Elland Road, located in the city of Leeds, is the iconic home of one of the most storied clubs in English football history, Leeds United.
Situated in West Yorkshire, on the southern bank of the River Aire, Leeds is a city renowned for its passionate and loyal fanbase, who are deeply devoted to their beloved club.
Currently battling it out in the second tier of English football, the EFL Championship, Leeds are aiming for a way back into the Premier League in the ongoing season.
Leeds fans are widely known for the buzzing atmosphere they create with their chants in order to back their team, making lives difficult for the opponents every time they step on the field.
One of the most notable chants The Whites’ faithful have been heard singing at Elland Road is a song from the debut album of hometown band, Kaiser Chiefs’ “I predict a riot.”
Engulfed in devotion and love for their club, it’s quite a spectacle for a first-timer to watch over 35,000 fans roaring in the stadium.
Watching the people get lairy
It’s not very pretty I tell thee
Walking through town is quite scary
It’s not very sensible either
A friend of a friend he got beaten
He looked the wrong way at a policeman
Would never have happened to Smeaton
An Old Leodensian
La… la, la, la, la, la
Ah… la, la, la, la, la
I predict a riot
I predict a riot
I predict a riot
I predict a riot
The video below describes the enthusiasm and energy of The Whites perfectly as they erupted in celebrations after mounting a comeback for the ages against then fellow Championship side Leicester City back in February 2024.
Leeds found themselves trailing with a goal down for the majority of the game before Connor Roberts equalized in the 80th minute. Three minutes later, Leicester’s goal-scorer from the game, Wout Faes put the ball in his own net, giving the lead to the home side in the final minutes of the game. Striker Patrick Bamford put the cherry on the top as he scored Leeds’ third in added time to seal the deal.
Former band member and drummer Nick Hodgson explained the origin and inspiration of the song in an interview with The Guardian. Hodgson explains how he used to watch clubbers often get involved in fights with the police while driving late at night during his days as a DJ in a club called The Cockpit. However, the term “I predict a riot” was coined at a different club known as the PIGS.
“At our club night, PIGS, we had a band on, Black Wire. They were going mad and so were the crowd. You could see the bouncers moving in and I said to the club’s boss, “I predict a riot,” said Hodgson.
Not very long after the song was released by the Kaiser Chiefs, Leeds fans adopted it as their unofficial anthem.