Leeds United's Plea for Respectful Pause in Play for Ramadan: A Call for Understanding and Unity
Leeds United have issued a firm plea to their supporters to respect a planned pause in play during Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Norwich City. The break is designed to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast, a protocol that was unfortunately met with hostility during the club’s recent Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road. Seeking to avoid a repeat of those scenes, the west Yorkshire club released a detailed statement ahead of the game.
Leeds United have issued a firm plea to their supporters to respect a planned pause in play during Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Norwich City. The break is designed to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast, a protocol that was unfortunately met with hostility during the club’s recent Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road. Seeking to avoid a repeat of those scenes, the west Yorkshire club released a detailed statement ahead of the game.In the statement, the club specifically asks for respect to be shown by those in attendance, following the widespread condemnation of the booing that was heard during the Manchester City game. Indeed, the club hope to ensure a welcoming atmosphere at Elland Road this time around, and have sought to explain why some fans became frustrated at the break in play during the 1-0 loss to Pep Guardiola's men.In their official communication, Leeds have outlined exactly when the pause in play is due to take place: "At an appropriate time following sunset in Leeds at 5:56pm, which will be around the 75th minute of our clash with the Canaries, the referee will call a halt to proceedings for a brief period allowing players from both sides to take on fluids and energy supplements in line with agreed protocol." Reflecting on the previous weekend, the club added: "A pause also took place during our Premier League fixture with Manchester City last weekend, which led to booing from some supporters which was disappointing and unexpected."Attempting to explain why the boos occurred, Leeds stated: "This was the first time a game at Elland Road has ever been paused to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast. In hindsight, we should have been more proactive with our communications in advance of the Manchester City fixture to explain to supporters that this was going to happen, there was a clear lack of awareness by some attending the fixture."Whilst we displayed a message on our big screen at Elland Road to explain why the game had been paused, this was not visible for approximately 25 per cent of the stadium, including the South Stand."In our preceding fixture with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in November 2025 the game was controversially stopped in the second half for a 'tactical timeout' during an injury break and with the squads congregating on the touchline supporters may have thought this was happening again (a similar incident to this also happened last Tuesday against Sunderland AFC leading to booing)."At the time of the stoppage, given the intensity at the start of the match, a number of players were confused why the game had been paused, which can be seen clearly on broadcast footage and may have also led to confusion for supporters."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingLeeds United manager Daniel Farke will be absent from the dugout following a misconduct charge and his subsequent red card during the recent clash against Manchester City. Reflecting on the incident, Farke said: "I think for jogging, it's not correct to be sent off. There was not one bad word, no accusation, no bad language whatsoever." Despite his grievances, the Leeds boss opted not to appeal the decision: "I have not appealed, just for one simple reason, because [if I did] we will speak two more weeks about this topic and everyone should concentrate on football, and this is why I simply accept the ban."
Setting the Stage for Respectful Observance
In the statement, the club specifically asks for respect to be shown by those in attendance, following the widespread condemnation of the booing that was heard during the Manchester City game. Indeed, the club hope to ensure a welcoming atmosphere at Elland Road this time around, and have sought to explain why some fans became frustrated at the break in play during the 1-0 loss to Pep Guardiola's men. The pause in play is scheduled for an appropriate time following sunset in Leeds at 5:56 pm, around the 75th minute of the Norwich clash, as per agreed protocol.
Clarifying Misunderstandings and Communication
The club acknowledged the lack of proactive communication prior to the Manchester City fixture, leading to confusion among some attendees. The first pause in play during a game at Elland Road to allow for Ramadan observance caught many off guard. Lack of visibility of the explanatory message on the big screen further compounded the issue, with around 25% of the stadium unable to witness the clarification in real-time. The club highlighted previous incidents like the 'tactical timeout' during a match against Sunderland AFC, contributing to fan confusion.
Managerial Matters and Calls for Football Focus
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will be absent from the dugout for the Norwich encounter due to a misconduct charge and subsequent red card received during the Manchester City clash. Farke expressed dissatisfaction with the sending-off but chose not to appeal, emphasizing the need to shift focus back to football and away from disciplinary controversies.



