49ers Enterprises signal Leeds United intent with key transfer at Elland Road

Elland Road has been returned to Leeds United ownership for the first time in 20 years. After two decades of changing hands, independent of the club, 49ers Enterprises has reunited the two entities.

Accounts published for Elland Road Limited, the stadium’s holding company, this week confirmed 100 per cent of its shares were transferred to Leeds United Football Club Limited, the club’s holding company, on March 27. Greenfield Investment PTE Limited, one of Andrea Radrizzani’s companies, had owned the stadium since 2017, but transferred its shares to 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group LLC when the United takeover went through last September.

49ers then returned ownership to the club’s hands in a move chief executive Angus Kinnear believes signals the ownership’s intent in LS11. He said: “While this may seem like only a subtle change in corporate structure, I know our supporters will understand its broader significance in signalling our ownership’s intent Leeds United and Elland Road should always be inextricably bound.”

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The topic of Elland Road’s ownership flared up during the takeover negotiations between Aser Ventures and the 49ers group. It emerged, via The Athletic, outgoing chairman Radrizzani had explored the possibility of using the stadium as security for his takeover of Sampdoria.

It was a move which caught everyone, even those at the very heart of the 49ers talks, off guard and drew widespread criticism from all corners. Ultimately, that idea never came to pass and ultimately 100 per cent ownership passed into the American group’s hands before this March transfer.

As a result of the move by Radrizzani, Leeds United Supporters’ Trust moved to relist the ground as an Asset of Community Value with Leeds City Council. That status puts safeguards in place on such ownership threats in the future.