97-528: Elland Road , also called Elland Road Football Stadium or Elland Road Stadium , is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds , West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Championship club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 13th largest football stadium in England. The ground has hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue, and England international fixtures, and
194-492: A Nisa food store and a number of smaller shops. Housing in this part of Beeston is made up of almost equal proportions of late Victorian and early-20th-century terraced housing to the east of Old Lane, and newer semi-detached family and housing association properties to the west. To the south side of Dewsbury Road, there are significant areas of industrial premises. Indicators for health, economic activity and community safety in this area are broadly consistent with averages for
291-593: A mezzanine -level office area, modernisation of the corporate facilities above and a restaurant, Billy's Bar, named after former club captain Billy Bremner . Plans for development at Elland Road to include hotels, a shopping centre and health club were featured in the programme for the match against Huddersfield Town on 8 December 2007. There would be hotels on the site of the shop. Possible adjacent developments could include an arena, casino , police headquarters, cafés, bars and parking for 2,700 cars. On 27 October 2008,
388-457: A mezzanine -level office area; a total modernisation of the corporate facilities above and a restaurant called Billy's Bar, named after former captain Billy Bremner. The club's superstore is nearby. On 23 April 2020 the club announced that the stand would be named after Norman Hunter , who had died on 20 April. Capacity: 11,000 The John Charles Stand is on the west side of the pitch and
485-534: A 15,000-seater indoor arena at the rear of the West Stand. This venue would have accommodated basketball, ice hockey , pop concerts and other events. However, after naming an ice hockey team, Leeds Lasers, to play at the arena, the project was shelved. Earlier plans to create a 65,000-seater "Wembley of the North" at Elland Road also failed to materialise. Leeds received the ownership of Elland Road once again in 1998, when
582-510: A bowling green. Beeston is home to two stadiums: Cross Flatts Park covers an area of 44 acres (17.8 hectares ) in the centre of Beeston. While the park formerly suffered from neglect and had a high crime rate, through the work of the Council and community groups such as Friends of Cross Flatts Park and Beeston in Bloom the park has been cleaned up and made safer and more welcoming. The park has
679-462: A capacity of 56,796 watched Leeds played Arsenal and then the record attendance of 57,892 was set on 15 March 1967 in an FA Cup fifth round replay against Sunderland . This was before the stadium became an all-seater venue as stipulated by the Taylor Report and the modern record is 40,287 for a Premiership match against Newcastle United on 22 December 2001. Plans are currently afoot to increase
776-628: A cost of £500,000. This state of the art development comprised a standing paddock capable of holding 4,000 fans, a row of 16 executive boxes, above which was an all-seater 3,500 capacity stand. Plans to link the South Stand with the Lowfields were curtailed when Leeds ran out of money. In the same year, the floodlights were replaced by the tallest floodlights in Europe, measuring 260 feet (79 m). Initially, three floodlights were erected – two at either side of
873-424: A fire gutted the West Stand and scorched large sections of the pitch. The blaze consumed the entire structure, including offices, kit , club records , physiotherapy equipment, dressing rooms, directors' rooms, the press box and the generators for the floodlighting system. The roof of the stand collapsed into the seating area before the fire brigade arrived and the total damage was estimated to be £100,000, but
970-530: A full corner stand for away supporters. This section was used as the "family stand" until membership proved too big for its 1,710 capacity and a new home found in the East Stand. It is prominent because of its yellow seats, which have given its nickname, the "cheese wedge". A banqueting suite at the rear of the west stand, with a conference centre , was opened in April 1992. The biggest renovation project to date began in
1067-504: A game between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur . Other FA Cup semi-finals to have taken place at Elland Road had included Arsenal v. Hull City in 1930, Birmingham City v. Sunderland in 1931, West Bromwich Albion v. Bolton Wanderers in 1935, Charlton Athletic v. Newcastle United in 1947, Newcastle United v. Blackburn Rovers in 1952, Leicester City v. Sheffield United in 1961 and West Ham United v. Everton in 1980. In addition when Sheffield Wednesday faced Sheffield United in
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#17328835674321164-475: A grade II* listed scheduled ancient monument originally built for the storage of crops, have been dated to between 1448 and 1490. By the early 17th century the area had a reputation for manufacturing bone lace , and by the middle of the century, coal-mining was underway in the area. According to David Thornton, in December 1688 rumours abounded in the town [of Leeds] that an army of Roman Catholics were ravaging
