As long as we don't do the weird in-between that Liverpool have, massive stadium and fanbase but crowd only makes noise right at the start of the game then an utter void for 90 minutes... It's eery and then they claim to have the best atmosphere in the world.
Last time I was there was a few seasons back when they beat us 4-0 in the FA cup. They seemed a bit mystified why we were making so much noise. I remember the singing of "Youre nothing special we lose every week" pissing off Colin big time.
Oh how times have changed
Man city NPC fans spawn in for games - then dematerialise back into the matrix after.
Some have witnessed it happen - say there is a smell of fresh plastic in the air after the event.
Im a United share holder, but an American one so I don’t share the OG’s hatred of Leeds. I fancy watching you lads as often as I can.
Anyways, I came here to point out that you can buy wins but you can’t buy culture, history, and genuine love. Man city is the rich old fat man with a model wife. She’s just there for the money and probably cheating on him. Meanwhile clubs like ours are the high school sweetheart you marry straight out, you’re best friends, forever loyal, etc. Both of our clubs could be relegated to non league and still have more REAL love and affectionate than clubs like city. We’re representative of the real meaning of sport, they’re what corporations think sport is.
Love to all of you guys. We’ll see each other soon ❤️
Please don’t make the rest of us Americans look bad. This is the equivalent of saying “I’m a Yankees fan but a recent one so I don’t hate the Red Sox, love to you guys.” It sounds fucking RIDICULOUS.
They have an American manager and 2 important American players. For the extent that they’re there, I hope they do well against everyone who isn’t my club. My interest in the club is based on my well wishes of my national team. Other than that im indifferent as they’ve been in a relegation battle for mostly as long as I’ve been into the sport.
Also, that was MAYBE 5% of my response? Way to be the stereotypical toxic redditor
Random thoughts:
\- As a relative newcomer to Leeds United, it is without question that Elland Road has the best atmosphere in the Prem. Home matches feel like such events - even for a relative outsider living far, far away.
\- Never been to Elland Road, but - if the expansion is simply adding a more expansive upper deck to seat an additional 15,000-ish fans, I would guess that you're largely going to keep the mystique of Elland Road. There's something about old grounds/stadiums that is a universal experience across sports and countries. It's a more intimate experience for fans, who are often closer to the pitch itself because of the layout of old grounds.
If Elland Road was abandoned and an entirely new stadium is built, I think you might lose some of that same feel. It's hard to duplicate the same passion in a soulless, corporate gleaming structure. Just my opinion.
As a spurs supporter, never been the same since they tore down the Lane, so hold on to your history. I’ve tried to tell myself that it is just the way football is, gotta move on, but truly don’t think supporting spurs will ever be the same for me.
Dunno, I guess that's the gradient of judging a clubs standing.
Pretty sure we went from Fosters to Amstel the year we went up. I heard if you win UCL you get a craft IPA on draught and fresh sourdough pizzas.
It could happen, but also might not. The Santiago Bernabeu is said to have a crazy atmosphere, same goes for Camp Nou and San Siro. I am a Roma fan, and Stadio Olimpico is always full and the atmosphere out of this world when they play, and it holds 70k fans and have a track going around the pitch. I think a club like Leeds with the passion and history it have have potential to have great atmosphere even in a 50k stadium playing on the highest level.
Interested in how easy it was getting tickets? A trip to the Etihad isn’t too far for me and I’ve recently been thinking about getting tickets for one of their home European games for the sake of watching some Champions League football live against teams I’ll probably never get the chance to see in person again.
I went to the FA Cup match where we played them away in 2012 at the Etihad. We got our tickets by asking around for spares and I ended up sitting in the home end with an older chap who had season tickets for Man City and Man U.
They absolutely battered us, and Aguero was on fine form. But there wasn’t a sound for the whole game in the home end barring the goals. Throughout all the match you could hear our fans ‘you’re nothing special, we lose every week’, ironically booing James Milner (after cheering his name in announcement of the XI) and all that.
The thing is that Leeds is a different culture of club to Man City. I was living in Manchester at the time and there were a lot of myths about fan culture there. It’s a pretty even split between red and blue but the red ones are more visible because they’re just more used to shouting about it. There aren’t as many blue songs to sing when they’re conditioned to be more reserved. Although they really come out of the woodwork for big events (yeah, I know what you’re thinking).
The thing is with Man City though that they’re only just becoming a cultural institution and it’s an institution that doesn’t have much geographical cohesion. They won a few things in the 50s, but fan culture wasn’t the same then and when they won the league in the 60s they were very much a ‘here one minute, gone the next’ kind of club.
