Fans React: Home is where my heart is

In part two of our Leeds Fans React to the purchase of Elland Road. Keith Ingham discusses the memories that make Elland Road famous and some of his favourite times.

Wednesday will go down as the day when, after many false prophets promises Andrea Radrizzani bought Elland Road back.

The original purchase of the ground was by Jacob Adler, who had owed the stadium since 2004. It's been on every owners list of 'things to do' but the Italian delivered in the infancy of his tenure.

What does it mean? Well no longer will nearly two million pounds go from the money the club earns, which must be so positive. The 'feel good factor' that was so visible last season can carry on into the 2017/18 season.

In my time I've seen Batty score at the Kop end, Beckford take us up, Butterworth and Connor score on their debuts, Cherry win a cup tie versus Man City, Gary Mac crack screamers, Hawley net winners, Howson superb equaliser versus Bristol Rovers, McCormack's incredible tally for the season, Chapman, Strachan and Speed(score one yourself) in those Championship seasons.

There's been some special times on that patch of green within Elland Road

More recently I've seen 'The Duke' last season amazing us all, Mark Viduka's four versus Liverpool in the 4-3 win, Chris Wood's amazing goal scoring exploits last season and not forgetting the greatest goal ever scored in the ground by Tony Yeboah, I even saw Andy Watson score too!

It was all in this place we call 'home' through the good times into bad times, into thinking their might not be a Leeds United anymore. I've cried through joy and desperation, shared wins with strangers as we hugged on the 'Gelderd End', thrown my son in the air when Bowyer's goal beat Milan, been urinated on by drunk elders in the same place and felt lost when they closed the Kop terrace for the very last time. The atmosphere for a while disappeared when the seating came in, but it's back in abundance nowadays.

I have sat in nearly every part of Elland Road, Kop, Lowfields Road, West Stand, East Stand, South Stand, done the corporate and sat in amongst the press corps with my son.

It is a place of worship and fortnightly we pay our respects to the men in white shirts. When full and 'rocking' there is no better ground in the world, in my opinion.

My actual home has been in Keighley since 1978 but my 'spiritual home' will always be in LS11.

MOT

By Keith Ingham