1261-507: A large multi-use games area which includes five-a-side football pitches, basketball courts and tennis courts, while the park boasts an artificial cricket pitch, a children's play area and outdoor gym equipment. The park is the venue for the Beeston Festival which takes place annually in June, and in summer and school holidays is host to numerous activities for young people. The park hosts
1358-710: A large number of awards, including, in 2011, the Regeneration and Renewal Magazine Regeneration Award for Sustainability, with judges praising the holistic way it addressed sustainability and provides real regeneration benefits to a deprived area. Robb Street and Avenue are likely named after its architect George C Robb, who was chief housing architect for RAH Livett, Leeds Housing Director and later City Architect. Beeston has at least ten churches of several denominations including Church of England , Roman Catholic , Methodist and Baptist . The Anglican churches of St Mary on Town Street and St Luke on Malvern Road were constructed in
1455-419: A large video screen for the 2009–10 season. The South-East Corner seats 1,710 fans and was used to house the away fans until they were moved to the West Stand. In summer 2006, the stand was redeveloped and closed for the first few games of the 2006–07 season . The refurbishment included boxing in the concrete columns and alcoves to give the stand a more modern exterior; an overhaul of the kitchen concourse area;
1552-460: A leading Premier League side, chairman Peter Ridsdale unveiled plans for the club to relocate to a 50,000-seat stadium in Skelton. The following month, the club's 33,250 season ticket holders were asked to vote on the proposed relocation. 87.6% of them voted in favour of relocation, but the plans were abandoned within two years following the onset of the club's financial crisis and decline in fortunes on
1649-474: A loan to Jack Petchey . It emerged on 27 December 2006 that the stadium had been sold to the British Virgin Islands -based Teak Trading Corporation 15 months before. In summer 2006, the South Stand was updated and closed for the first few games of the 2006–07 season while work was completed. The refurbishment included boxing in the concrete columns and alcoves; overhaul of the kitchen concourse area,
1746-495: A modern upgrade to the external appearance of the stand; whilst this created extra corporate facilities and more room on the concourse, it in-turn reduced the East Stand Upper's capacity by around 2,500 seats, thus leaving the overall capacity of the ground to stand at just under 38,000 seats. An arcade, hotel and megastore were planned to be built as part of the four further phases, however these plans did not take place following
1843-551: A motor garage. Drainage work was carried out on the pitch to prevent it from becoming waterlogged. City experienced financial hardships jeopardising the club's future but after much uncertainty, an offer of £1,000 and an annual rental of £250 was accepted for the ground. The ground was used during the Great War as a venue for drill and shooting practice until the 1919–20 season commenced. City started that season brightly, but scandal arose involving illegal payments to players during
1940-580: A name first attested in 1398 as Catbeston and Cattbeston . The Cat element is also found in a local field-name, Cadtheweit (whose second element comes from Old Norse þveit , meaning 'clearing'), attested in 1202. The Cat element could come from the Old English word catt ('cat, wild-cat') or from a personal name Cada . Recent scholarship prefers the latter interpretation, in which case Cat Beeston once meant 'Cada's estate characterised by bent-gress', while Cadtheweit meant 'Cada's clearing'. To
2037-620: A new club, Leeds City, was formed and it was agreed that the Elland Road ground would be rented for the upcoming season. The lease was signed on 13 October 1904, for a rent of £75 per year. The club had an option to buy the ground for £5,000 in March 1905, but in November, the price was reduced to £4,500. After City's first season in the Football League , the club built a 5,000-seater covered stand on
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#17328835674322134-702: A new stand in readiness for the 1898–99 season. The ground eventually became known simply as Elland Road. For the 1902–03 season the Association football team, Leeds Woodville of the Leeds League, shared the ground with Holbeck RLFC in the 1902–03 season , but Holbeck went under in 1904 after losing a play-off against St. Helens and the ground was put on the market. After a meeting at the Griffin Hotel in Boar Lane in August,
2231-414: A paddock, which could hold 6,000 standing spectators. Two years later another fire started after a Central League match against Preston North End affecting the West Stand. Fortunately, Cyril Williamson, the club secretary, and several directors were on hand and the fire was extinguished and no significant damage was caused. The 1960s saw the arrival of Don Revie as manager and the club were promoted to
2328-495: A stadium. Grandstands are also usually covered with a roof , but are open on the front. They are often multi-tiered. Grandstands are found at places like Epsom Downs Racecourse and Atlanta Motor Speedway . They may also be found at fairgrounds , circuses , and outdoor arenas used for rodeos . In the United States , smaller stands are called bleachers , and are usually far more basic and typically single-tiered (hence
2425-471: A weekly 5 km Parkrun every Saturday morning at 9am, over 1,000 runners have taken part in the event since it began on 30 March 2013. Holbeck Cemetery in Beeston opened in 1857 and closed to general burials in the 1940s. During the period it was operational, thousands of people were buried there with many in 'guinea graves' with several unrelated people buried in the same plot. The graves were so called for
2522-658: A working men's hostel designed for the council by George C. Robb in 1936, was converted by Citu to the Greenhouse, an eco-friendly housing project. The building had been empty for a number of years and had previously been earmarked for demolition. The development, which includes 172 homes, office space and other facilities, is one of the UK's first low-carbon housing developments and incorporates wind turbines, solar panels and ground source heating as well as energy efficient materials and rainwater and greywater recycling. The development has won
2619-618: A £200,000 corner stand, the North-West corner. To complement the upgrade, an almost identical stand was built, linking the Lowfields stand and the Kop, which cost £200,000. In 1972, when the Leeds United Sports and Souvenir Shop opened, featuring a programme collection. In 1974, Leeds won the league for the second time and the Scratching Shed was dismantled and replaced by the South Stand at
2716-524: Is Cottingley , which is just under a mile away from the Town Street end of Beeston. Services between Leeds and Huddersfield are operated by TransPennine Express , stopping at Morley, Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield and Deighton. Beeston is served by a number of bus services along Dewsbury Road, Elland Road and Town Street, operated primarily by First Leeds and Arriva Yorkshire ; these include: Beeston Hill and Beeston are severed from Leeds by
2813-584: Is a specialist arts college. Matthew Murray High School situated between Beeston and Holbeck closed down in 2004 and was merged with Merlyn Rees High School in Belle Isle , to form South Leeds High School in Belle Isle. In September 2009 South Leeds High School was reopened as the South Leeds Academy . In September 2017, South Leeds Academy was renamed and rebranded as Cockburn John Charles Academy, as
2910-533: Is at the north end of the ground. It was previously known as the Gelderd End or Kop and was originally a standing terrace, it was renamed in 1994 in honour of the club's most successful manager and former player, Don Revie . The Revie Stand was officially opened in October by the club's president, George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood and Mrs E. Revie, the widow of Don Revie. The design has 7,000 seats as stipulated by
3007-452: Is recorded as having a population of 2,547 with 537 houses, a railway station and a post office , and 'by the end of the 19th century Beeston was predominantly a working class community living in back-to-backs'. Beeston was formerly a township and chapelry in the parish of Leeds, in 1866 Beeston became a separate civil parish , on 26 March 1904 the parish was abolished and merged with Holbeck and became part of Leeds in 1925. In 1901
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3104-638: Is surrounded by areas which have become popular with businesses, such as Leeds city centre , Tingley and many of the business districts along the south side of the River Aire . The neighbouring White Rose Shopping Centre employs thousands of full- and part-time staff. Beeston is home to the Beeston Centre of the Leeds City College (formerly Joseph Priestley College ) and Elliott Hudson College . Beeston has one secondary school, Cockburn School which
3201-435: Is the most recently constructed stand in the stadium. The two-tiered structure was built in the 1992–93 season to replace the Lowfields stand and was opened in the 1993–94 season at a cost of £5.5 million. On completion, it was the largest cantilever stand in the world, holding 10,000 spectators in the lower tier and a further 7,000 in the upper tier. The family area was moved from the South Stand and originally spanned
3298-454: Is unclear. It is thought to refer to some cross-shaped pattern of field divisions. The origin of the settlement is likely to be Anglo-Saxon. Beeston is first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book , when it had recently been granted to Ilbert de Lacy (1045–93); in 1066 it had been worth 40 shillings (£2), but in 1086 it was considered waste, presumably because of the Harrying of the North . It
3395-531: The BBC drama serial Waterloo Road was a pupil at the school. Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators, typically at sports stadiums and including both auto racing and horse racing . The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium , but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way around. Grandstands may have basic bench seating, but usually have individual chairs like
3492-583: The Battle of Spion Kop , in January 1900, in the Boer War . No significant changes were made to Elland Road in the 1930s, and 1940s, although it did see some large attendances. On 27 December 1932, 56,796 spectators attended for the visit of eventual champions Arsenal – a record that would last for almost 35 years. The last game of that season saw Leeds play Middlesbrough at home in front of 9,006 spectators. The stadium
