Leeds United chief executive makes '70,000 tickets' claim amid Elland Road redevelopment comment

Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear believes United ‘could have sold over 70,000 tickets’ for this afternoon’s fixture against Arsenal.

The Premier League tie pits two of the competition’s best-supported clubs against each other for the first time this season, provoking Kinnear to become the latest club figure to weigh in once more on the topic of Elland Road’s redevelopment.

"The supporter correspondence over the early part of the season has once again been dominated by frustrations over access to tickets,” Kinnear begins in his pre-match programme notes.

"Since the start of our ascent to the Premier League we have worked tirelessly with supporters to come up with a system that balances rewarding loyalty while ensuring that all supporters have the opportunity to see the team play live.

"However, for today’s match we could have sold over 70,000 tickets, so it is an unavoidable consequence that the majority of supporters are disappointed. In the medium term, stadium redevelopment is the ultimate solution. In the interim, Members who wish to maximise their chances are advised to apply for as many matches as possible (not just the glamour ties!) both in the initial sales period, the ballot, and then again on Ticket Exchange – where significant numbers of tickets are available right up to before the match.”

Elland Road’s expansion was a topic vice chairman and 49ers Enterprises chief Paraag Marathe recently discussed in an interview with the BBC, and remains a development opportunity the Leeds hierarchy are keen to push.