Leeds blamed their players for the “unexpected and disappointing” booing they received from fans during the scheduled break for Ramadan in last weekend’s defeat to Man City, but offered a number of “mitigating measures” in defence.
Loud boos could be heard during the 78 second delay, despite a message appearing on the big screen at Elland Road during the game against Manchester City confirming that the game was being paused to stop players from rushing.
There will be another break for Sunday’s FA Cup match against Norwich, with Leeds’ Joel Pillow also expected to feature.
The club is trying to prevent a repeat by asking fans to be “respectful” to the players who broke their fast, but cited four “mitigating circumstances” surrounding the first incident in a lengthy statement that did not include an explicit apology.
The four mitigation measures listed are:
In a statement, Leeds said: “This was the first time a match at Elland Road had been suspended to allow players to break their Ramadan fast. “In hindsight, we wish we had been more proactive in communicating and providing support ahead of the Manchester City game. “We should have explained to the players that something like this would happen, but there was a clear lack of awareness among some of those attending the match.” Secondly, Leeds “displayed a message on the big screen at Elland Road explaining why.” Thirdly, the club explained: “In the previous game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in November 2025, the game was controversially interrupted in the second half due to a ‘tactical time-out’ during the injury break, but the team may have seen supporters gathered by the touchline and thought the same thing had happened again.” (Boos erupted during last Tuesday’s game against Sunderland AFC) And finally, Leeds said: “Given the intensity at the start of the match, many players were confused as to why the game was paused when it was stopped. This was clearly visible on the broadcast footage and may have contributed to confusion among supporters.”
Leeds concluded their statement by saying: “We still have a long way to go to eradicate the stains on football, including racism, homophobia, tragic chants and the disgusting Jimmy Savile taunts that our own supporters receive from opposing fans at every match. As a club, we will continue to work towards ensuring that these issues eventually end.”
As part of Ramadan fasting, observers are required to avoid all food and drink (including water) from dawn to dusk.