3589-543: The Beeston and Holbeck ward of Leeds City Council , which has since its creation in 2004 consistently been represented by Labour councillors. Parts of Beeston Hill to the north of Cross Flatts Park are located within the Hunslet and Riverside ward. This was created in 2018, and largely corresponds to its predecessor City and Hunslet, created in 2004. This was too has invariably returned Labour councillors since 2004. Hilary Benn (Labour) has been MP since 1999 when he won
3686-603: The COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom . In July 2024, Leeds United announced it had again taken full ownership of Elland Road, in March 2024, having sold it in 2004. The stadium is also listed as an asset of community value after an application by the Leeds United Supporters' Trust was approved by Leeds City Council. Capacity: 7,000 (including north-east and north-west corners) The Don Revie Stand
3783-481: The Domesday Book , in the form Bestone . The name seems to come from Old English * bēos 'bent-grass' (L. Agrostis ) and tūn 'estate, village'. Thus it once meant 'estate characterised by bent-grass'. The northern area of Beeston, situated on a hillside facing north to the centre of Leeds, came in the nineteenth century to be called Beeston Hill. This area was formerly called Cat Beeston (and variant spellings),
3880-527: The First Division . The club finished in the top four places for the next ten seasons and Elland Road hosted its first televised game – a league fixture against Everton on 20 March 1965 – and Leeds were 4–1 winners. Great advances were made on the stadium during Revie's reign and a new attendance record of 57,892 was set on 15 March 1967, in a fifth-round replay of the FA Cup against Sunderland . In April 1968,
3977-484: The Labour Party from 1955 to his death in 1963, after whom a primary school in the area is named. The playwright Willis Hall attended Cockburn High School in Beeston as did the academic and author of The Uses of Literacy , Richard Hoggart . The poet Tony Harrison was brought up on Tempest Road and went to what was then Cross Flatts county primary school. More recently, the actress Holly Kenny who starred in
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4074-545: The M621 and therefore benefit from very good links with the M621 motorway, as well as the M62 which runs close to Beeston to the south of Morley. Much of Beeston's traditional heavy industry and fabrication works have closed throughout the last forty years. However, there are substantial areas of industrial and commercial development around Elland Road and to the south of Dewsbury Road and Beeston
4171-403: The Taylor Report , making Elland Road an all-seater stadium. There is a "ground control box" in the north-west corner which is the most advanced in Europe. Videos and photographs taken of everyone entering the ground are monitored and security operations are synchronised. Images and video footage are obtained by the security cameras located around the ground. Capacity: 14,900 The East Stand
4268-499: The 18,500 who voted were in favour of the move. On 7 September 2001, Ridsdale announced his intention to move the club to a 50,000-seat stadium at Skelton in time for the 2004–05 season . The plans never came to fruition as Ridsdale resigned in March 2003, leaving financial disarray and the PLC was soon to follow in March 2004. Later that year, Elland Road was sold with a 25-year lease and buy-back clause to raise funds to pay an instalment of
4365-497: The 1870s these roads remain as Elland Road and Dewsbury Road respectively. By 1822, Beeston had a population of 1,670. Until the 19th century, Beeston had been a small mining village situated on a hill overlooking Leeds. However, during the Industrial Revolution , land that had been occupied by open pits, as well as land formerly utilised for farming, was snapped up for high density residential development. By 1872, Beeston
4462-459: The 1870s, though the former is on the site of a much older church. The more modern church of St David Waincliffe on Dewsbury Road, constructed in the 1960s was designed by Geoffrey Davy and won a Hoffman Wood (Leeds) Gold Medal for Architecture. There are three mosques in Beeston, all located within the Beeston Hill area. There is also a Sikh Gurdwara . Most parts of Beeston are located within
4559-403: The 1993 FA Cup semi-final the venue was originally planned to be Elland Road but was switched to Wembley Stadium following protests from both clubs and their supporters that the stadium was too small to host such a fixture, the risk of crowd trouble were the fixture to be played at Elland Road and due to London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal having their semi-final at Wembley it was perceived
4656-588: The Churwell and Gelderd Road side of the ground was bought from the Monk's Bridge Iron Company at a cost of £420. The committee built a 4,000-seater grandstand which the Lord Mayor , Joseph Hepworth , unveiled before a match against Chelsea on 17 November. The project cost £3,000 and over half a mile of steel was used. There was a training track for the players that ran the length of the stand, dressing and official's rooms and
