Leeds United: Football finance expert warns of Elland Road financial hit | OneFootball

Dr Dan Plumley has warned the Whites that they may have to face some short-term financial pain for the sake of long-term gain.

Leeds United are likely to lose millions of pounds in revenue during their Elland Road expansion project, according to Dan Plumley.

He made this admission to MOT Leeds News, with the Whites likely to need to block off sections of their stadium to ensure expansion work can take place safely and effectively.

However, the football finance expert believes this loss of revenue will be outweighed by the amount they are set to make after the project is complete, with the expansion allowing them to sell more tickets to games.

This project is an exciting one for Leeds supporters, with the club revealing the full extent of their plans back in September.

Not only will the capacity of the ground be increased from 37,645 to around 53,000 seats, but the design of the expanded arena will aim to retain Elland Road's atmosphere, which can only help the team on the pitch.

Upgrades made during this project will also make the Whites' home ground a UEFA Category 4 status stadium, so there's plenty to be excited about for the West Yorkshire outfit.

This expansion, which will make Leeds' stadium the seventh biggest in the country, could help the Whites to establish themselves as a Premier League club off the pitch whilst they try and secure a top-flight return, amid competition for a top-two place from Sunderland and Burnley.

Dan Plumley reveals mixed verdict amid Elland Road project

The statement also mentions that a phased approach to the project should allow the club to minimise the seats that are lost due to the project going on.

However, it's fairly clear that some of the club's seating capacity will be lost temporarily as a result of this expansion.

This is something finance expert Plumley has noted, telling MOT Leeds News: "You’ve got to look at it through the lens of short-term pain for long-term gain.

"If you do have to close a stand off, there are a few assumptions in there around how much that might cost.

"From their most recent set of accounts in a Championship season, Leeds were generating around £1.3million per matchday. Not all stands are equal but let’s say conservatively, if you close one stand you might lose a couple of hundred to £300,000 per matchday.

"That might cost you in the region of a few million over the course of a season, but the upshot going the other way, is you’re probably looking at around a £10million uplift in matchday revenue over the course of a season after the expansion."

Leeds may lose some revenue in the short term, but it's clear that more seats will be needed at Elland Road.

Not only will that give more fans the chance to see their team in action at home, but it should also improve the atmosphere.

And extra bums on seats will increase ticket revenue, which can only be a good thing, with financial restrictions meaning the Whites are always having to ensure their books are balanced.

Extra revenue means they can spend more, which should increase their chances of success.

This project is an exciting one - and it's worth the short-term financial pain.