English Premier League football club Leeds United has reached an agreement for Elland Road to host a COVID-19 vaccination centre, while the new home of AFC Wimbledon will also reportedly follow suit.
The NHS has confirmed Elland Road for one of four large vaccination sites being established in West Yorkshire, along with The John Smith’s Stadium, home of Championship club Huddersfield Town.
The two stadiums will be part of the rollout of the new Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in the region. On its official Twitter account, United said: “#LUFC are delighted to be part of #LeedsMakingHistory and host a vaccination centre at Elland Road. The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to get vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, The Sun reports that AFC Wimbledon’s new Plough Lane stadium will also be part of the vaccination effort. AFC Wimbledon returned to Plough Lane on November 3, almost 30 years after the last game at its spiritual home.
The League One team opened the new stadium with a 2-2 draw against Doncaster Rovers some 10,776 days after Wimbledon played Crystal Palace at the old Plough Lane in a top-tier First Division match on May 4, 1991.
While fans have not yet been able to attend the stadium, a club source said: “We always said Plough Lane was going to be a stadium for the community. Now it is set to act as a major vaccination hub for Merton in an area that needs it.”
Earlier this week, Bristol’s Ashton Gate stadium was named by the UK government as one of seven “super-vaccination” centres. The home of Championship football club Bristol City and Premiership rugby union team Bristol Bears will join London’s ExCel Centre, Manchester Tennis & Football Centre, Robertson House Stevenage, Surrey’s Epsom Downs Racecourse, Millennium Point in Birmingham and Newcastle’s Centre for Life as large-scale vaccination centres.
Image: Boxingfan1995/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
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