Leeds were backed by 9000 travelling fans as they took on West Ham at the London Stadium, looking to book their place at Wembley in the FA Cup semi finals
16:46, 05 Apr 2026Updated 17:18, 05 Apr 2026
Leeds boss Daniel Farke before his side’s FA Cup quarter final vs West Ham at the London Stadium
Leeds United have been caught up in a bizarre penalty shoot-out row ahead of their FA Cup quarter final.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke arrived at West Ham only to be told that if the tie goes to penalties then the shoot-out must not happen in front of the away end.
It is believed to have been done on safety grounds with consultation from police and the local safety advisory group.
But it is a very unusual state of affairs and unprecedented because shooting into one end can be seen as an advantage and the ref tosses a coin to decide which end and which team goes first.
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Leeds have brought 9,000 fans to West Ham and there is a big police presence because of security and safety around the game. West Ham have described it as a “dynamic” decision based on security and will only be confirmed if needed.
Leeds have already won a shoot-out at Birmingham City this season while West Ham won on penalties into the away end at home in front of 5,000 Brentford fans.
Mirror Sport understands if it comes to penalties then the end for a shoot-out will be determined by a coin toss. But the FA do allow the Safety Officer – in collaboration with the relevant authorities – to decide on which end if there is deemed to be a safety concern or risk
9000 Leeds fans made the trip to watch their side take on Leeds
Both West Ham and Leeds headed into Sunday’s clash with a golden chance of reaching Wembley. The winner will be named as the fourth team to enter the semi-final draw.
Manchester City remain the heavy favourites after thrashing Liverpool on Saturday. Chelsea stuck seven past League One strugglers Port Vale, before Southampton caused the upset of the round by beating Arsenal.
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