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Kieran Maguire: Leeds United fans 'critical' to promotion in £20m claim
The impressive attendance rates at Leeds United are ‘critical’ as the club is set to earn £20million in matchday revenue this season.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the importance of matchday and sponsorship revenue to Leeds in the Championship.
The Yorkshire club were demoted into the second tier after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, and have started this season with new owners, a new manager and a much-changed squad.
A number of first-team stars have left the club on loan deals this summer after they were included as relegation clauses in their contracts.
As a result, Leeds have struggled to generate funds from player sales as well as fellow relegated sides Southampton and Leicester City.
Rodrigo and Tyler Adams are the only two departures to bring money into the club, with the latter being sold to Bournemouth for £20million this month.
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With player sales struggling to generate cash, Maguire emphasised the importance of sponsorship and matchday revenue to the club.
“If we go back to the last time that Leeds United were in the championship, they always had very high attendances,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“But it was very noticeable that their commercial income was not only the highest in the Championship but actually a multiple of the vast majority of clubs.
“It was higher than over half of the clubs in the Premier League even though Leeds were in the division below.
“So Elland Road will be behind the club in full, and they are confident that what has been a disappointing start to the season, is only just the start to the season.
“It will be rectified and the club will go forward.
“They will have somewhere in the region of £20million coming in from matchday revenue and that figure alone exceeds more than the total revenue of some smaller clubs in the Championship.
“So the continued support of Leeds United fans is absolutely critical to the club’s ongoing desire to return to the Premier League.“
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