4753-462: The City of Leeds as a whole. Beeston Hill is largely made up of areas of older Victoria terraces and newer social housing, which comprises around a third of the housing stock in the area. In April 2008, a £93 million PFI scheme to build 700 private and housing association dwellings and regenerate some existing stock was announced. As a particularly deprived area, Beeston Hill along with Holbeck
4850-763: The City of Leeds as a whole. The west of Beeston around Elland Road has significant amounts of industrial estates, with a substantial amount of mainly semi-detached and terraced housing to the western edge of the Parkside and Cross Flatts area. This also forms much of the Old Village side of Beeston, as can be seen in many of the houses along Town Street/Milshaw. Beeston has a main-line railway line running along its western edge along which all services between Leeds and London King's Cross and London St Pancras run; however, there are no stations along it, as Beeston station closed to passengers in 1953. The nearest railway station
4947-648: The Cockburn MAT opened a new school. There are seven primary schools in the area. Beeston has a range of facilities. It has two large health centres, Elland Road stadium and the John Charles Centre for Sport . Leeds city centre is a short distance away and the M1 and M62 motorways are easily accessed. Cross Flatts Park has many facilities, which include 5-a-side football pitches, tennis courts, two separate play areas one for older children and one for younger children and
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#17328835674325044-487: The John Charles Stand redeveloped to hold a two-floored, three-tiered 3500 square metre site along with executive boxes as part of the ambitions of turning Elland Road into a stadium further capable of hosting world class matches and events. The pitch measures approximately 115 yards (105 m) long by 74 yards (68 m) wide, with run-off space on each side. There is an under-soil heating system installed beneath
5141-695: The Kop and another in the South-West corner – and the other was erected four years later. The first match televised live was the rugby league Challenge Cup final replay between Hull FC and Widnes played on 19 May 1982. In summer 1982, Leeds sold Elland Road to Leeds City Council for £2.5 million, and the council granted the club a 125-year lease. Ambitious plans to improve the stadium and neighbouring sporting facilities were designed in 1987 by Newcastle upon Tyne architects and promoted by developers Baltic Consortium and W. H. White. The estimated costs were between £50 million and £75 million to re-build
5238-522: The London clubs would receive an unfair advantage for the FA Cup final. The ground has hosted three England men's international fixtures and three England women's international . On 8 June 1995, England drew 3–3 with Sweden . This was the first England home international played away from Wembley in 22 years, and the first time since 1946 that a new ground had hosted an England international game. The second game
5335-509: The Lowfields with a 7,500 all-seater stand and construct a peripheral 2,000-seater sports stadium adjacent to the stand. Other plans included a shopping centre, ice rink , cricket hall, cinema, nightclub , café, restaurant, waterpark , leisure centre and shops. None of the designs were acted on. In September 1991, the South-East corner was opened, joining the South and Lowfields Stands providing
5432-478: The South Stand in the future by around 2–3,000. This would be achieved by removing the executive boxes and replacing them with seating. This work never started as Ken Bates sold the club in 2012. In March 2011, the East Stand Development began phase one of a five-phase redevelopment project which included an extension to the East Stand Upper's main concourse along with the addition of 25 executive boxes and
5529-463: The Spion Kop terracing was stripped away to make way for a new stand at a cost of £250,000. The roofed structure was built in less than six weeks and became known as the Gelderd End. When completed it left around 60 feet (18 m) of land behind the goal which was turfed, and the pitch moved 30 feet (9.1 m) north. Further improvements in 1970 included the coupling of the West Stand and the Kop with
5626-449: The Virgin may also have been founded in the 13th century. The oldest buildings in Beeston today date to the 15th century. Cad Beeston (also Cad-Beeston, Cat Beeston, Cat-Beeston) manor house has been dated by dendrochronology to about 1420, and is a grade II* listed building ; recently used as private offices, it is now a private dwelling, with no public access. Parts of Stank Hall Barn,
5723-407: The West Stand, dressing rooms and hospitality suites all underwent cosmetic improvement. In April 2020, following the death of Leeds legend Norman Hunter , the South Stand of Elland Road was renamed "The Norman Hunter Stand". In January 2021, the club announced its plans to transform the adjoining 'Centenary Pavilion' into a large vaccination centre to counteract the COVID-19 pandemic , as part of
5820-577: The capacity of Elland Road to 55,000, to be achieved by demolishing the West Stand and rebuilding the area. The stadium has hosted concerts, including performances by bands such as Queen , U2 , Happy Mondays and the Kaiser Chiefs . 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, after the pub which faced
