While they’re widely recognised as one of the giants of English football, Leeds United’s fortunes on the pitch have been up and down over the past couple of decades. However, throughout the relegations and promotions, Elland Road has never wavered as one of the most iconic, atmospheric stadiums in the football league.
Like many historic grounds, Elland Road has evolved gradually over the years, with upgrades carried out stand by stand – and that made the task of delivering a fully integrated PA and voice alarm system across the stadium no small task
This is where Imperium Integration, the club’s long-standing AV partner, played a crucial role. Alan Inkster, Managing Director, takes up the story:
“We actually started working with Leeds United back in 2001, which is going back a bit now! We did the audio system for them then, and we’ve been working with them ever since. So, the best part of 25 years, which definitely makes me feel old, but it’s been a great relationship.
“As much as we can maintain a system, eventually there comes a time when a full upgrade is needed, so it was certainly the right time to look for a new solution. Once the necessary budget was secured, the brief we were given was actually quite simple but ambitious: first, the new system had to be one of the best-sounding stadium systems in the UK. Second, the loudspeakers had to be capable of being raised and lowered without the need to bring a cherry picker onto the pitch – everything had to be done via electric winches. Beyond that, it had to comply with EN54 standards, which was a key requirement, particularly with the potential for European competition in the future. That sort of forward thinking was impressive, especially given the club’s position at the time.”
Read the full article from ISSUE 42 below: