Elland Road

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Lore & Background

The site, at the foot of Beeston Hill beside the A643 road to Elland, was owned by Bentley's Brewery and was called the Old Peacock Ground. The first occupants were Holbeck Rugby Club, who moved from Holbeck Recreation Ground after buying the Old Peacock Ground from Bentley's for £1,100. The first competitive football match at the ground was as a neutral venue for the West Yorkshire Cup final on 23 April 1898 between Hunslet and Harrogate. In 1920, Yorkshire Amateurs sold Elland Road to the newly formed Leeds United for £250. The stadium has hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue, England international fixtures, and was selected as one of eight Euro 96 venues. It has also been used by rugby league clubs Holbeck (pre-1905) and Hunslet (in the 1980s and 90s) and has hosted numerous rugby league cup finals and semi-finals, internationals and other important matches.

In Their Own Story

On 27 December 1932, a record league attendance of 56,796 crammed into the stadium to watch Leeds play Arsenal. This figure stood until 15 March 1967, when 57,892 spectators witnessed an FA Cup fifth-round replay against Sunderland. Before becoming an all-seater venue as stipulated by the Taylor Report, these crowds filled open terraces; today's modern record is 40,287 for a Premiership match against Newcastle United on 22 December 2001. The stadium has endured fire and reconstruction: in September 1956, a blaze gutted the West Stand, destroying offices and records, leading to a public appeal that raised £60,000 to build a new £180,000 stand. In April 1968, the Spion Kop terracing was replaced by the Gelderd End at a cost of £250,000, moving the pitch 30 feet north. Plans are currently underway to demolish the West Stand to increase capacity to 55,000.

Reader's Guide

Elland Road has four stands – the Don Revie (North) Stand (also known as the kop), the Jack Charlton (East) Stand (which was once known as the Lowfields Road stand), the Norman Hunter South Stand and the John Charles (West) Stand – and an all-seated capacity of 37,645. The record attendance is 57,892, set on 15 March 1967 in an FA Cup fifth round replay against Sunderland. The record league attendance is 56,796, set on 27 December 1932 when Leeds played Arsenal. The modern record is 40,287 for a Premiership match against Newcastle United on 22 December 2001. Plans are currently afoot to increase the capacity to 55,000, to be achieved by demolishing the West Stand and rebuilding the area.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was originally called the Old Peacock Ground, after the pub that faced the land.
• An urban myth claims the ground was cursed by gypsies; in 1971, manager Don Revie hired a fortune teller named Gypsy Rose Lee to lift the alleged curse.
• A fire gutted the West Stand on 18 September 1956, causing an estimated £100,000 damage.
• The stadium has hosted concerts by bands such as Queen, U2, Happy Mondays and the Kaiser Chiefs.