Leeds United fans handed chance to celebrate with Marcelo Bielsa's promotion-winning squad this weekend

Leeds United won promotion to the Premier League last week.
The Champions Trail will be on display in Leeds on Friday and Saturday.The Champions Trail will be on display in Leeds on Friday and Saturday.
The Champions Trail will be on display in Leeds on Friday and Saturday.

Leeds United fans have been handed a very special opportunity this week to celebrate with the club's stars following their landmark promotion to the Premier League.

For two days only on Friday and Saturday, full size action cut outs of 19 members of the Whites first team squad will be displayed across 12 locations in the city centre.

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The 'Champions Trail' has been designed and created by Leeds sports agency Banana Kick, with backing from Leeds City Council and Leeds United themselves.

Players will be on display from 10am to 6pm and will give fans the opportunity to take pictures and selfies with the promotion-winning squad who wrote their names into history this season as a safe distance.

Cut outs will be located at a number of locations - which include Trinity Leeds, Kirkgate Market, Merrion Centre, Victoria Leeds, Millennium Square and Briggate - as to not encourage mass gatherings under the current government guidelines.

Marcelo Bielsa's side brought 16 years of hurt to an end this season as they secured promotion to the top flight by claiming the Championship trophy in style.

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Leeds, though, completed the campaign behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic with official celebrations put on hold until further notice which left supporters unable to mark the occasion in the usual jubilant manner.

Club captain Liam Cooper wrote an open letter to supporters in the YEP urging them to remain at home last month.

Director Angus Kinnear and chairman Andrea Radrizzani have also both promised to celebrate the achievement in some form once it is safe to do with social distancing guidelines remaining in place until further notice.

Gary McCall, chief executive of Banana Kick, said: “Leeds is our home and we love sport, so we wanted to do something special to mark this momentous promotion while at the same time help attract more people into the city centre. We'd love for fans to come down wearing kit and colours to add to the experience across the city.

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"The beauty about this is it is spread out so while we’re hoping thousands will venture out, people won’t need to congregate in one place.

"It’s also completely free, so it gives fans and families something to do while supporting the wider city centre and the many businesses that may need a helping hand there. It’s a great example of football, family and business coming together.”

James Lewis. of Leeds City Council, added: “This is a great example of a local Leeds firm doing something special, showing pride in their city and backing business in a safe way during the pandemic.

"It would be easy for this title win to pass without the due attention it deserves given the effect of Covid-19, but projects like the Leeds United Champions Trail means we can all get out there, celebrate in a safe and responsible way and be part of a moment in the city’s history that will be long remembered as the time when Leeds United returned to the big time.”