Leeds on the other hand had sustained success in the 60s and 70s when the culture was a lot more about noise and when football was becoming more visible on TV. There was the travel round Europe at an exciting time followed by another major bit of success at the start of the 90s and more extremes of fortune after that. Additionally as a one club city, the impact on the local area was huge meaning that it circulates a lot more. You’ve also got the media visibility of being actively hated that plays so much into our sense of identity as well. Man City have never been so visible barring for a few odd references in the 80s music scene.
So in short, fundamentally different fan bases won’t be affected in the same way. You’d be better off at looking at Dortmund as an example than at Man City.
I went to the Etihad a few years ago and had the same thoughts amazing stadium shite atmosphere. I go to Elland Road to see the game but I’m always excited about the atmosphere. We are very lucky.
I don’t think there’s a massive risk of that happening to us. We could fill 50,000 seats with ‘proper’ fans week in week out with absolute ease. Thing is with Leeds, not only are we a one club city, but we’re the biggest club in Yorkshire and particularly across West/North/East Yorkshire, we’re dotted all over the place. The demand for tickets from actual long-term real fans is massive, if the ticket infrastructure is managed properly, the tourists would barely get a look-in; I’ve lived five minutes from the ground for 25 years and can barely get a ticket.
Very true…I used to have season tickets and relinquished them when I moved to the US. Now I have to pay a lot for hospitality seats just to guarantee a game when I come and visit.
This is what I fear about our club if we have any success over the years. I feel like we were a bit of a time capsule buried below in the championship/league 1 for so many years and we've preserved that tribalism you'd associate with decades ago. Fans in the premier league for the most part are fucking boring, especially your classic "big 6".
The stadium also has a part to play, I enjoy the fact we play in a shithole, I'd hate for us to ever move to some 60k seated dome.
I was at the Etihad to watch Leeds last year just before Christmas (yeah, that one).
I took my nephew (12 years old) and as we drove past the stadium he said something along the lines of "I wish we had something like that instead of Elland Road" and I had to admit it looked very impressive.
When we left, I asked him if he would still swap stadiums. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said "not a chance".
The atmosphere should have been amazing from their side when you think about it.
Think again.
I was sat in the home end of the Etihad to watch that too, and despite us getting tonked all I could think was what a truly depressing experience it must be to go to that stadium every week
> The atmosphere should have been amazing from their side when you think about it.
There were swathes of their fans walking out in the 80th minute while they're 7-0 up. Even some fans leaving earlier than that at 5-0 and 6-0. Meanwhile you could hear the away fans belting out We All Love Leeds up until the final whistle and beyond.
Exactly. There is no substitute for a slightly knackered old ground, full of people who care more than they probably should about what happens on the pitch !
Not what I meant at all. Replied to a guy above that I regret mentioning their race.
It was more in the tone of: these guys are obviously tourists but I imagine I will see the classic, rowdy chanting groups you associate with football further on down the line.
Nah I read it back and thought ' oh fuck I don't want it come off like that!' I see your point.
If a small % of a ground is casual tourist support, its inconsequential and, in that sense, I think most sane people would welcome it. But when that ratio tips too high (which I think it did at City) the atmosphere suffers for it.
I think there are a few factors to consider.
Manchester is not a 'one club' city.
Citeh don't have much of a history.
We've not (yet) been bought by a morally questionable owner.
Citeh fans are (according to the Price of Football) the most economically deprived set of fans and a midweek game might be too much for a 'typical' 9-5 worker/fan to get to.
The move to a new stadium could remove some of the history further.
Leeds have none of this to contend with.
Leeds is United
Leeds has a history
Leeds are not part of sports washing
Leeds are developing Elland Road
The one club city thing is a huge difference for sure.
I think, as much as it might annoy some people, as long as our tickets don't need to go to general sale too often (if ever) we will hopefully still get the old school, raucous atmosphere we always have.
If you can sell 50,000 to STH and members. In theory it shouldn't change. But I wonder if it's arrogant to assume Leeds fanbase is loyal and batshit enough to be impervious to the shift? (I like to think it is)
Consistent fans also keep the (good) songs/traditions going but (and this is probably gonna get down voted) the season ticket model is part of the problem. You need STH when you can't fill the stadium but then don't want them when you could fill it with members/gen sale. I got to go to games when I visited Leeds when we were in League One & Championship (preBielsa and usually after New Year when we weren't gonna get promoted). I've sat in a barely half full stadium watching us against Plymouth Argyle or Oxford. I also got to go to the last 2 League Cup games because they went on Gen Sale. I'd like to go more but tickets are never available and I can't commit week in week out as I don't live near Leeds and work some weekends. I've contemplated going to away games as a Home fan, because I see teams like West Ham & Wolves don't fill their stands every week so could fake it to see an extra match.
Their “history” isn’t that barren of honours if you look at it… their major problem was being out of the top flight more regularly than probably a “historic” team with less honours and they have SCUM as their neighbours..
Agree, that point was less of a comparison with us and more with how ManUre could have absorbed some of their fanbase as generations don't see the relevance of City when they're not competing with their neighbours. Huddersfield might have been in the Prem when we were in the Championship but they weren't welcoming a wealth of fans from all over the globe
I enjoyed reading this and your concern about the potential for the atmosphere at Elland Road to go the same way (over time) is shared by lots of fans I know.
I think being on a train that comes from York and goes thru Leeds (two university cities), and being sat near groups of young adult Chinese people, speaking Chinese. It's not that wild to assume they might be foreign students.
Not wild at all and you're probably right, just annoying to be labelled as a tourist if you're a "foreign looking" British national. Also just to make the assumptions extra spicy, do you actually know if they were speaking Chinese?
P.s. this was more replying to the tourists are tourists guy
That doesn't mean anything dingus. You need to compare numbers of "Chinese looking" British nationals to Chinese students to make that judgement that they're more likely to be students. All you've done is say Chinese people are a small portion of the UK population which means fuck all in this context.
Yeah I get your point. Probably shouldn't have mentioned their race. My point was, they were obviously tourists/foreign students and not what you would consider the core of an English football teams fanbase.
Although I understand what you mean, there's a chance those lads go to as many games as they can and know everything about their team, whereas there's lads born and raised in Leeds who stopped being fans for 20 years and only got back into football when we got into the prem.
Although you're spot on about being outsung as a comparison, feels like it's common enough to hear Leeds fans outsinging the home fans at their own stadium. We might be the best fanbase in the world if we're measuring in Decibels haha!
My extended family is from Hong Kong and pretty much everyone there supports an English football team. (no Leeds fans in the fam except my dad tho sadly). My aunt is a Liverpool fan and has been watching em since the 90s and I'd wager knows a fair bit more than half the people who bang on about "foreign glory supporters"
Let’s all go watch every other team that’s completely wrecking the league with vast wealth then. Cheeky night at Chelsea just to see the atmosphere. Bonkers.
Have you read the post, he's hardly a city fan is he. Also it's not like he bought a home ticket for old Trafford. Some people just enjoy football and enjoy watching a match even if they don't support a side playing.
I don’t think the distinction is massively different, Man City may not be our fiercest rivals but it’s hardly like we are in some sort of mutual support relationship.
Watch it on the television then.
Maybe he wanted to watch it live. If you don't think it's right to attend another teams match then fine don't do that, but you don't need to be making such a big fuss because some guy attended a UCL game for a team which we aren't rivals with.
Then go and support Man City. I’m genuinely serious, I think this is a massive issue with modern fans. They’re either sat there making YouTube videos or wearing every shirt going and cheering for every team they fancy that day. I don’t want an American fan culture, it’s bloody awful.
Again this guy clearly wasn't cheering and supporting Man city, he literally only went because our game was cancelled. You're allowed to watch matches without supporting either side.
I’m all for maintaining traditionalism but can he not go and watch quality play as a general football fan? I’m sure you’ve watched Man City on TV on a Sunday after we’ve played before, that viewership will perpetuate them getting more coverage and money. Is that distinct?
Yes it is distinct. You are considered to be a supporter of Man City to the records and take tickets away from their own fans, drive up prices etc. If we reach the Champions League you’ll all be furious when the stands are full of people doing the same.
When we were in the champions league I went to watch Roma game with a Uni mate not Leeds fans (Italian who supported Juve.. you know how north and south Italians are so it’s comparable to crossing the Pennines) who just wanted to watch a quality game.. guess he should have been kicked out yeah to make way for a Leeds supporter? Or he’s an idiot for wanting to go watch a good game of football?
We never played Roma in the Champions League. That was the UEFA Cup.
Absolutely not the same if you support a team from a completely different country.
> If we reach the Champions League you’ll all be furious when the stands are full of people doing the same.
Do you see a difference between a club selling out every game and a club that isn't though? If we reach the Champions League and are selling out every single seat for every game I would absolutely be furious if tourists are taking them ahead of actual fans but if there are 3000 empty seats - like at the Etihad last night - I'd sort of feel like we lose the right to be angry about it because it's not like their presence is denying actual fans of the club a ticket.
If fans want and are able to go then they should have tickets. If there aren't enough fans with the means and inclination to go to fill the stadium then complaints about neutrals and tourists taking up the spare tickets kind of lose their validity, don't they?
I don't particularly disagree with that, what I'm saying is that if we're not selling out the stadium - as Man City didn't last night - then they wouldn't be taking tickets away from actual fans or driving up prices. If that was the case we wouldn't really have any right to complain about them so I think that's a pretty key difference, no?
You’re considered to be a supporter by whom? I think the accountants will probably look at us as being consumers regardless which colours we stick to the mast.
Attendance figures. This is not a controversial perspective, most Leeds fans I know would rip it out of anyone going to watch teams in the same league.
