About FMALU

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my new updated website for Follow Me and Leeds United!

My name is Heidi Haigh, and I have supported Leeds United for 60 years ever since the 1965 FA Cup Final against Liverpool. I attended my first game at Elland Road in 1967 although I cannot remember who we played but we stood on the Lowfields Road terraces. This was a treat for my best friend Sue’s birthday, and we had our names read out over the tannoy at half time saying we were from Selby. They played Lily the Pink by the Scaffold which is the only thing I can remember about the game. I went to sporadic games over the years but once I left school in 1971, I made a pact with Sue to see how many games we could go to without missing one. I was working and Sue was still at school, so I managed seven years without missing a game home, away and went to many European games and friendlies home and abroad.

I feel I am one of the lucky ones to have been brought up to watch the best team ever under Don Revie. Billy Bremner always was and always will be my hero as he always gave 110% and instilled in me the love and loyalty of supporting my team. It also meant we followed the national team Scotland due to all the Scots in our team. In those early days it wasn’t easy being a female at football games because as well as the trouble on the terraces when you took your life in your hands to follow your team, we had to suffer wandering hands, bum nipping and being called all the names under the sun mainly by opposition fans. I wrote my first book called Follow Me and Leeds United which is based on a diary I kept in the 70s and is a true story with warts and all so to speak. Feedback from those who have read it asked why I continued to follow my team through everything? I said it was because I wanted to follow me team and no one was going to stop me doing something I loved however hard it was at times. I would go home, have a cry, then sleep on things then start again the next day. I do feel it made me a better person though as I realised, I wanted to treat people how I want to be treated.

My best ever game was seeing Leeds United  win the FA Cup at Wembley in 1972 for the only time in our history. The whole day was magical starting with seeing Wembley for the first time and entering the ground to be at the left of the tunnel. The community singing with Tommy Steele leading the hymn Abide with Me and the National Anthem came out wearing white in support of Leeds. These still resonate with me today because having the whole stadium singing them was awe inspiring and spine tingling. Seeing Billy lift the FA Cup from Her Majesty the Queen was a dream come true and experiencing those emotions have lasted a lifetime.

I went to Salonika in 1973 for the European Cup Winners Cup Final and Paris in 1975 for the European Cup Final and despite us being cheated out of our rightful trophies with bribed referees which were proven, I am still glad that I had the privilege to be there and witness things for myself. I have built up a long-lasting camaraderie with Leeds fans over the years which is second to none and we are still friends to this day.

I am a home and away season ticket holder and started doing my blog called Follow Me and Leeds United when I wrote my first book. I have written eight in total now but apart from finishing my mum’s life story, that will be my last book. I take photos of fans at the games and have shared these around the world with other fan groups, spreading my love of Leeds United. The greatest compliment I have received, is that fans feel as if they are at the game with me which is a fantastic tribute.

As my old website had to be redone, I hope you will enjoy reading about and seeing the photos from games I go to. Please check back regularly to check out my updates  and please note that these will always be free to see and share.

LUFC – Marching on Together!