Leeds United’s Elland Road atmosphere is one of the most famous in English football.
Leeds United’s expansion and redevelopment of Elland Road has been a long time coming, but the ability to get the plans in motion and a possibility at all is owed to the vocal and loyal Leeds supporters.
Sean Longstaff has praised Elland Road’s atmosphere recently after the Bournemouth win, while others, such as Alan Shearer, believe Elland Road’s atmosphere is crucial to survival in the Premier League.
However, Elland Road is to be redeveloped by the 49ers. It involves many moving parts but the main priority for Leeds fans will be to ensure that they are able to retain their fierce and intimidating atmosphere.
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty ImagesRival fans mock Leeds’ Elland Road atmosphere
Leeds City Council agreed to negotiate a sale of Elland Road land, while it’s been said that a final decision on Elland Road is imminent any time in October now.
Premier League football already means a significant increase in revenue for Leeds but the 49ers plan to put plenty of that cash into redeveloping Elland Road into one of English football’s largest stadiums.
The plan is to take Elland Road’s capacity from 37,792 to closer to 56,000. That could make Leeds’ home games even louder and more intimidating for away fans and players, not that that isn’t already noticeable currently.
Leeds’ atmosphere has been criticised by rival fans on social media, with a Hull City fan stating: “Now show us the atmosphere when they were in League 1.”
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
A Man United fan responded: “Leeds have such forced limbs.”
One Southampton fan posted the above, while another stated: “Theres a good 20.”
Ibrox, Celtic Park, Villa Park, The City Ground, Wrexham, Birmingham City, Tynecastle, Easter Road, Tannadice, Stadium of Light, Newcastle, I could keep naming more and more but I got to get back to work. https://t.co/tvykIAW7jU
— Ryan Evans (@RyanEvans29) September 29, 2025
View Tweet
A Chelsea fan added: “Nastiest atmosphere maybe. They have a higher proportion of thoroughly nasty fans than almost any other club. Only Millwall and Cardiff worse.”
Literally any other stadium in the UK.
Hate the place. Fans there can be noisy but it always seems really flat there.
— Norville Rogers (@_Shaggy_Doo) September 30, 2025
View Tweet
Many of the replies are fans of Yorkshire rivals or Man United and Chelsea, but a Man City fan decided to get involved, replying: “They had 16k empty seats 10 years ago.”
Leeds are one of the most disliked teams in the country and it is still evident, especially from the responses to the post. The above are just some of a number of angry supporters.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
James Justin has described Leeds’ atmosphere at Elland Road, naming it one of the best in ‘world football’ during an interview with the club. He said: “I’m excited.
The stadium has got one of the best atmospheres in, I don’t know, world football. It is always a daunting task to come here with an opposing team, I am happy to have the fans behind me this time.”
He has yet to feel it at its best as well, but Leeds’ atmosphere is famous for a reason. It’s about time European nights returned to West Yorkshire and LS11, with some of the best limbs in recent memory occurring in the early 2000s.
Of course, there have been flashes since, but nothing significant like a Champions League game under the lights.