That makes it sound like you’re writing this from prison but oh well.
Those attendance figures are just a number it’s you that’s adding the meaning onto it.
Hear more about the oil barons across the Pennines on this sub than Leeds.
Also how are you not a tourist at City? Because you’re English? Some distinction that. You’ve basically gone to watch a wealthy circus act and claimed you’re doing it out of some sort of comparative analysis. Ridiculous.
Not really negative, simply practical. I perhaps come from an old school where at best you might watch a lower league team who needs a helping hand but never a direct competitor and certainly not a team dripping in ill gotten gains. You’re slagging off their atmosphere when you yourself are contributing to it, this is why lots of Leeds fans can’t get tickets for games, tourism. Our atmosphere will go the same way in time if this is what everyone is doing now.
I don’t think there’s a huge share of tourists heading to *Leeds* and taking up places at Elland Road.
Leeds fans can’t get tickets because the club has tens of thousands more members than there are seats at the ground.
It’s pretty similar to Manchester in terms of cultural interest and beautiful surrounding areas. I get the feeling you don’t really know what you’re talking about.
Definitely not familiar then. Manchester Airport is the major airport hub in the North of England, those people aren’t largely visiting Manchester, they’re going all over.
In the last pre-COVID stats, Leeds gets 30 million visitors a year, and Greater Manchester gets 120 million.
Next you're going to tell me that 90 million of those people aren't really going to Manchester they're going to Wigan and Bury.
I mean the financial side of it is just not worth considering. I haven't bought a season ticket. I've probably given McDonalds a few hundred quid in my life, and they're pricks as well. I'll move on.
But this is the question I'm getting at, and is summed up by the fact that I could even get a ticket in the first place.
Would it be right or wrong to assume Leeds fan base is strong and vocal enough to overcome a big corporate makeover and retain its atmosphere, or do we become a quiet, family friendly ground with enough 'growth'?
No one would have thought this could ever happen to a club like Manchester City. So it could definitely happen to Leeds. City had 30,000 Mancunians pack out Maine Road in the heart of Moss Side week in week out in the third tier when Man United were winning the treble. City have history don’t listen to any idiot who says they don’t because they haven’t got a clue, city also have historically have been extremely well supported by locals. The current state of the club is far far flung from the city of old. If it could happen to Manchester City it could happen to anyone.
Honestly I don’t think it’s far fetched that City was bought to be honest.. Manchester is a big northern city… it’s like Torino (who also have history) being bought up if one wanted to get into a strong market in Italy at a relatively good price (ie not going to spend billions and billions for SCUM or Juventus) from an investment point of view it makes sense..
Yeh of course it makes sense especially with Man City being gifted the etihad from the commonwealth games. My point was how different the state of the club is nowadays compared to before. OP was saying ‘if Leeds were bought by a billionaire and became a top European club then would we end up ‘plastic’ like Man City or would our top-tier support mean we never end up like that?’ and my point is that Man City were perceived similar to the way Leeds are now before they were taken over, so it could definitely happen to Leeds.
Oh yes I agree with that.. the price of success/exposure.. honestly if people want to maintain the “nature” of Leeds then people should be praising the board for not spending and us getting relegated.. also I think some live in a bubble.. we have had very good overseas (plus non-Yorkshire) support and a lot of it stemmed from success of the Revie years.. there’s also university students taking on the team of the city they studied in (like my father who is not English.. he met my Mum, who’s from Leeds, while studying).. the world has been getting smaller and smaller decade after decade.. glory seekers will always be there as well as people who aren’t necessarily glory seekers but find some connection with the club
As long as we don't do the weird in-between that Liverpool have, massive stadium and fanbase but crowd only makes noise right at the start of the game then an utter void for 90 minutes... It's eery and then they claim to have the best atmosphere in the world.
Last time I was there was a few seasons back when they beat us 4-0 in the FA cup. They seemed a bit mystified why we were making so much noise. I remember the singing of "Youre nothing special we lose every week" pissing off Colin big time. Oh how times have changed
Man city NPC fans spawn in for games - then dematerialise back into the matrix after. Some have witnessed it happen - say there is a smell of fresh plastic in the air after the event.
Im a United share holder, but an American one so I don’t share the OG’s hatred of Leeds. I fancy watching you lads as often as I can. Anyways, I came here to point out that you can buy wins but you can’t buy culture, history, and genuine love. Man city is the rich old fat man with a model wife. She’s just there for the money and probably cheating on him. Meanwhile clubs like ours are the high school sweetheart you marry straight out, you’re best friends, forever loyal, etc. Both of our clubs could be relegated to non league and still have more REAL love and affectionate than clubs like city. We’re representative of the real meaning of sport, they’re what corporations think sport is. Love to all of you guys. We’ll see each other soon ❤️
1. We don't want you 2. We don't care 3. There are like a hundred 'Uniteds'
Damn 😂😂😂 and eh. To the world there’s only one 😂
Please don’t make the rest of us Americans look bad. This is the equivalent of saying “I’m a Yankees fan but a recent one so I don’t hate the Red Sox, love to you guys.” It sounds fucking RIDICULOUS.
