There’s a bar in Corralejo called The York. It seats maybe 25 people. And on Leeds United matchdays, it routinely packs in 40 or more fans who have nowhere else to go.
That’s the reality for Leeds supporters living on or visiting Fuerteventura. The island doesn’t have many places showing LUTV, the club’s streaming service. So a small supporters’ branch started by a former Elland Road season ticket holder named John Holliday has turned into something bigger than he ever expected.
“For a bit of fun I set up a supporters’ branch to give us some recognition and encourage other supporters to join us for games,” Holliday told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “We meet in a bar called The York, a small bar with perhaps 25 seats but we regularly have over 40 Leeds fans in for a game.”
The craziest crowd he’s seen? Sixty-five people, packed in for a Harrogate Town FA Cup match last year. Think about that. A third-round game against a League Two side, and the place was overflowing. Holliday says the vibe stays good even when Leeds lose — fans trading stories about where they’re from, where their seats are at Elland Road, the whole thing.
“When we beat Manchester United, it was an incredible atmosphere,” he said.
Leeds have preseason coming up in the United States. They’ll face Wrexham in Tampa and Sunderland in New Jersey, both kicking off at 12:30 a.m. UK time, then Liverpool in Chicago on August 2 at 8 p.m. UK. They’re also expected to host RB Leipzig around August 8 or 9, followed by Manchester United in Dublin.
Holliday plans to show all of them at The York. But those U.S. games with the early-morning UK kickoffs? That’s a tough sell even for the most dedicated fans. “All pre-season friendlies will be on in the bar but kick-off times may be prohibitive for games in the USA,” he said.
It’s a good problem to have, honestly. A tiny Canary Islands bar that becomes a little piece of West Yorkshire for 90 minutes at a time. Sixty-five people crammed in, shouting at a TV, arguing about whether the offside call was right — it’s not Elland Road, but it’s something.
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