Fox in the Penalty Area

The "White Rose" bar is still very lively even on the home game day.

But before this season, that wasn't the case here.

The neighborhood is home to the "White Roses", one of Leeds City football's most die-hard fan groups, and almost every Leeds City fan here is a season ticket holder for many years.

Whenever the team plays at home, they go to the stands of the Flanders Stadium to watch the game and cheer for their team. Enjoy the joy of fighting side by side with the team, and also bear the bitterness of failure with the team.

Within three hours before and after the game, the business of the bar was relatively normal, because everyone went to the scene and no one came to the bar to drink.

But at that time, the bartenders probably didn't want business to be too good, because it would disturb them watching live games on the pay TV in the bar.

After the game is over, the bar will come back to life and become lively.

After the win the fans returned to their neighborhoods to celebrate the victory with beer in the "White Rose" bar.

If they lost the game, they drank their sorrows in the bar, swearing and venting their emotions.

They named their fans group "White Rose" because of the bar they love.

This is like their base camp, base, safe haven, home.

Whether it is joy or pain, you can get here to share or dissolve.

But since the start of this season, even during home games, the place is overcrowded. Everyone is crowded in a small bar, cheering for the team through TV.

So when John said that this way of watching the game seemed indifferent to the team, they couldn't stand it.

Aren't we supporting the team by doing this?

In this way, we not only supported the team, but also slapped the club management in the face!

We were in the bar as if we were in the stands, cheering, singing, rhythmic cheering for every good performance of the team.

It's just a different location, but our love for the team never fades!

"White Rose" fans have always said so to themselves.

every game,

They all treat it with the strongest enthusiasm, even when watching football in a bar.

But today the atmosphere is a little weird.

After looking around, someone complained in a low voice: "John really didn't come...and not only him, Stone and Eric didn't come either..."

"Old Joe said something happened to his family and he couldn't come... But I think he also ran to watch the game in all likelihood..."

"Damn, these traitors!"

"We have persisted for half a year. Seeing that victory is in sight, all of us have become deserters. It is shameful!"

Those who stayed in the bar to watch the game were filled with righteous indignation and cursed their companions.

"If you want me to say, it's all John's fault. After he said that, many people must have been moved..." The person who said that looked at the other companions.

But his eyes aroused the dissatisfaction of others: "Hey, Harry, what do you think I am doing? I have no ghosts in my heart!"

"Since there's no ghost, what are you yelling about, Jamie?"

The two looked like they were about to quarrel.

David Miller quickly separated them: "Okay! Alright! We are obviously fighting against the capitalists, why did we start fighting among ourselves first? Don't make it so ugly!"

When he came out to speak, the two people who were arguing stopped talking, but it was obvious that they still looked at each other unhappy, separated by a distance, and did not want to look at each other more.

David Miller also knew that it was impossible for two people to reconcile just because of his own words.

Once a rift appears, it is impossible to disappear, and the best result is to keep the rift from expanding...

He sighed in his heart—how could it be like this?

He turned his gaze to the TV screen.

It seems that there are indeed more people in the stands of the Flanders Stadium today than usual...

"It's just two consecutive victories, and they forget how unreliable Clark is?"

Apparently there were others, like David Miller, who noticed the increased numbers in the stands and sneered at those who betrayed them.

"Hey, Clark really hasn't led the team to win two consecutive victories before this!" A hoarse voice said beside him, but his tone couldn't tell whether he was mocking Clark or the person who just spoke.

※※※

Yogg Hodge sat on the rostrum, surrounded by the club's general manager Eric Duffy and two directors-commercial director Harry Bradley and football director Nevin Ball.

On the eaves of the stand facing the four of them, there was already a row of new logos, which were the trademarks of a Chinese company.

After making his debut in the Hulai League and scoring his first goal, the club quickly signed an advertising sponsorship contract with this company.

The company has obtained advertising space on the roof of the East Stand of the Flanders Stadium for three years at a price of 500,000 pounds per year.

When Bradley saw the LOGO of Chinese company trademarks covering the eaves of the roof, he remembered what Tony Clark had said to him.

Said that he would regret signing a contract with the other party too early, because they could sell for a higher price.

He admitted that Tony was right, but he signed it anyway, and he didn't regret it.

Because this is a water test, through this sponsorship, we can test the fans' acceptance of the introduction of Chinese brands, and at the same time show more Chinese companies the effect of their advertisements.

This is the first appearance of the grandstand canopy on the sponsor brand.

If the effect is good, then there will be more Chinese companies swarming in, and they will be snatched even if they sell at a higher price.

Of course, the premise is that Hu Lai must be able to perform well in the home game, and he needs to perform well enough, and it is best to score a goal. Only in this way can he have a breakthrough point and attract everyone's attention.

The advertising effect can be maximized.

Now it is no longer necessary for him to go to Clark, who has automatically put Hu Lai on the starting list for today's game.

In the first two games, he came off the bench and scored three goals. Such a performance should be the starter.

He is now looking forward to Hu Lai's wonderful performance in his first Premier League start, scoring a goal or something...

If Hu Lai can score, he will go to William Daly, which is responsible for representing the Premier League broadcast side LED billboards, and talk about the split of the pitch side LED billboards again.

