The wait is nearly over as Leeds United's fans finally prepare for capacity 'church' return

Two more days.
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After a 17-month wait, fans will finally be able to return to Elland Road in full this weekend for Leeds United' s first home game of the new Premier League season against Everton.

And the build-up towards that eagerly awaited occasion will really crank up a notch today as Marcelo Bielsa holds his pre-match press conference.

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Bielsa is bound to face something of an inquest into just what went wrong in Saturday's 5-1 hiding against the club's arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, a horrible start to the new campaign.

COMING BACK IN FULL: Leeds United's supporters for last season's final game of the Premier League campaign at home to West Brom in which around 8,000 fans returned. Now they can come back in full. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.COMING BACK IN FULL: Leeds United's supporters for last season's final game of the Premier League campaign at home to West Brom in which around 8,000 fans returned. Now they can come back in full. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
COMING BACK IN FULL: Leeds United's supporters for last season's final game of the Premier League campaign at home to West Brom in which around 8,000 fans returned. Now they can come back in full. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

But even in defeat, the 3,000 Whites fans in the Old Trafford stands literally sang until they were finally allowed to exit the ground and this weekend they can finally come back 'to church.'

Elland Road has not been full since March 7, 2020 when an attendance of 36,514 fans watched the Whites record a 2-0 victory against Championship visitors Huddersfield Town, a triumph ignited by a Luke Ayling rocket.

Seventeen months later, Ayling bagged another one in last weekend's defeat at Old Trafford, temporarily putting the Whites level at 1-1.

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A lot has changed in the 17 months that followed that success against Huddersfield.

The world is a different place - and Leeds United are in their second season in the Premier League.

Yet their fans have still been unable to enjoy that experience in full.

Until now that is. And the wait, at long last, is nearly over.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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