5 Metres from Bielsa!

On the 8th of April I got the bus down to Elland Road to watch the Leeds u23's side take on Professional Development League South winners Ipswich Town at Elland Road. So many fans had told us that the only way to experience the atmosphere of Elland Road was going to a home game and being there to experience it, however unfortunately due to the sky high prices and a sold out run into the end of the season we were unable to do this so this was certainly the next best thing. As I walked up the steps and saw the inside of Elland Road for the first time I really felt like I had a better understanding of this great club and why its supporters are so loyal. The stadium is a fortress, a sea of blue and yellow, the 'Don Revie' stand at one end, Leeds United's way of thanking their most successful manager.

Even though it was not a first team game, at least roughly 1000-1500 fans attended Elland Road to cheer on the team's development side. This meant I could get some good crowd sound atmosphere on the Tascsam as this is certainly something that the film was lacking before the game. I also managed to get lots of footage on both my DSLR and phone of fans cheering when Leeds were on the attack. During half time I managed to also get an audio recording of Leeds' famous 'Marching on Together' chant- we will use this in the beginning of the film as the song reflects the values that Leeds champions and also the narrative of the film- that no matter what, these fans will stand together with Leeds. Furthermore towards the end of the game I realised the manager of the Leeds first team, Marcelo Bielsa, was stood about five metres from me watching the game, possibly scouting players to call up. Many of the fans we interviewed really like how Bielsa has been looking to develop local players instead of spending lots of the club's money on new players, which can often be a risk. 

After the game I also managed to get some footage of the players leaving through the tunnel and high fiving fans as they ran past. This highlights the special relationship the players have with the fans and is certainly something not seen in every club.