He highlighted a variety of themes during the club’s most recent Supporters Advisory Board meeting.
Leeds United’s chief executive Angus Kinnear expects a “quiet” January transfer window and has provided an update on Elland Road’s reconstruction.
The Championship leaders have released the minutes of the last Leeds United Supporters Advisory Board (SAB) meeting. Kinnear, the Whites’ long-time CEO, was among those in attendance at the ceremony last month.
“AK says confidence in the team is strong, demonstrated in Derby County match after Blackburn Rovers defeat,” according to the paperwork. “January will be quiet he expects but doesn’t rule anything out.”
In September, United announced intentions to modernize their stadium and boost capacity from 37,645 to 53,000 seats. Kinnear stated in the SAB meeting notes, “Consultancy is beginning to take shape (on the stadium side), and positive progress is continuing.”
Kinnear introduced Elevate’s Ben Allen, who the club has hired to lead a feasibility study for the stadium redevelopment. The document states: “The company has real expertise and is completely independent, consulting with supporters, stakeholders, and market developments, etc.
“Lucinda Yeadon, who attended previous meeting, focuses more on the community aspect of the redevelopment. BA discusses who the company have worked with in the USA and Europe.
“The consultancy will look into general admission/hospitality seating, ticketing costs, and so on. The purpose of attending the conference is to better understand the current matchday restrictions and how they might be addressed during the renovation.” Allen asked the group for suggestions on what makes Elland Road distinctive and how to improve the matchday experience.
The memo continues, “AK emphasizes the requirement for allocating the premium seats is done correctly, to guarantee the atmosphere is maintained. Discusses the need for current fans to migrate to similar areas. According to AK, premium seating will provide an opportunity to make general admission ticket costs reasonable. A 17,000 capacity increase would significantly lower the Season Ticket Waiting List.
When asked about the academy’s accomplishments, Kinnear said that player retention “can be difficult, but plans are in place to make further improvements on recruitment/retention”.
