Should Elland Road be used as a rugby pitch?

The powers that be at Elland Road have once again decided to host a rugby match there. This time round it’ll be the final of the Gillette Four Nations, which will see Australia, England, France (apparently they’re a rugby league super power?) and New Zealand go head-to-head.

The final will be held on the lush, perfectly maintained surface of Elland Road halfway through a league campaign on November the 14th. This is where my problem lies. It’s not that I don’t think Leeds United should use the stadium to generate as much revenue as possible, but Leeds United will always be the main source of income and for me, staging a rugby match there effects the quality of the surface LUFC have to play on.

If the quality of the surface is degraded, then the quality of the games we pay to watch will suffer too. The holes left in the pitch will stop the ball running smoothly and we’ll be left vulnerable to the teams that play the route one game more effectively than we do.

I know it sounds like I’m whining and I have to admit I have very little interest in rugby. If this is such a massive game then whats wrong with the national stadium? Isn’t that what Wembley was built for afterall? I’m guessing they’re using Elland Road because they don’t think they’ll fill Wembley, but there’s plenty of other grounds around this country they could use instead. What’s wrong with Headingly – Leeds’ rugby stadium?

Say Leeds stand to make £5 a ticket – which is a generous estimate at best. That’s only £200,000 assuming the stadium sells out. Is it really worth destroying the pitch for such a small sum?

Out of season, they can do what they like at Elland Road. They can do whatever they like mid-season too so long as it doesn’t effect Leeds United. The Kaiser Chiefs gig was a prime example of Elland Road’s potential and these are the kind of opportunites the club should seek in the future. Especially since the Leeds Arena still hasn’t been built.

Added a poll in the interests of democracy and feel free to comment as always – although in all honesty, I’ve had this debate with friends a few times and have yet to change my stance. Rant over – for now.

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