The English city where football has found a new Muslim following
For 32-year-old Leicester resident Farhad Ali, there is only one sport. Growing up in the Pakistani city of Peshawar any moments outside school were spent playing cricket on dusty stretches of land on the city’s outskirts. It was this or watching his hero Imran Khan lead Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup on a crackling TV where the signal was in constant danger of fading.
“It’s almost impossible to believe that I could learn to love football,” he said.
When he was 12, his family moved to Leicester in the English Midlands, and Mr Ali’s love for cricket continued. Yet, three years ago his head was turned by the greatest shock in Premier League football history when Leicester City, who some had predicted would be relegated, won the league.
“I always thought of footballers as petty, overpaid men. People who didn’t love their club or the city they were playing in,” he told The National.
“Then here was a team of underdogs whose squad cost 1 per cent of those at the big clubs. People thought Leicester would be relegated but instead they won the league. I think many of my friends who don’t really like football connected with it and that led to them following England, too.”
For many in the city, they see a lot in common with the unheralded Leicester City title winners and an England team that fans had little expectations for.
Days after England beat Colombia to advance to Saturday’s Fifa World Cup quarter final, the fervour for a team also described as “underdogs” by Mr Ali remains unabated. Football fever, whether for England or Leicester, is drawing in a new wave of fans before the national team’s quarter final on Saturday.
As Simon Reed opens his vegetable stand in the city’s central market, it doesn’t take much to set off a chorus of songs about England. The excitement is palpable for the next match.
“If you come out and see the atmosphere when the England games are on there’s a really diverse group of people watching. On Tuesday, I had to explain to an older gentleman from the Asian community what the offside rule was. He was delighted when we won.”
“Everyone is coming together and supporting the team. I definitely think we all became a bit bored of all the hype over the national team so it’s been a great surprise,” says his colleague, Tom Fett.
At nearby De Montfort University, known for its highly respected sports science courses, a big screen was erected for the England-Colombia game, a move that drew in hundreds. “We’ve always been a sports city and have punched above our weight across rugby, cricket and football considering our size,” said Leicester resident and postgraduate student Joe Hooper.
“Leicester was proud when we won the league and you can see the same sort of emotions like hope and excitement in the city as England go further in the World Cup. I didn’t believe in Leicester but I believe in the national team now.”
Since UK rugby union became professional, the Leicester Tigers have been the most successful professional side, with 10 titles. As the Foxes, the city’s football team struggled, the Tigers went from strength to strength and contributed the core of England’s 2003 rugby world cup triumph.
When the tables turned, the Tigers were delighted to see their football cousins win the league.
“We celebrated their victories and they did so for us, too. The rugby side has always been successful so I think Leicester City were thankful for our support,” said Phil Warrington of the Tigers.
“Many of the players are football fans and the English victories are creating a buzz around the ground. We’ve arranged viewings of the games and the rugby community is pulling behind England. It’s a city coming together,” he said.
The excitement felt is partly due to the inclusion of two Leicester City players who again typify the stereotype of an underdog. Jamie Vardy, the talisman whose goals propelled City to an unlikely championship, spent years traipsing around the lower leagues.
Then there is Harry Maguire, the robust centre back in England’s back line. Only two years ago he was in the stands watching England at the European Championships, where they crashed out to Iceland. On social media, he shared a photo of him and his friends watching the same tournament as spectators. “It’s a measure of the man that he flew the same guys out to Russia,” Mr Reed said.
For Mr Ali, it’s those sorts of personal stories that eventually attracted him to football. A member of Leicester’s large Asian community, which makes up about 35 per cent of the city, he hopes the good feeling towards England’s football team continues.
“All the cricket fans won’t necessarily turn over to diehard football fans but they’ve definitely taken a greater interest. I don’t think it really matters to be honest. The city is excited for England in a way I’ve never really felt before.”