The current Leeds City’s influence in the distant and huge Chinese market is no worse than the old Premier League giants such as London Bridge, Tramed, Manchester Athletic, Stanley Park Rangers, etc. He has enough confidence to find William Daly Let’s talk about the proportion of sideline advertisements starting next season.

※※※

John stood on the north stand and looked around.

This was supposed to be the busiest area, and the venue was full.

Now there are large areas vacant, as if replaced by a dog with skin disease, which makes people feel uncomfortable at first glance.

But John knew that this was much better than before. In the beginning, it was really like a blank sheet of paper, nothing, not a single person.

Those are the same as him, in order to protest the club's sale of Sean Barnett and the dismissal of Lauren Gary, the fans who stopped watching the game specially vacated it to embarrass the club.

Later, as the league progressed, some fans gradually returned to the stands, but there were still not many people.

There are far more people here today than he imagined...

Just as John was staring at the empty seat beside him, a hesitant voice sounded behind him.

"Uncle John?"

John looked back to see Matthew Taylor, who was a little surprised, and Andrew Thurman beside him.

"Aha, little Matthew, it's you!" John seemed very happy.

"Uncle John, why are you here?" As the son of David Miller and the common pride of the "White Rose" fan organization, Matthew Miller is familiar with everyone in this fan organization, so he naturally recognizes the man in front of him. A bald, middle-aged man, John Falkenham, whom he called "Uncle John."

In addition, there are many uncles in this fan organization.

These uncles have a very good relationship with him, and it can be said that they watched him grow up.

Until the beginning of this season, they collectively withdrew from the North Stand, and they also broke with them.

"That's what you asked, little Matthew. Let's watch the game."

Uncle John didn't answer him, but a new voice came from behind him.

Matthew Miller looked back and saw Uncle Stone, Uncle Eric, and Uncle Joe, and he was even more surprised: "Uncle Stone, Uncle Eric, Uncle Joe...you are here too? "

"Why? Can't we come?" Stone, who arrived later, held two disposable plastic cups filled with beer, and he handed one of them to John.

"No, no..." Matthew waved his hand, "Aren't you..."

John, who took the beer, took a sip first, and then wiped off the water droplets on his beard with the back of his hand: "I still prefer to come to the North Stand to watch the game. It is closer to the goal, and I can see our goal more clearly."

"So did we," the three uncles said to Matthew, and Eric added, "But your dad wasn't here."

Hearing this, Matthew's expression darkened.

Seeing this, John patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, little Matthew. Your father will come back sooner or later. He loves Leeds more than anyone else."

"Thank you, Uncle John." Matthew Miller forced a smile.

"Come on! Let's get ready to cheer for the players!" Stone yelled from the sidelines.

At the same time, the DJ's voice came from the live broadcast: "Ladies and gentlemen, the next players from both sides will be on the field. Glamorgan from Cardiff! Welcome to Flanders!"

The Leeds City fans in the stands looked at the stadium coldly with their arms around their chests, and did not respond to DJ's words.

John Falkenham took a deep breath and said with emotion: "Ah, what a nostalgic atmosphere... Yes, this is the correct way to watch the game!"

The companions around him laughed when they heard him say that.

Matthew and Andrew looked at each other and laughed.

Yeah, that's the correct way they've watched the ball countless times before.

Leeds City fans reacted lukewarmly to Glamorgan's visit, which was considered polite, after all, they hadn't booed yet.

DJ naturally knew this too, so when he introduced Glen Morgan, his tone was very flat, even a little listless on purpose.

When it was his turn to introduce the Leeds City players, his voice rose an octave and became passionate: "Now it's our main goalkeeper Mikay—!"

The Leeds City fans in the stands chanted: "Van De Ven!!"

Accompanied by such roars, a photo of Mikay van der Ven appeared on the big screen at the scene.

The Leeds City players who started the game were called out one by one.

Matthew Miller and Andrew Thurman, along with Uncle John and the others, raised their arms and chanted in the North Stand, just like before.

Apart from the fact that the surrounding stands are a bit empty, nothing has changed.

When Williams was called, Andrew next to Matthew yelled very loudly.

It wasn't just Andrew, the cheers from the stands of the entire stadium were loud.

After Sean Barnett left the team, Pete Williams was the pride and treasure of all Leeds City fans.

He has played well in the last two games, and everyone is happy for him to see him get out of the slump.

Captain Lorenzo Esposito also got a big shout out.

The last name to be reported was Hu Lai.

He started this game for the first time and enjoyed such treatment for the first time in Leeds City.

"The last one, the striker from China, LAI—"

"HUU!!"

The fans in the stands shouted out Hu Lai's last name.

Here, Matthew shouted the loudest.

A photo of Hu Lai appeared on the big screen at the same time, with his name, location and number next to the photo.

Leeds City's No. 14 player, striker.

※※※

Looking at Hu Lai's photo on the big screen, Wang Haoxi grinned.

He remembered that when he and his roommate went to the joining ceremony of Hu Lai, on this stadium, almost all the people who came to welcome him were Chinese students, and there were not many local Leeds fans.

Now there are already so many people who can call out his name at the same time.

It only took two games.

But it's not enough, one day, you will make everyone in this stadium shout your name loudly and become the hero of this city!

Wang Haoxi firmly believed in this.

Because he is Hu Lai, the hope of all of us!