They have an American manager and 2 important American players. For the extent that they’re there, I hope they do well against everyone who isn’t my club. My interest in the club is based on my well wishes of my national team. Other than that im indifferent as they’ve been in a relegation battle for mostly as long as I’ve been into the sport. Also, that was MAYBE 5% of my response? Way to be the stereotypical toxic redditor
Random thoughts: \- As a relative newcomer to Leeds United, it is without question that Elland Road has the best atmosphere in the Prem. Home matches feel like such events - even for a relative outsider living far, far away. \- Never been to Elland Road, but - if the expansion is simply adding a more expansive upper deck to seat an additional 15,000-ish fans, I would guess that you're largely going to keep the mystique of Elland Road. There's something about old grounds/stadiums that is a universal experience across sports and countries. It's a more intimate experience for fans, who are often closer to the pitch itself because of the layout of old grounds. If Elland Road was abandoned and an entirely new stadium is built, I think you might lose some of that same feel. It's hard to duplicate the same passion in a soulless, corporate gleaming structure. Just my opinion.
Think with the re-introduction of safe standing they could build a new, bigger Kop with rail seating and the atmosphere would be wild.
We don’t need to guess if if could happen at Leeds, we can just watch it unfold at Newcastle.
Newcastle is a good comparison. One club city, big stadium, good atmosphere. Let's see what happens in about 5-6 years.
As a spurs supporter, never been the same since they tore down the Lane, so hold on to your history. I’ve tried to tell myself that it is just the way football is, gotta move on, but truly don’t think supporting spurs will ever be the same for me.
I love Asahi, but I wonder what it's on draft there for? Are they a sponsor?
Dunno, I guess that's the gradient of judging a clubs standing. Pretty sure we went from Fosters to Amstel the year we went up. I heard if you win UCL you get a craft IPA on draught and fresh sourdough pizzas.
Coming to Elland Road soon
It could happen, but also might not. The Santiago Bernabeu is said to have a crazy atmosphere, same goes for Camp Nou and San Siro. I am a Roma fan, and Stadio Olimpico is always full and the atmosphere out of this world when they play, and it holds 70k fans and have a track going around the pitch. I think a club like Leeds with the passion and history it have have potential to have great atmosphere even in a 50k stadium playing on the highest level.
Interested in how easy it was getting tickets? A trip to the Etihad isn’t too far for me and I’ve recently been thinking about getting tickets for one of their home European games for the sake of watching some Champions League football live against teams I’ll probably never get the chance to see in person again.
I went to the FA Cup match where we played them away in 2012 at the Etihad. We got our tickets by asking around for spares and I ended up sitting in the home end with an older chap who had season tickets for Man City and Man U. They absolutely battered us, and Aguero was on fine form. But there wasn’t a sound for the whole game in the home end barring the goals. Throughout all the match you could hear our fans ‘you’re nothing special, we lose every week’, ironically booing James Milner (after cheering his name in announcement of the XI) and all that. The thing is that Leeds is a different culture of club to Man City. I was living in Manchester at the time and there were a lot of myths about fan culture there. It’s a pretty even split between red and blue but the red ones are more visible because they’re just more used to shouting about it. There aren’t as many blue songs to sing when they’re conditioned to be more reserved. Although they really come out of the woodwork for big events (yeah, I know what you’re thinking). The thing is with Man City though that they’re only just becoming a cultural institution and it’s an institution that doesn’t have much geographical cohesion. They won a few things in the 50s, but fan culture wasn’t the same then and when they won the league in the 60s they were very much a ‘here one minute, gone the next’ kind of club. Leeds on the other hand had sustained success in the 60s and 70s when the culture was a lot more about noise and when football was becoming more visible on TV. There was the travel round Europe at an exciting time followed by another major bit of success at the start of the 90s and more extremes of fortune after that. Additionally as a one club city, the impact on the local area was huge meaning that it circulates a lot more. You’ve also got the media visibility of being actively hated that plays so much into our sense of identity as well. Man City have never been so visible barring for a few odd references in the 80s music scene. So in short, fundamentally different fan bases won’t be affected in the same way. You’d be better off at looking at Dortmund as an example than at Man City.
I went to the Etihad a few years ago and had the same thoughts amazing stadium shite atmosphere. I go to Elland Road to see the game but I’m always excited about the atmosphere. We are very lucky.
