My Leeds United - Bundesliga man on life-long love for the Whites, delayed flights and Wembley tears

Alex Chaffer is content manager for the Bundesliga and a Leeds United fan since birth.

“It really is a funny coincidence that my first Leeds United game was against a German team.

I now live in Germany and work for the Bundesliga, and my life is now very much revolved around the game of football which all started with Leeds.

I remember nothing of that game against 1860 Munich, I was only five, but I take pride in telling colleagues about it now in the Bundesliga offices.

Obviously, these days, I’m following Leeds from afar but that’s very much the same as it’s always been for me.

I grew up in Northampton after my parents moved down from Leeds before my birth.

The two-hour drive to and from Elland Road games was tough, but we managed it as often as possible and I was hooked before I even remember realising it.

I’ve not been able to be a season ticket holder or go to each and every Leeds game, but that’s what almost makes me love it more.

The passion inside me for it has been fueled by growing up around only a couple of other Leeds fans outside of my immediate family, to always begging my father to take us to games.

I might be only 24, but like all Leeds fans now and long before me, I’ve been through all the ups and downs. I can relive the highest peaks of both of those emotions just by closing my eyes.

I remember standing on my seat in the upper East Stand, only able to see one of the top corner of the net that Eddie Lewis was aiming for with a free-kick in the play-off semi- finals against Preston. The whistle. The silence. And then seeing the ball find that only sweet pocket of net that I could see.

Then the downs: crying all the way home from Wembley after we lost to Doncaster, the abuse I got in school for the weeks after that. That all helped fuel me to love Leeds even more.

But I think the story that most perfectly sums up my support of the club until now was actually almost a year ago to the day. Wigan at home. My parents had since moved back to Yorkshire and my Dad got me a ticket. I booked my flight for the morning of the game, Good Friday.

But when I arrived at the airport in the morning, the flight had been delayed.

Luckily – or so I thought – it wasn’t cancelled, and in the end, I landed at Leeds/Bradford just as the half-time whistle had blown. I’d landed to the news that it was 1-1 and Wigan were down to 10 men. I had to get there.

My Mum rushed me to Elland Road, I ran around the Bremner statue towards the Kop and begged a steward to let me in as the gates had been closed. I got in. And I kid you not, two minutes after sitting down, 1-2 Wigan.

And the rest is history.

I’ve already told most of the Bundesliga offices that I’ll throw the world’s biggest party if and when we get promoted.

I’d love that party to be before I have to endure any more delayed flights.