Rail seating made a return to Elland Road for Leeds United’s clash with Aston Villa.
A few rows at the back of the Kop were spotted as Jesse Marsch took charge of his first home game since replacing Marcelo Bielsa.
The government confirmed, at the beginning of the year, that licensed standing areas would be allowed to return to the English game for the first time in almost two decades.
Leeds were one of the clubs in the top two divisions to accept the invitation and have finally taken the steps to re-introduce rail seating, or safe standing as it is otherwise known.
Speaking at the beginning of the season, chief executive Angus Kinnear made the club’s intentions around the initiative clear.
“It’s probably going to be somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 to start with as a trial and if it works out then we’ll be looking to roll it out across more of the areas where persistent standing is is an issue,” he told The Square Ball.
This evening is the first time rail seating has been seen at Elland Road since the final game of the 1993/94 season, against Sheffield Wednesday, just before it became an all-seater stadium.
7,000 seats replaced the terracing in the Kop but it is clear that the club and the fans want to see it return if, and when, the trial proves to be successful.