5917-410: The club announced a number of internal and external improvements were in the process of being made to Elland Road to improve the general appearance of the stadium. The improvements consisted of a partial new roof and cladding on the West Stand, banners on either side of the East Stand, South Stand and Northeast Corner of the ground featuring Leeds United legends past and present. In addition, the inside of
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#17328835674326014-431: The club released plans for redevelopment behind the East Stand containing a 350-room hotel, a covered arcade with shops, bars, and restaurants; extended and improved facilities for business conferences and events, a megastore , office block and nightclub . On 6 November 2008, the city council announced it would not be building the proposed Leeds Arena on council owned land adjacent to the ground. On 16 December 2009,
6111-424: The club's insurance cover was inadequate. The players helped clear rubble and wreckage, but the 2,500-seater stand could not be salvaged. After a board meeting, the directors decided to launch a public appeal to build a new stand with assistance from Leeds City Council . The appeal raised £60,000 and a £180,000 West Stand was opened at the start of the following season. The new stand had of 4,000 seats mounted behind
6208-456: The country at the time, were switched on. The game attracted 31,500 spectators who saw two goals each from John Charles and manager Raich Carter as Leeds beat the Scottish side 4–1. It was the first of several Monday night games against teams from north of the border and in successive weeks, Dundee and Falkirk were the visitors to Elland Road. In the early hours of Tuesday 18 September 1956,
6305-422: The east, and Parkside and Cross Flatts to the west. The distinction between these two areas has probably existed since medieval times when they were two separate manors. Beeston - Elland Road and Millshaw is primarily industrial and centred on Elland Road to the west of the area. The Parkside and Cross Flatts area of Beeston, sometimes locally known as Beeston Village, is centred on a shopping centre comprising
6402-663: The factory was vacated in the 1990s, and is now home to Nampak Cartons. In 2006, the district was the setting for much of the film Mischief Night . Beeston is an inner-city area located close to Leeds city centre. It is severed from the areas to the north by the M621 motorway , separated from Middleton by Middleton Park and from Cottingley by the Leeds Outer Ring Road . Beeston can be described as three distinct areas. Beeston - Parkside and Cross Flatts area and Beeston Hill are separated by Cross Flatts Park which runs between Dewsbury Road and Town Street: Beeston Hill to
6499-457: The field. More recently in October 2019, Leeds United's managing director Angus Kinnear suggested that Elland Road's capacity could be expanded to 55,000 should they be promoted to the Premier League. Elland Road has hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue on nine occasions, the first being a tie between Barnsley and Everton on 26 March 1910 and the last on 9 April 1995 in
6596-402: The full lower tier; however, this was altered by Ken Bates and there are now two sections, one at either end of the lower tier for club members and season ticket holders attending matches with children. Sandwiched in between are 25 executive boxes and a large concourse with merchandise outlets, food shops, betting booths and a restaurant. Due to the redevelopment, the capacity of the East Stand
6693-458: The host cities and stadia to be used if England won the right to host the 2018 World Cup were revealed. Leeds was chosen and had the bid been successful the John Charles and Don Revie stands would have been rebuilt, increasing capacity to over 50,000. However, England did not host the 2018 tournament. On 28 December 2009, chairman Ken Bates spoke about future plans to increase the capacity of
6790-557: The host nation. Beeston, Leeds Beeston is a suburb of Leeds , West Yorkshire , England located on a hill about 2 miles (3 km) south of the city centre. The origins of Beeston can be traced back to the medieval period. It remained a small settlement until the latter part of the Victorian era when it became a primarily residential area for people working in Leeds and surrounding industrial areas like Holbeck and Hunslet . At
6887-545: The land, hence the nickname the Peacocks associated with both Leeds City and United. The first occupants were Holbeck Rugby Club ( rugby league ) 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 the West Yorkshire Cup final on 23 April 1898 between Hunslet and Harrogate , with Hunslet winning 1–0. The club erected
6984-465: The need arise. However, the first time the club used it, the pitch turned black as the water was too cold. A statue for legendary captain Billy Bremner was erected outside the ground in 1999. A statue for Leeds' most successful manager Don Revie was also built in 2012, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the club winning the FA Cup . As part of the renovation towards the Bremner statue to take place in