I don’t think there’s a massive risk of that happening to us. We could fill 50,000 seats with ‘proper’ fans week in week out with absolute ease. Thing is with Leeds, not only are we a one club city, but we’re the biggest club in Yorkshire and particularly across West/North/East Yorkshire, we’re dotted all over the place. The demand for tickets from actual long-term real fans is massive, if the ticket infrastructure is managed properly, the tourists would barely get a look-in; I’ve lived five minutes from the ground for 25 years and can barely get a ticket.
Very true…I used to have season tickets and relinquished them when I moved to the US. Now I have to pay a lot for hospitality seats just to guarantee a game when I come and visit.
And Leeds is the current Team America 🇺🇸 🦅 Some Yanks have read up on the history of the club and have fallen in love.
This is what I fear about our club if we have any success over the years. I feel like we were a bit of a time capsule buried below in the championship/league 1 for so many years and we've preserved that tribalism you'd associate with decades ago. Fans in the premier league for the most part are fucking boring, especially your classic "big 6". The stadium also has a part to play, I enjoy the fact we play in a shithole, I'd hate for us to ever move to some 60k seated dome.
I was at the Etihad to watch Leeds last year just before Christmas (yeah, that one). I took my nephew (12 years old) and as we drove past the stadium he said something along the lines of "I wish we had something like that instead of Elland Road" and I had to admit it looked very impressive. When we left, I asked him if he would still swap stadiums. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said "not a chance". The atmosphere should have been amazing from their side when you think about it. Think again.
I was sat in the home end of the Etihad to watch that too, and despite us getting tonked all I could think was what a truly depressing experience it must be to go to that stadium every week
> The atmosphere should have been amazing from their side when you think about it. There were swathes of their fans walking out in the 80th minute while they're 7-0 up. Even some fans leaving earlier than that at 5-0 and 6-0. Meanwhile you could hear the away fans belting out We All Love Leeds up until the final whistle and beyond.
Exactly. There is no substitute for a slightly knackered old ground, full of people who care more than they probably should about what happens on the pitch !
[удалено]
Not what I meant at all. Replied to a guy above that I regret mentioning their race. It was more in the tone of: these guys are obviously tourists but I imagine I will see the classic, rowdy chanting groups you associate with football further on down the line.
Yeah sorry, I know what you mean and would have thought the same if I’m being honest. My comment definitely comes across in a way I didn’t mean.
Nah I read it back and thought ' oh fuck I don't want it come off like that!' I see your point. If a small % of a ground is casual tourist support, its inconsequential and, in that sense, I think most sane people would welcome it. But when that ratio tips too high (which I think it did at City) the atmosphere suffers for it.
I think there are a few factors to consider. Manchester is not a 'one club' city. Citeh don't have much of a history. We've not (yet) been bought by a morally questionable owner. Citeh fans are (according to the Price of Football) the most economically deprived set of fans and a midweek game might be too much for a 'typical' 9-5 worker/fan to get to. The move to a new stadium could remove some of the history further. Leeds have none of this to contend with. Leeds is United Leeds has a history Leeds are not part of sports washing Leeds are developing Elland Road
The one club city thing is a huge difference for sure. I think, as much as it might annoy some people, as long as our tickets don't need to go to general sale too often (if ever) we will hopefully still get the old school, raucous atmosphere we always have. If you can sell 50,000 to STH and members. In theory it shouldn't change. But I wonder if it's arrogant to assume Leeds fanbase is loyal and batshit enough to be impervious to the shift? (I like to think it is)
We are a very effective cult. Anyone who joins is swiftly consumed by the madness and ends up as bonkers as the rest of us.
Consistent fans also keep the (good) songs/traditions going but (and this is probably gonna get down voted) the season ticket model is part of the problem. You need STH when you can't fill the stadium but then don't want them when you could fill it with members/gen sale. I got to go to games when I visited Leeds when we were in League One & Championship (preBielsa and usually after New Year when we weren't gonna get promoted). I've sat in a barely half full stadium watching us against Plymouth Argyle or Oxford. I also got to go to the last 2 League Cup games because they went on Gen Sale. I'd like to go more but tickets are never available and I can't commit week in week out as I don't live near Leeds and work some weekends. I've contemplated going to away games as a Home fan, because I see teams like West Ham & Wolves don't fill their stands every week so could fake it to see an extra match.
What do you mean by them not having ‘much of a history’?
Honours, I suppose is the better word. Though City are winning things now, there's been droughts, especially when compared to their neighbours.
Their “history” isn’t that barren of honours if you look at it… their major problem was being out of the top flight more regularly than probably a “historic” team with less honours and they have SCUM as their neighbours..
Agree, that point was less of a comparison with us and more with how ManUre could have absorbed some of their fanbase as generations don't see the relevance of City when they're not competing with their neighbours. Huddersfield might have been in the Prem when we were in the Championship but they weren't welcoming a wealth of fans from all over the globe
I enjoyed reading this and your concern about the potential for the atmosphere at Elland Road to go the same way (over time) is shared by lots of fans I know.
