Why the Leeds United Supporters Trust is urging fans to stay away from Elland Road - opinion

Football is back!

Can we continue our pre-lockdown form?

Are the players as fit and ready to go asthey say they are?

Will Victor Orta smash his own TV this time?

Will you spot your cardboard cut-out self in the crowd’?

We will find out over the next few weeks in the intense, nail-biting culmination to this most important, but yet so bizarre, football season.

Whilst the country has been on lockdown, much has been going on behind the scenes.

The Trust has held regular conference calls with the club on important issues such as the rebate packages for 2019-20 season ticket holders, which after a few tweaks appears to have satisfied the vast majority of fans who have invested so much of their valuable cash in supporting Leeds United.

The Trust fully supports the club, the players and the genius that is Marcelo Bielsa in their desire to complete this season on the pitch if at all possible and win promotion, without any sign of an asterisk and without messing around with the play-offs.

The team have put themselves in the strongest position and the Trust are now calling on all fans to play their part by staying away from Elland Road.

You may have already seen our online #StayAway campaign, which is supported by other key fan groups.

This has already featured videos from Allan Clarke, Phil Hay (check out his artwork in the background of the video), and staff from Leeds Teaching Hospitals, the Trust’s President Simon Rix of the Kaiser Chiefs, the Hollywood royalty that is Rune Temte and a certain Vinnie Jones, who also used to play some quality football in his time.

These videos will continue to be released online in the run-up to each game.

And if you’re not convinced by Vinnie telling you to stay away, then you can go tell him yourself (good luck with that!).

Follow us on Twitter and keep an eye out for each new video – there’s a few famous faces in store!

We all desperately want to be at Elland Road to celebrate an important part of our history, in our centenary season, but we simply can’t.

The danger of spreading the coronavirus is just too much of a risk.

There will be a time when we can all get together and have a massive party but, for now, think about those we have already lost and those loved ones we wouldn’t want to lose.

If nothing else, do it out of respect for the late great Norman Hunter, a Leeds legend who was taken from us far too soon by this deadly virus.

The Leeds United Supporters’ Trust is a democratic, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to giving Leeds United fans a voice within the club.

Visit our website at www.leeedsunitedtrust.com to see more about the important work we do.

You can join the Trust today for only £10 per year.

Why not give it as a gift for Father’s Day?

Marching on together.