The story of Elland Road and Thorp Arch is well-known around the country, Leeds selling both to keep the club afloat and the story of Andrea Radrizzani and Elland Road is fresh. The new owner bought it back after years of renting our own home and now he has began a long process of building a new training ground close to the stadium.
Two sites, Fullerton car park next to the West Stand and another site in South Leeds have both been discussed as potential sites for the new training ground today as representatives of the club met Leeds City Council, something that shows the bridges being built between the two under Andrea Radrizzani. The club and the council haven’t always seen eye-to-eye and Radrizzani has already stressed how important they are for the club, the new owner keen to set foundations for his time in charge at the club, which has started well and looks like lasting for many years. He certainly isn’t here to make a quick pound or two and his work behind the scenes has been staggering in such a short space of time.
Leeds have been renting Thorp Arch for many years, a very good facility so we thought but one that Andrea Radrizzani thinks could be vastly improved. He said he felt like the club was still in the past in terms of infrastructure and facilities, his aim to improve it all and that in turn will breed success on the football pitch. The move from Thorp Arch to Leeds city would see the club train closer to Elland Road or directly next to it and that can only be a positive for everyone involved with the club. Today was just a starting step towards what Radrizzani wants to do but as we have seen so far in his tenure, if he wants to do something he normally gets the job done.