Passion, pride, and Premier League dreams: Why Leeds United’s comeback season will be their best yet
Leeds has always been a top flight city and now it once again has a top flight football to boot.
It’s a special moment for the city - a return back to the Premier League.
And this time the fans will be able to join in as they stream back into Elland Road on Monday to mark the club’s new season campaign.
Leeds City Council leader James Lewis writes exclusively for the Yorkshire Evening Post about why Leeds United’s return to top flight football will be their best season yet.
“This has already been quite a year for Leeds United.
“From dramatic late wins over promotion rivals Sunderland and Sheffield United to the goal at Plymouth Argyle that clinched the Championship title, the final months of last season gave them – and us – magical moments galore.
“But the best, as they say, is (hopefully!) yet to come.
All this, of course, comes as the club continues to go places off the field, with its stadium expansion plans complementing our own ambitions for the regeneration of land around Elland Road.
“United are back where you and I know they truly belong, and that’s in the big time of English football.
“It’s a painful truth that the name of Leeds United has been absent from the Premier League’s fixture list on far too many occasions over the last couple of decades.
“Nevertheless, in terms of size, support and potential, they have always remained a top-flight club in a top-flight city.
“For proof of that, look no further than the incredible 150,000-strong turnout for the bus parade held in May to celebrate the achievements of Daniel Farke and his players.
“Success for the club also breeds success for the city as a whole, with the profile and publicity that comes with the Premier League’s massive global appeal set to deliver benefits for our local economy.
“For now, though, the focus for fans will be business on the pitch, starting with Monday night’s game against Everton at Elland Road.
“As a Leeds season ticket holder, I know how special it is to be inside this famous old ground while the stands are rocking and the scarves are twirling.
“I’m sure that will be the case again on Monday, when Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson and the rest of our new recruits will get their first proper taste of playing with a raucous Elland Road crowd behind them.
“Between now and May, they and the heroes of last season’s promotion campaign have the chance to make Leeds a force at the highest level, just as the likes of Billy Bremner, Eddie Gray, David Batty, Gordon Strachan and Lucas Radebe once did.
“All this, of course, comes as the club continues to go places off the field, with its stadium expansion plans complementing our own ambitions for the regeneration of land around Elland Road.
“I know that, given the financial resources available to established Premier League sides, the next nine months of football will not be easy.
“But whatever the season brings, you can guarantee that Leeds – the club, its players, the backroom staff, its fans and the city – will keep marching on together.”
* And don’t forget to order your special Yorkshire Evening Post 12-page supplement as Leeds United kick off their new season. Click here for more details.