Good Morning. It's Tuesday 8th April, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Whites face anxious wait to find out extent of Struijk's injury
Leeds face a nervous wait regarding the fitness of key defender Pascal Struijk, following their 1-1 draw with Luton Town on Saturday. Manager Daniel Farke confirmed the club's anxiety in his pre-match presser on Monday, revealing Struijk is undergoing further assessment on a foot injury sustained late in the game at Kenilworth Road. Struijk, who was replaced by Max Wober in the 86th minute, appeared to be struggling after bravely blocking a shot from Luton's Thelo Aasgaard. The immediate aftermath suggested a painful impact, but the full extent of the damage remained unclear.
Unfortunately, initial signs point to a potentially serious issue. Farke confirmed that Struijk "will definitely miss the two games [Middlesbrough and Preston] this week." More concerningly, the manager expressed fears of a more significant problem. "The fear is there could even be a little fracture," Farke stated. "If there is a fracture, it would mean the season is over for him, but we need further assessment. We still hope for the best." Losing Struijk for an extended period would be a significant blow to Leeds' promotion push. He has been a consistent presence in the Whites' backline, providing stability and leadership.
The news comes amidst existing injury concerns for Farke. Joe Rothwell is already sidelined with a thigh injury picked up in training last week, further depleting the squad's depth. To add to the concern, Ethan Ampadu has been noticeably below his best since returning from his own injury struggles. It's been revealed that Ampadu should have undergone cartilage surgery in February, but the club made the decision to postpone the procedure until the summer, prioritising his availability in their push for promotion.
With Struijk's potential absence adding to the existing injury woes, Farke will need to carefully consider his defensive options as Leeds navigate a crucial week in their Championship campaign. The upcoming matches against Middlesbrough and Preston will be a true test of the squad's resilience and ability to overcome adversity in their pursuit of a return to the Premier League.
Leeds fan forced to jump through hoops in season ticket row
A dedicated Leeds fan with 48 years of loyalty to the club has been left disheartened after a bizarre battle to renew his season ticket. Melvyn Flower, a lifelong Elland Road attendee, was stunned to be accused by the club of missing three home games this season – against Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle, and Middlesbrough. Despite holding a season ticket, Leeds United insisted he hadn't met the minimum attendance requirement for renewal, sparking a month-long saga.
Melvyn’s attempts to rectify the situation through over 30 emails to the club’s ticket office, supporters' liaison officer, and information security manager proved fruitless. The club resolutely maintained their stance, casting doubt on his presence at the crucial matches. Undeterred, Melvyn took matters into his own hands, fueled by a hunch and a strong sense of injustice.
Initially, Melvyn started taking selfies at matches as proof of attendance, anticipating potential issues after an initial warning about the attendance threshold. However, when renewal time arrived, he was blocked. Remembering the club's own CCTV system, Melvyn suggested they review footage from the relevant games, confident he would be visible in his usual seat, especially during half-time when many fans leave their seats.
The club initially claimed the camera above his seat was for security monitoring, not fan identification, and even suggested he might have used his wife's ticket, further compounding the frustration. Forced to take drastic action, Melvyn submitted a subject access request under GDPR, demanding access to his personal data held by the club. This move proved decisive. Within just ten minutes of reviewing the CCTV footage provided by the club, Melvyn pinpointed himself and his wife at all three disputed matches, highlighting his presence at the turnstile and even the clarity of his phone under the ticket scanner.
Despite the club eventually admitting “an issue with the turnstiles” and offering an apology from the head of ticketing for the “inconvenience,” Melvyn remains deeply disillusioned. He feels the club's initial response was “appalling” and rooted in an unwillingness to acknowledge potential problems with their systems. "The club's position throughout this whole situation has basically been that I have lied about the three games," he stated.
Even though Melvyn has now rightfully earned the chance to renew his season ticket, the ordeal has cast a shadow over his lifelong support. He questions whether he still wants to invest in a club that seemingly doubted his loyalty and forced him to jump through hoops to prove his attendance, especially after decades of unwavering support through thick and thin. This saga serves as a stark reminder of how even the most dedicated fans can feel alienated when faced with bureaucratic inflexibility and a lack of trust from the club they love.
I was able to prove without doubt in 10 minutes that I was at all the games they stated I didn't attend," he told the YEP. "The footage was so clear you could even see my phone underneath the ticket scanner. Club officials admitted verbally at the time that it has highlighted an issue with the turnstiles.
I've been in the ground when there's been no waiting list and not that long ago, actually," I've been with 13,000 in the ground when there was nobody sitting near us so part of that is a bit galling. I'm sending them pictures of me with the scoreboard behind me and the away team so that I can give them another £600 to renew and it's just a bizarre situation. Why would I buy a season ticket and not go this season, of all seasons given the s*** I've sat through since 1978."
The club's position throughout this whole situation has basically been that I have lied about the three games," he said. "The club at no point have been prepared to even consider there is an issue with the North East corner turnstiles. We have now proven without doubt and using the club's own ticket data, CCTV images and turnstile recording they have a problem. I’ve had to chase this the whole time, even having to go as far as a subject access request under GDPR legislation. That's appalling. I had to take time off work to go into the ground to view CCTV images, doing exactly what I advised the club to do all along.