7081-454: The new owners, Leeds Sporting Company agreed to pay £10 million to buy back the stadium from Leeds City Council. On 16 August 2001, chairman Peter Ridsdale sent a letter to season ticket holders and shareholders regarding the future of the club outlining two options, to improve Elland Road or to relocate. A ballot form was included but the letter was biased in favour of relocation. Less than 13% voted to stay at Elland Road and 87.6% of
7178-455: The newly formed Leeds United for £250. In the 1920s, the South Stand terrace was covered with a wooden barrel -shaped roof and came to be known as the Scratching Shed. Another stand was built on the east side terracing called the Lowfields. Behind the goal at the north end was a terrace known as the Spion Kop, or simply Kop, from a hill in South Africa on which 322 British soldiers died in
7275-531: The other bombs landing on Cross Flatts Park. In his 2005 poem "Shrapnel", Tony Harrison , who was in Beeston on the night of the raid, speculates whether this was an act of heroism by the German pilot, a theory that has been explored ever since the raid. Holbeck Cemetery, in Beeston, also features prominently in Harrison's 1985 poem " V ". Beeston was formerly home to card and board game manufacturer Waddingtons , though
7372-472: The parish had a population of 3323. On the night of 14 March and early hours of 15 March 1941 , during the Second World War , Leeds received its worst night of German aerial bombing. Beeston had more bombs dropped on it than any other district of the city and although Flaxton Terrace was damaged during the night time air raid , escaped with the less damage than most other areas of Leeds with nearly all
7469-459: The sale of the club to GFH Capital who then sold the club to Massimo Cellino. In June 2017, new Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani bought the stadium back from Jacob Adler's company Teak Commercial Limited for £20 million, using his own company Greenfield Investment Pte Ltd. The first game taking back control of the stadium was against Oxford United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 29 July 2017 in which Leeds United won 2–0. In July 2017
7566-624: The seat following the death of Derek Fatchett who had been MP for Leeds Central since 1983 . Before the 1997 general election , Beeston was part of the Morley and Leeds South constituency , represented from its creation in 1983 to 1992 by Merlyn Rees and from 1992 to 1997 by John Gunnell . Before the creation of the Morley and South Leeds constituency the area was part of the Leeds South constituency represented until 1963 by Hugh Gaitskell , leader of
7663-513: The shared headstones on which a single-line inscription cost one guinea (21 shillings ). Henry Rowland Marsden , the Victorian industrialist and former mayor of Leeds, is buried in Holbeck Cemetery where his family grave is marked by a Grade II-listed memorial. The poem " V " by Tony Harrison, published in 1985, describes a visit to Holbeck Cemetery and his reaction to finding his parents' tombstones vandalised. In 2008 Shaftesbury House,
7760-425: The summer of 1992, when the Lowfields was demolished and replaced by a new East Stand – a 17,000-seater stand with two tiers and no restricted views. On completion in 1993, at a cost of £5.5 million, it housed 25 executive boxes, 10,000 seats in the bottom tier, part of which formed the members-only family section, and a further 7,000 seats in the upper tier. The East Stand was then the biggest cantilever stand in
7857-448: The summer of 2018, the following team was voted by the fans as 11 Legendary players (including Billy Bremner ). They were voted to each have a stone engraved around the Billy Bremner statue outside Elland Road. They were described as '10 legend stones' in the area around the famous statue. Each stone will be engraved with the legends keys stats and achievements during their career's with Leeds United . In August 2001, when Leeds were still
7954-473: The surface, consisting of 59 miles (95 km) of piping. This, together with a good drainage system, means that only heavy fog, a blizzard or flooding would force the club to cancel a match. There are wells sunk approximately 70 feet (21 m) beneath the West Stand and the North Stand and a pumping system is situated under the South Stand, meaning that the club can draw on its own supply of water, should
8051-524: The surrounding area. Ralph Thoresby recorded, 'Beeston is actually burnt, and only some escaped to bring the doleful tidings! The drums beat, the bells rang backward, the women shrieked, and some doleful consternation seized upon all persons ... (B)lessed be God! The terror disappeared, it being a false alarm, taken from some drunken people.' Between 1740 and 1820, the Leeds-Elland and Dewsbury-Leeds turnpike roads were built through Beeston; nationalised in
8148-545: The third and deciding match of the Super League Test series between Great Britain and Australia was played at Elland Road before a crowd of 39,337. In December 1997, £11.3 million plans to improve the West and South Stands were unveiled which would have raised capacity to around 45,000. A new structure mirroring the East Stand would have seated around 12,000 people. A three-tier structure would focus on hospitality with
8245-473: The time of the 2011 Census , Beeston had a population of 22,187 (which included Holbeck). Some parts of the area, around Cross Flatts Park, suffer from relatively high levels of deprivation, while areas to the centre and south are generally considered more affluent. Beeston is home to the Leeds United football club stadium on Elland Road and Hunslet rugby league club. The name Beeston is first attested in
