needs to be in the works.
“It’s going to be a great experience for these young players to play in front of that kind of crowd.”
Leeds United’s senior side sit 16th in the Premier League – eight points clear of the drop zone.
The Whites revealed plans to expand their Elland Road home to 55,000 seats last year (2021).
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