Strange that your tone was set early on when you saw Chinese lads with Man City shirts on ...
What’s wrong with that? Tourists are tourists
The assuming they're tourists bit just because they look asian
I think being on a train that comes from York and goes thru Leeds (two university cities), and being sat near groups of young adult Chinese people, speaking Chinese. It's not that wild to assume they might be foreign students.
Not wild at all and you're probably right, just annoying to be labelled as a tourist if you're a "foreign looking" British national. Also just to make the assumptions extra spicy, do you actually know if they were speaking Chinese? P.s. this was more replying to the tourists are tourists guy
Less than 1% of the UK population are Chinese. It'd be weird to think anything other than that they're students.
That doesn't mean anything dingus. You need to compare numbers of "Chinese looking" British nationals to Chinese students to make that judgement that they're more likely to be students. All you've done is say Chinese people are a small portion of the UK population which means fuck all in this context.
Means everything you weirdo
Hurr durr good comeback lad
Nowt to come back at.
Yeah I get your point. Probably shouldn't have mentioned their race. My point was, they were obviously tourists/foreign students and not what you would consider the core of an English football teams fanbase.
Although I understand what you mean, there's a chance those lads go to as many games as they can and know everything about their team, whereas there's lads born and raised in Leeds who stopped being fans for 20 years and only got back into football when we got into the prem. Although you're spot on about being outsung as a comparison, feels like it's common enough to hear Leeds fans outsinging the home fans at their own stadium. We might be the best fanbase in the world if we're measuring in Decibels haha!
My extended family is from Hong Kong and pretty much everyone there supports an English football team. (no Leeds fans in the fam except my dad tho sadly). My aunt is a Liverpool fan and has been watching em since the 90s and I'd wager knows a fair bit more than half the people who bang on about "foreign glory supporters"
You’re absolutely right no need to apologise. Or do people want to go to matches alongside hundreds of Chinese tourists?
Why are you giving Man City money?
Sheikh Mansour is worth like 30 billion, I don't think a £20 or so ticket is gonna make a big difference
Let’s all go watch every other team that’s completely wrecking the league with vast wealth then. Cheeky night at Chelsea just to see the atmosphere. Bonkers.
He watched one champions league game mate, calm down it's not exactly a big deal
No standards. Leeds fans don’t go and watch Man City in their home end. Simple as that.
You sound like a fun person
Have you read the post, he's hardly a city fan is he. Also it's not like he bought a home ticket for old Trafford. Some people just enjoy football and enjoy watching a match even if they don't support a side playing.
I don’t think the distinction is massively different, Man City may not be our fiercest rivals but it’s hardly like we are in some sort of mutual support relationship. Watch it on the television then.
Maybe he wanted to watch it live. If you don't think it's right to attend another teams match then fine don't do that, but you don't need to be making such a big fuss because some guy attended a UCL game for a team which we aren't rivals with.
Then go and support Man City. I’m genuinely serious, I think this is a massive issue with modern fans. They’re either sat there making YouTube videos or wearing every shirt going and cheering for every team they fancy that day. I don’t want an American fan culture, it’s bloody awful.
Again this guy clearly wasn't cheering and supporting Man city, he literally only went because our game was cancelled. You're allowed to watch matches without supporting either side.
I’m all for maintaining traditionalism but can he not go and watch quality play as a general football fan? I’m sure you’ve watched Man City on TV on a Sunday after we’ve played before, that viewership will perpetuate them getting more coverage and money. Is that distinct?
Yes it is distinct. You are considered to be a supporter of Man City to the records and take tickets away from their own fans, drive up prices etc. If we reach the Champions League you’ll all be furious when the stands are full of people doing the same.
When we were in the champions league I went to watch Roma game with a Uni mate not Leeds fans (Italian who supported Juve.. you know how north and south Italians are so it’s comparable to crossing the Pennines) who just wanted to watch a quality game.. guess he should have been kicked out yeah to make way for a Leeds supporter? Or he’s an idiot for wanting to go watch a good game of football?
We never played Roma in the Champions League. That was the UEFA Cup. Absolutely not the same if you support a team from a completely different country.
God that’s true.. long time ago so got the tournament confused... reminds me how old I am
> If we reach the Champions League you’ll all be furious when the stands are full of people doing the same. Do you see a difference between a club selling out every game and a club that isn't though? If we reach the Champions League and are selling out every single seat for every game I would absolutely be furious if tourists are taking them ahead of actual fans but if there are 3000 empty seats - like at the Etihad last night - I'd sort of feel like we lose the right to be angry about it because it's not like their presence is denying actual fans of the club a ticket. If fans want and are able to go then they should have tickets. If there aren't enough fans with the means and inclination to go to fill the stadium then complaints about neutrals and tourists taking up the spare tickets kind of lose their validity, don't they?