8342-409: The tunnel and the directors' box, where home and away team directors view the match, along with the club doctor. There are many suites incorporated within the stand and a banqueting suite and conference centre are attached to the rear, having been opened in April 1992. As of September 2011, parts of the West Stand became the new home for away fans following a £300,000 refurbishment. Future plans would see
8439-458: The war years and the club was expelled from the Football League after only eight games. This led some local businessmen to contemplate digging up the clay deposits under the pitch and turning Elland Road into a brickyard . Yorkshire Amateurs became the tenants , and that club played there for a brief spell saving the ground from development. In 1920, Yorkshire Amateurs sold Elland Road to
8536-469: The west of Beeston lies Beeston Royds, whose name is first attested (as Beyston Royds ) in 1633. The royds element comes from the Old English word rod ('clearing'). Another district of Beeston is the Cross Flatts area. This name is first attested in 1636, as Crossflatts and other spellings. The Middle English word flat meant 'piece of level ground, field', but the precise significance of 'cross'
8633-428: The west side at a cost of £1,050. Attendances were rising, culminating in over 22,500 people cramming into the stadium to watch a local derby with Bradford City on 30 December, bringing in £487 of gate receipts. An expansion programme continued, and the club's directors ensured that the initial success was built upon, employing a "ground committee" to oversee developments. In February 1906, 3,961 square yards of land on
8730-506: The world. For the 1994–95 season Elland Road became an all-seater stadium, with nearly 7,000 seats replacing the terracing in the Kop, as directed by the Taylor Report . The new-look Kop was officially opened in October by the club's president, George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood and Elsie Revie, widow of the late Don Revie . The Gelderd End was renamed the Don Revie Stand in honour of the club's former manager. On 16 November 1997,
8827-550: Was a friendly match against Italy on 27 March 2002 while the new Wembley was being built. In addition, Elland Road would have been a potential host stadium for the football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics had Manchester won its bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics as well as in the failed English bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup . England women defeated the Netherlands 5–1 at Elland Road in their final preparation match before winning UEFA Women's Euro 2022 as
8924-529: Was chosen to host the all city of Leeds Rugby Football League Championship Final between Leeds and Hunslet in 1938, when a crowd of 54,112 saw Hunslet win the title. In the Second World War, the ground was requisitioned by the War Office for administrative purposes. Floodlights were first used on 9 November 1953 for a match against Hibernian when the £7,000 lights, claimed to be the most expensive in
9021-519: Was known as the West Stand until the fans demanded a tribute to former player John Charles , following his death on 21 February 2004. It is currently the oldest two-tiered stand at Elland Road, having been built in 1957 after the previous stand burnt down, ironically forcing Charles' sale as the club needed the funds to pay for a new stand. The corporate seats are located here and there is a commentary gantry and walkway for TV personnel. The radio and press have facilities in this stand. The West Stand houses
9118-471: Was one of the ten 'out-townships' of the Parish of Leeds until the parish was broken up in the 1840s-50s. In the medieval period, Beeston was associated with sheep-farming : the monks of Kirkstall Abbey grazed 240 sheep there. Founding Drax Priory in the 1130s, William Paynel granted it land in Beeston. A small hospital seems to have been founded in the township around 1233, and a chapel dedicated to St Mary
9215-477: Was reduced and the words Leeds United AFC were taken off the seats. Capacity: 5,000 (including South-East and South-West corners) The South Stand was built in 1974 at a cost of £500,000 to replace the Scratching Shed, which had been there since the 1920s. It comprises two small tiers intersected with a row of 32 executive boxes and an executive restaurant. There are a few seats in the South-West Corner, and
9312-761: Was selected as one of eight Euro 96 venues. Elland Road was used by rugby league club Hunslet in the mid-1980s and hosted two matches of the 2015 Rugby World Cup . 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 37,792 Elland Road had recorded its record league attendance on 27 December 1932, where
9409-445: Was the beneficiary of Objective 2 European funding. Beeston Hill has a relatively high level of empty housing as well as a number of significant unoccupied commercial premises. Beeston Hill has a significant ethnic minority population, with around 40% of the population from BME Communities. The area suffers from a high level of deprivation, with indicators for health, economic activity and community safety substantially worse than for
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