Leeds United fan from Mumbai, India, on his ‘life changing’ first visit to watch The Whites

Abhinav Shukla, 38, from Mumbai, was able to go and watch Daniel Farke’s team play away at Stoke City last Wednesday (October 25) and was also lucky enough to be present for the 4-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town at home on Saturday; before which he was given a personalised tour of Elland Road stadium.

Abhinav previously told the YEP of how he became a diehard Leeds supporter from a young age when Premier League football started being broadcast in his home country.

Despite the rough years that followed relegation in 2004, Abhinav stayed loyal to Leeds and his dedication and passion for the club has shaped his identity.

Abhinav said that finally seeing the team play live would be “fulfilling a lifetime dream” and upon his arrival in Manchester last Wednesday he headed straight down to Stoke to take in the atmosphere and meet some of his fellow fans ahead of the evening kick-off.

He said: “I was the first at the stadium and saw everyone arriving in the coaches. I met a bunch of Leeds fans coming from Cardiff which was interesting.”

Unable to get a seat in the away end, Abhinav had originally planned on sitting with the home fans but was fortunate enough to meet some Leeds supporters who offered him the spare ticket of a friend who couldn’t attend.

“It was pure luck”, he said.

On the experience inside the ground, he said: “Away fans are the most amazing bunch of people. The most excited and loud.

"The stand was literally buzzing. It felt like a once in a lifetime experience.

"Nobody can imagine the support and passion Leeds has in an away fanbase. It was a life changing experience, to be honest.”

Despite losing 1-0 to an 80th minute own goal, Abhinav was delighted with the experience and pleased with the effort put in by the players. He said: “We were on top in the second half and missed a penalty, while they scored against the run of play.

"It’s a shame we didn’t put in the best performance but that’s how the game goes.”

The day after Abhinav travelled up to Edinburgh for the night, where he said he met more football fans who were fascinated by his story.

He said: “Everybody was amazed and equally excited to hear how a guy from India could end up following a club like Leeds.

"It was the same at the airport when I landed. Customs and immigration were surprised and asked to check my tickets to make sure it was legit!”

Arriving in Leeds on the Friday, Abhinav took in some of the sites of the city centre – including the “beautiful” Corn Exchange – and saw how busy and lively it gets during the night time.

Nothing could have prepared Abhinav for the sheer jubilation he would experience at Elland Road the next day though.

After getting in touch with the club’s commercial team ahead of leaving India, Abhinav was treated to a tour of the stadium on Saturday morning.

Abhinav works in sports marketing himself and was keen to hear about the club’s future plans following its acquisition by 49ers Enterprises in the summer. He said: “They talked of how they are looking to develop over the next three or four years to become a bigger club and to be honest to the fans.

"It was fantastic to see that they want to improve the club not just on the field but also make forward strides to make sure they are doing justice to the name of Leeds United.

“The new ownership comes with a lot of understanding and experience and are willing to put in significant investment to ensure the club reaches the right standards.”

Abhinav also offered the club his own thoughts from his experience in the industry, saying: “I was more than happy to extend my knowledge to help the club grow and we said we’d stay in touch.”

Ahead of the match Abhinav got a warm welcome from the fans in the stands who were “looking at me and thinking ‘I’ve never seen him’”.

On what it was like soaking in the atmosphere ahead of kick-off, he said: “When you see it broadcast you only see a few minutes so you can’t understand what it’s like. But being in the stands – it gives you goose bumps to hear ‘Marching On Together’ being sung with your hand on your heart and there’s nothing like pumping your chest and going ‘Leeds, Leeds, Leeds!’”

Abhinav was sat in the North Stand and behind the goal where four goals were scored by Leeds in a “surreal” first half. He simply said: “What a day.”

Afterwards Abhinav walked to The Moot Hall Arms in the city centre, where the owners had invited him to visit after reading his story in the YEP.

He said: “I walked with the fans. It’s normally not easy to walk all that way but once you have that winning feeling it doesn’t feel so long.

"They were very happy to host me and were so warm and lovely. It was the perfect end to a great trip to Leeds.”

Reflecting on the time he spent in the city, Abhinav said: “There are some memories that are going to live with me for a lifetime.

"The passion of the fans and the fact they were from many generations – it was very touching to see the level of support the club inspires and how much they love the club irrespective of what’s happening.

"The one thing that ties it all together is the love for Leeds.”