Leeds Director Salem Patel Wants Alcohol Banned From Elland Road Football Stadium

League Championship side Leeds United Dir Salem Patel "wants to ban alcohol from being consumed anywhere within Elland Road to reflect the Muslim beliefs of owners GFH Capital," the Dubai-based subsidiary of a Bahraini Islamic investment bank, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. Patel, the deeply religious head of investment management at GFH, "made his views clear at Leeds' first home match of the season and is believed to have brought up the contentious subject at board meetings." However, Patel's "no alcohol" stance is not shared by other members of the Leeds board, nor is it supported by club grandee Lady Harewood, "who is understood to have been heard voicing her disapproval." Enjoying a beer is part of football culture and fans drink in the hospitality boxes and bars at every stadium, although regulations prevent alcohol being served "within sight of the pitch" (DAILY MAIL, 8/21).