Life-long Leeds United fan Terry Ruane walks down the tunnel on to the hallowed turf of Elland Road.

IT may not be everyone's cup of tea, but when you have followed Leeds United all your life - through thin and thinner - a tour round Elland Road is like walking on the moon.

Marching down the same tunnel as some of the greatest names and then out on to the pitch, there may have been no roar from the crowd but inside my heart I could feel the passion.

Former Leeds and Northern Ireland international John McClelland, who is the resident tour guide at the club, met us for our visit.

The press box and TV gantry were the first port of call, host to media from all over Europe in the club's run to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The main entrance to the ground is lined with a host of international shirts, and a large wooden board with the names of all the players who have made international appearances for their country while at Leeds.

As we walked on, we saw photographs of great players and great games, and a host of cabinets housing trophies, pennants and awards the club has picked up over the years.

John McClelland has set up his own display of his life in football, providing a fascinating insight into the life of a professional footballer long before the vast wages of Premier League players.

We headed for the inner sanctum of the club, the boardroom. Peter Ridsdale and his famous fish tank have gone, replaced by the infamous Ken Bates, and we later visited the dressing rooms.

But the best part of the tour was walking down the tunnel and out on to the hallowed turf.

As we walked across the pitch to the Don Revie Stand - the Kop to me and you - I wondered what it must have been like for famous Leeds captains such as Billy Bremner, as they used to lead the team out.

I stood on the penalty spot and looked at the goal only 12 yards away. It looked very small, and I thought how small it must seem when taking a vital penalty in the last minute of a game, with 40,000 fans holding their breaths.

Fact file

How to get there: follow A64 to Leeds then follow signs for Elland Road

Admission: Adults: £8, children (under 16s) £5. Group bookings on request.

Tour times: 10.30am, daily except Wednesdays and Sundays. (NOTE: tours start again with new season.)

More Information: Contact John McClelland, Elland Road Leeds LS11 0ES, phone 0845 121 1992 or visit: www.leedsunited.com

Updated: 16:50 Friday, July 08, 2005