Inside Malaysia’s Leeds United fan club, from four am McDonald’s meet-ups to Bielsa reunion | OneFootball

Founded in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, Malaysia’s Leeds United Supporters Club has endured four am McDonald’s meet-ups during EFL seasons, and in October members met Marcelo Bielsa.

According to Leeds Live, founder Sidek Ahmad began searching for fellow fans as a high school student in 2004, building contacts on forums and MSN before launching a Facebook group in 2009.

Before club streaming, Leeds were mostly shown for FA Cup and Carling Cup ties, so supporters met at four am while Championship games went unseen. Coverage improved when LUSCM bought LUTV streams for communal viewings.

The branch meets at Bar Roca in Medan Damansara and has 77 members, including 10 Leeds-born expats.

Replica kits are scarce in Malaysia and UK shipping is costly, so the group organises around three bulk orders each season.

After promotion in 2020, LUSCM became an official supporters’ branch, later organising a 2022/23 trip to watch Liverpool and Crystal Palace, plus a shorter hop to Perth for pre-season.

Working with Premier League broadcaster Astro, the group has hosted Paul Robinson, Danny Mills, Michael Bridges, Dominic Matteo and Stuart Dallas. In October, after Uruguay faced the Dominican Republic in Malaysia, Junior Firpo met members and Bielsa held a translator-led Q and A arranged by club ambassador Stix Lockwood, saying he wanted his Leeds bond to endure.

LUSCM aims to connect Leeds fans in Malaysia and help grow the club’s following, with Premier League visibility furthering that goal.

Source: Leeds Live