Paraag Marathe failed to appoint long-term his long-term ally Collin Meador to the Leeds United board, according to Phil Hay.

Writing for The Athletic (17 October), Hay claimed that 49ers Enterprises discussed adding a fifth member to the Elland Road board to join chief executive Angus Kinnear, businessman Peter Lowy, 49ers investor Rudy Cline-Thomas and Marathe himself.

Despite this, Meador will not be taking up the position despite being the existing vice president of the 49ers and an ally of Marathe for years.

Parting ways

While Marathe's reasoning for not giving Meador a role on the Leeds United board is unknown, he remains an active figure in the club.

As stated on Companies House, Meador has been vice president of Elland Road Limited, the group that owns the stadium, since 31 December 2020. Prior to the full takeover of the club, the 49ers owned less than 30 per cent of Elland Road, but as per their buy-out agreement with Andrea Radrizzani, they will assume 100 per cent.

He has been in the heat of the boardroom activity in the club's recent history, but it is difficult to determine if his absence from the Leeds board is a positive or a negative.

Very little criticism can be aimed at how the club has been run in recent months. A successful managerial appointment and a shrewd but effective transfer window have sparked a good start to life back in the Championship, with the 49ers' behind-the-scenes actions proving an instant impact following relegation.

While Marathe and Meador were seemingly long-term supporters, the current Leeds board's discussions clearly did not favour him. While boardrooms can often change, Leeds fans will just be happy to have a stable group in charge.

In other Leeds United news, the 49ers are ready to push forward with Elland Road works before the end of the season.

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