Leeds United and Birmingham City are experiencing similar exciting off-pitch trends: View | OneFootball

Leeds United and Birmingham City have both given fans plenty of reasons to be excited lately

Leeds United and Birmingham City both ended last season with bitter disappointment, but there are already plenty of reasons for both fanbases to be optimistic now.

The two clubs have recently announced plans to improve their stadium infrastructure, with Elland Road set to be expanded to a capacity of 53,000. Meanwhile, Birmingham owner Tom Wagner has made it clear of his intentions to build a whole new stadium complex for the Blues.

It was reported by the BBC back in April that the League One side purchased a 48-acre site that will become the new home for Birmingham.

The site will not only include a stadium, but also a new training ground and academy facilities.

This is a massively ambitious project that will come at quite a cost, potentially as high as £2 billion according to The Sun, while the Elland Road expansion won’t be cheap either.

Leeds and Birmingham have shared ambition

The message is clear from both clubs about what direction the owners want to see their team going in the next five to 10 years.

Leeds are in the hunt for automatic promotion to the Premier League again this term after coming third in the table last season.

The Whites’ route to the top flight should be relatively straightforward, as Daniel Farke knows what it takes to get there, and he has a talented squad capable of achieving a top two finish this campaign.

But Birmingham’s return to the first division will be a lot tougher, with Chris Davies taking over the side in the summer after the Blues suffered relegation from the Championship.

The Midlands outfit haven’t been in the third tier since 1995, but that has not stopped the US-based owners from going forward with his big plans for the club’s new stadium.

It is to Wagner’s credit that this disappointment has not deterred his ambitious plans for the side, with the signing of Jay Stansfield from Fulham for £15 million, according to Sky Sports, only strengthening his show of support to the team; with signings like that, a climb back through the divisions is a strong possibility.

It is clear Leeds and Birmingham have the Premier League in their sights.

Improving the stadium infrastructure at Leeds and Birmingham is only half the battle in terms of increasing the size of their respective clubs - Premier League football will eventually be crucial to make the most of the revenue expansion will bring.

Leeds will not want to be playing in front of 53,000 people in the Championship when that development is completed, but their last stint in the top flight showed that staying in the division isn’t an easy task.

The Blues haven’t come close to promotion since coming fourth in their first year after their 2011 relegation from the Premier League.

The road back to that level won’t be easy, and building an impressive new stadium won’t be an immediate ticket back to the big time either.

Their positive start to the League One season is a good sign, and the response to relegation last year has been great both on and off the pitch.

But some tempering of expectations might still be needed for the time being, as this investment is not a silver bullet that will immediately bring them back to the top flight.

It would’ve been easy for Leeds and Birmingham to become toxic in the aftermath of their disappointments last season, but new stadium plans are just the beginning of what could be a very exciting period for both clubs. The respective ownership groups deserve huge credit for such a positive update months after the way 2023/24 ended.