Leeds to review crowd safety after Newcastle fans complain of crush

Leeds United and West Yorkshire police are reviewing crowd safety protocols at Elland Road after hundreds of Newcastle United fans complained about a crush outside the ground’s away end on Saturday.

Severe traffic congestion around Elland Road meant that many supporters arrived slightly later than planned for a Premier League game won 1-0 by Newcastle. With 3,000 away fans having made the trip and matters further slowed by Covid passport checks, significant overcrowding occurred around five turnstiles.

Eventually officials opened wider access gates and a Leeds spokesman confirmed a review of safety procedures was under way. “The club acknowledges the complaints raised by some Newcastle United supporters regarding issues experienced entering Elland Road on Saturday,” he said.

“Leeds United will now work with the Newcastle Supporters Trust (NUST), West Yorkshire Police and our own safety team to review the issues raised and ensure we continue to provide a safe environment for everyone attending our stadium.”

The NUST chair, Greg Tomlinson, was heartened by Leeds’s response. “The Trust has raised significant concerns to Leeds United in relations to the issues that could have resulted in serious injury or worse and were not the fault of any Newcastle United fans,” he said.

“I welcome the quick response from Leeds United and their commitment to undertaking a review. No football supporter should go to a match and be in fear of their own safety. There were issues when we played at Elland Road in November 2016 and it was even worse at the weekend. It is imperative lessons are learnt to prevent this from happening again.”

Alex Hurst, an NUST board member told the True Faith Podcast: “I went to Leeds in 2016 and it was a disgrace