Sat 19 July 2025 21:10, UK
Leeds United’s South Stand has arguably the best atmosphere in the entire country.
It wasn’t always this way, but the South Stand has quickly become the heartbeat of Elland Road in recent years.
Following the death of club legend Norman Hunter in 2020, the South Stand was named after the Leeds icon, who was a vital part of the legendary team under Don Revie.
The 49ers have not got much wrong so far whilst running Leeds, but they are on the verge of a catastrophic mistake.
Paraag Marathe may need to think again (Credit: Imago)
It has been revealed that in the planning application for the redevelopment of Elland Road, away supporters would be relocated from the West Stand to the South Stand whilst the redevelopment takes place.
If United supporters are to be temporarily displaced from their beloved end, it will be a tragedy, so here at MOT Leeds News, we run through five of the most memorable South Stand moments for supporters to look back on fondly.
Chris Wood header v Brighton
There wasn’t much to celebrate during the Whites‘ tenure in the Championship before Marcelo Bielsa took over in 2018.
The 2016/17 season under Garry Monk represented one of the few times when United found themselves in promotion contention.
In March, under the floodlights at Elland Road, Leeds welcomed Brighton & Hove Albion who who were in the automatic promotion spots at the time.
Chris Wood bagged a brace in a 2-0 win for Leeds, with the first goal inciting a riot in the South Stand.
A long looping ball from the left came in for Wood, who managed to nod it home and spark absolute scenes in front of the iconic stand.
Leeds would go on to finish seventh that season and miss out on the play-offs, but that goal from Wood and the scenes that followed will live long in the memory.
Aaronson stuns Chelsea
The Jesse Marsch era at Leeds was a weird one.
He tried to make you like him, and he seemed like a relatively nice person, but filling the void left by Bielsa was an impossible task.
After taking over midway through the 2021/22 season, the American guided the Whites to safety on the final day of the Premier League season,
Entering the 2022/23 season, it felt like a new era, where no one really knew what to expect.
Marsch brought in his signings before his first full season in charge, including American midfielders Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.
Before the Marsch era went up in smoke and Leeds were ultimately relegated, the season began on an incredible note.
In a memorable game early in the campaign against bitter rivals Chelsea in August, United thrashed the Blues 3-0 at Elland Road.
Aaronson managed to force a howler from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was dispossessed by the midfielder before he managed to roll the ball into an empty goal, causing absolute pandemonium behind the goal in the South Stand.
The less said about the rest of that season, the better.
(Credit: Imago)Post-game scenes against Leicester
During Daniel Farke’s first season in charge, Leeds faced promotion rivals Leicester City.
With the two teams vying for an automatic promotion spot, they met in a crucial fixture in a memorable night back in February of 2024.
With the Foxes leading at Elland Road, Leeds looked dead and buried; however, three quickfire goals, including a memorable strike from teenage sensation Archie Gray, secured a vital 3-1 win for the Whites.
The win cut Leicester’s lead at the top of the table down to six points as Farke’s side began to think they were on the verge of stealing a memorable promotion after being so far off the automatic spots earlier in the season.
‘I predict a riot’ echoed around the South Stand at full time as the supporters celebrated a massive result.
Ultimately, that season would end in Wembley heartbreak, with Leeds losing in the play-off final whilst Leicester won promotion.
Sunderland scenes after huge win
This game was similar to the Leicester one in many respects.
Again, under the floodlights, Leeds faced off against promotion rivals Sunderland at Elland Road as Farke looked to take United to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Wilson Isidor put the Black Cats ahead, but a bizarre double substitution from Farke changed the game on its head.
Substitutes Joe Rothwell and Pascal Struijk inspired a comeback for Leeds, with Rothwell’s two precise balls into the box being headed home by the towering defender, as the winner came in the 95th minute.
The South Stand went wild at full-time, with more memorable celebrations from Leeds United’s promotion campaign that will be talked about for many years to come.
Luke Ayling thunderbolt against Huddersfield
Ayling was the epitome of what Bielsa’s era in LS11 represented.
Seemingly average Championship players were transformed into world-beaters as United’s long hiatus from the top-flight was ended.
Ayling’s improvement under Bielsa was outstanding, with the right-back being an attacking threat who developed tremendously on the ball.
The full-back’s highlight at Leeds was his acrobatic volley against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town in what turned out to be the last game with fans in the crowd before lockdown was enforced due to Covid-19.
The Leeds fans in attendance were in for a treat that day as the right-back floated in at the back-post unmarked before unleashing a thunderous volley that rattled the crossbar and went in as those behind the goal in the South Stand went berserk.
Despite the long pause in the season due to the pandemic, Leeds would go on to secure promotion, with Ayling’s volley being one of the highlights of the season.
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