There’s a bar in Corralejo, Fuerteventura, called The York. It seats maybe 25 people. But when Leeds United plays, the place somehow holds double that. Sometimes triple.
Last season, 65 fans crammed in for a FA Cup match against Harrogate Town. For a Tottenham game, 64 showed up, including a group of 15 fantasy football friends who were meeting in person for the first time. The owner just keeps pouring beers and pulling up extra chairs.
The Leeds United Supporters’ Club Fuerteventura branch was started by John Holliday, a former Elland Road season ticket holder who moved to the island 15 years ago. According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the group meets at The York on Calle Juan de Austria. Regulars number about a dozen locals, but visiting holidaymakers and fans from across the island swell the crowd every matchday.
Holliday remembers the atmosphere when Leeds beat Manchester United. He said it was incredible. On one occasion, five fans sitting in a row all had North East Upper season tickets at the same time. That kind of coincidence doesn’t happen in Leeds, let alone on a volcanic island off Africa.
Leeds fans in paradise face a time zone twist
Fuerteventura shares the UK time zone, so that part is easy. But this summer, Leeds is heading to America for preseason, and that’s where things get weird. Wrexham in Tampa and Sunderland in New Jersey both kick off at 12:30 a.m. UK time. Liverpool in Chicago is an 8 p.m. Saturday start on August 2, which is more manageable but still late by island standards.
The York plans to show all the friendlies anyway, though the late hours might keep numbers down. Leeds is also expected to host RB Leipzig around August 8 or 9 before facing Manchester United in Dublin the following Wednesday.
The bar has a Leeds flag hanging permanently inside. If you’re on vacation in Corralejo and need to know when the next match is on, you can check their Facebook page or just walk in and ask. Nobody’s going to judge you for wearing a white shirt in 80-degree heat.
Leeds and Newcastle are apparently the best-supported teams in the resort, but on matchday at The York, there’s only one club that matters.
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