Leeds United could be in line for multi-million windfall as Tottenham lead the way

Leeds United look set to follow Tottenham Hotspur’s lead by making the redeveloped Elland Road into a multi-purpose stadium.

Jack Hill, who oversaw the redevelopment of San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in 2014, has urged the United owners to maximise Elland Road’s usage for events outside of football.

Last month the 49ers announced their intentions to expand the ground to 53,000 seats, but it’s clear that it’ll take more than a match every other week to cover the costs.

Speaking to LeedsLive [14 October], Hill said: “It comes down to how you are going to use the stadium.

“You are going to have football games, but what other events are you going to have at the stadium? To build on that flexibility is very important.

[At US stadiums] one weekend you may have a rodeo, the next weekend you may have a rock concert and the next week you may have two American football games and a monster truck event.

That’s what produces the revenue and makes these stadium projects successful.”

Leeds United must explore all avenues at the new Elland Road

If Tottenham’s new ground is the blueprint for multi-purpose stadium use on UK shores, then the Peacocks will have a lot of catching up to do by the time Elland Road is eventually redeveloped.

The NFL’s London Series, Rugby League’s Challenge Cup Final, heavyweight boxing and showpiece Rugby Union matches have all been held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since it opened in 2019, plus a whole array of concerts.

Elland Road in its current form, by contrast, has only hosted an England Women’s football international and one semi-final of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup away from regular Leeds United games.