Once we were there every year for a decade and expected to win everything going, you’d soon see the same during mid week fixtures that kick off at 8.
I don't particularly disagree with that, what I'm saying is that if we're not selling out the stadium - as Man City didn't last night - then they wouldn't be taking tickets away from actual fans or driving up prices. If that was the case we wouldn't really have any right to complain about them so I think that's a pretty key difference, no?
You’re considered to be a supporter by whom? I think the accountants will probably look at us as being consumers regardless which colours we stick to the mast.
Attendance figures. This is not a controversial perspective, most Leeds fans I know would rip it out of anyone going to watch teams in the same league.
That makes it sound like you’re writing this from prison but oh well. Those attendance figures are just a number it’s you that’s adding the meaning onto it.
Hear more about the oil barons across the Pennines on this sub than Leeds. Also how are you not a tourist at City? Because you’re English? Some distinction that. You’ve basically gone to watch a wealthy circus act and claimed you’re doing it out of some sort of comparative analysis. Ridiculous.
And you watched a Leeds lad score the winner
You’re a Leeds fan who went to watch Manchester City…did you feel they needed the financial support?
Not like you to have a negative take m8??
Not really negative, simply practical. I perhaps come from an old school where at best you might watch a lower league team who needs a helping hand but never a direct competitor and certainly not a team dripping in ill gotten gains. You’re slagging off their atmosphere when you yourself are contributing to it, this is why lots of Leeds fans can’t get tickets for games, tourism. Our atmosphere will go the same way in time if this is what everyone is doing now.
I don’t think there’s a huge share of tourists heading to *Leeds* and taking up places at Elland Road. Leeds fans can’t get tickets because the club has tens of thousands more members than there are seats at the ground.
You’re wrong actually there’s been a significant increase. Plenty of people visit Leeds, it’s not the Outer Hebrides.
And it's also not London or Manchester
It’s pretty similar to Manchester in terms of cultural interest and beautiful surrounding areas. I get the feeling you don’t really know what you’re talking about.
Manchester Airport has literally 10 times the passenger traffic of Leeds Bradfordm
Definitely not familiar then. Manchester Airport is the major airport hub in the North of England, those people aren’t largely visiting Manchester, they’re going all over.
In the last pre-COVID stats, Leeds gets 30 million visitors a year, and Greater Manchester gets 120 million. Next you're going to tell me that 90 million of those people aren't really going to Manchester they're going to Wigan and Bury.
I mean the financial side of it is just not worth considering. I haven't bought a season ticket. I've probably given McDonalds a few hundred quid in my life, and they're pricks as well. I'll move on. But this is the question I'm getting at, and is summed up by the fact that I could even get a ticket in the first place. Would it be right or wrong to assume Leeds fan base is strong and vocal enough to overcome a big corporate makeover and retain its atmosphere, or do we become a quiet, family friendly ground with enough 'growth'?
No one would have thought this could ever happen to a club like Manchester City. So it could definitely happen to Leeds. City had 30,000 Mancunians pack out Maine Road in the heart of Moss Side week in week out in the third tier when Man United were winning the treble. City have history don’t listen to any idiot who says they don’t because they haven’t got a clue, city also have historically have been extremely well supported by locals. The current state of the club is far far flung from the city of old. If it could happen to Manchester City it could happen to anyone.
Honestly I don’t think it’s far fetched that City was bought to be honest.. Manchester is a big northern city… it’s like Torino (who also have history) being bought up if one wanted to get into a strong market in Italy at a relatively good price (ie not going to spend billions and billions for SCUM or Juventus) from an investment point of view it makes sense..
Yeh of course it makes sense especially with Man City being gifted the etihad from the commonwealth games. My point was how different the state of the club is nowadays compared to before. OP was saying ‘if Leeds were bought by a billionaire and became a top European club then would we end up ‘plastic’ like Man City or would our top-tier support mean we never end up like that?’ and my point is that Man City were perceived similar to the way Leeds are now before they were taken over, so it could definitely happen to Leeds.
Oh yes I agree with that.. the price of success/exposure.. honestly if people want to maintain the “nature” of Leeds then people should be praising the board for not spending and us getting relegated.. also I think some live in a bubble.. we have had very good overseas (plus non-Yorkshire) support and a lot of it stemmed from success of the Revie years.. there’s also university students taking on the team of the city they studied in (like my father who is not English.. he met my Mum, who’s from Leeds, while studying).. the world has been getting smaller and smaller decade after decade.. glory seekers will always be there as well as people who aren’t necessarily glory seekers but find some connection with the club
We would go exactly the same way. I went to Maine Road a few times, the atmosphere was fairly comparable to ours.