COVID vaccine news gives Leeds United CEO confidence on fans return to Elland Road

Chief executive Angus Kinnear expects the UK government to prioritise a reunion between live football and supporters once the current lockdown situation eases.

Leeds fans haven't enjoyed access to live games since March and the club had hopes of a phased return, via a lottery scheme for season ticket holders before the Premier League season reached Christmas. But a rise in cases and a tightening of restrictions saw the government's plans to start returning fans to stadiums in October shelved.

Now, however, Kinnear believes the news that two experimental vaccines have proved at least 90 per cent effective is cause for optimism.

"The positive news this week regarding the efficacy of two of the Covid vaccine front-runners gives us renewed confidence in a phased return of crowds taking place later this season," he said, in his programme notes for today's game against Arsenal at Elland Road.

"The goverrnment have made a commitment that when the current set of lockdown measures are relaxed, sport will be at the front of the queue of the sectors that are addressed.

"We accept that the current macro-economic environment makes a return to crowds challenging, but as this improves we expect the government to fairly and scientifically assess the proposals that demonstrate properly managed outdoor football stadia can actually be one of the safest environments for people to return to."