Leeds chief issues fan-friendly response to Elland Road naming rights question

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe issued a fan-friendly response to questions about a potential name change at Elland Road.

Following Leeds' 14th-placed Premier League finish in 2025/26, Marathe has been active speaking about the club's future and how the owners, the 49ers, plan to approach it.

When asked about whether the club would try and use naming rights of their Elland Road home as an avenue for generating revenue, the chairman said “It has not been contemplated. It is not something I am thinking about at the moment.”

Fans were left pleased with the 49ers' stance on keeping their iconic home ground named Elland Road, especially with initial fears that the ownership would overly commercialise the club when they first took over.

Elland Road expansion underway

Earlier in the week, Leeds United's ownership group announced the commencement of the expansion project of Elland Road.

The club are planning to increase the capacity of their home ground to around 53,000 fans, which would transform Elland Road into a UEFA category 4 stadium.

Work on the expansion will begin with the removal of the Banqueting Suite, which, once completed, will allow the club to start working on the West Stand.

The project is seen as key to the future of the club, with Leeds United aiming to gradually grow their fanbase and become a perennial Premier League team, while there is a longer term ambition to reach a £1bn club valuation.

FGG Says: Exciting time to be a Leeds United fan

Leeds United were widely tipped to suffer relegation from the Premier League in 2025/26, but after a superb 14th-placed finish, the club's future is looking increasinly bright.

The owners are not only protecting the historic values of the club, keeping the stadium named Elland Road, but also committing to make considerable developments as they hope to improve both on and off the pitch.