Should I Support Leeds United FC?

Founded in 1919 after predecessor Leeds City was expelled from the Football League, Leeds rose under legendary manager Don Revie in the 1960s and 70s — winning two league titles, the FA Cup, and reaching two European finals. The Premier League era was defined by the 2001 Champions League semi-final and then catastrophic financial collapse, which sent Leeds down to League One by 2007. After 16 years out of the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa's high-pressing, all-attacking team won promotion in 2020 and produced two of the most fun seasons of modern football. Relegated in 2023, Daniel Farke's Leeds returned to the Premier League by winning the Championship in 2024-25 with 100 points — Farke's third Championship title.

Loud, intense, all-or-nothing. Leeds don't play boring football — they press, attack, and concede goals in equal measure. The fanbase brings a tribal energy that rivals anywhere in Europe. "Marching on Together" is one of the great club anthems and Elland Road on a Friday night is the closest thing the Premier League has to a NFL playoff atmosphere. The 53,000-capacity Elland Road expansion (planning approved January 2026) will make it one of the largest club grounds in England.

Leeds is the third-largest city in England by some measures, and the fanbase is enormous. Songs are constant, banners are everywhere, and the rivalry with Manchester United (the "Roses" rivalry) is one of the most bitter in English football — rooted in the medieval Wars of the Roses between Yorkshire and Lancashire. The Lowfields, Kop, and South Stand sing in waves. Leeds also has a strong American following — the 2018 Bielsa documentary "Take Us Home" introduced a new generation of US fans during the promotion years.

• +One of the largest, loudest fanbases in English football
• +Elland Road atmosphere is on the bucket list of every soccer fan
• +Massive city (Leeds is one of England's biggest) with rich football culture
• +Ground expansion to 53,000 capacity makes Leeds a true sleeping giant
• +The 2024-25 promotion-winning team is genuine Premier League quality

• −Newly promoted — relegation is a real risk, and it would hurt
• −Manchester United fans will give you grief for life
• −The fanbase is intense; bad results turn into existential crises fast

Closest US sports comp: Cleveland Browns crossed with Philadelphia Eagles — historic, painful, fanatical, and capable of reaching unbelievable highs and lows in the same month.