Leeds United Facebook post sparks remarkable bond and 'unreal' Elland Road experience
Leeds United fans John Roche and Michael Butterworth describe themselves as just two mates who go to the football together but their story is a beautiful one.
John is a Dublin-born 56-year-old who lives in Blackpool and gets the train across to Leeds for home matches at Elland Road. Michael routinely picks him up from the train station and they'll go for food and a drink before heading to the game and, if it's a late one and an overnight stay is required then he and his family put John up in the spare room. Leeds United is at the very heart of their friendship, which began with a post on a club-related Facebook page, and it's just like many, many others that spring up between like minded fans. It just so happens that in this case one of the friends is blind.
"I was born with visual impairment, detached retina in both eyes," John told the YEP. "But what you don't have, you don't miss, you know. I grew up being visually impaired and went to a visually impaired school. I've plenty of sighted friends and they just treat me like one of the gang."
John can't fully explain why he took such a liking to Leeds United in the 80s when John Sheridan was the bright spark in often grim times, but recalls a first ever visit to Elland Road for a game against Gillingham when he was a teenager. As the years went by he made sporadic trips to watch his side, taking in a game or two per season. But in 2018, by which time he was living in Lancashire, he decided to reach out to a Leeds United Facebook group in the hope that someone could accompany him to matches. That's when the Butterworths stepped in.
"My son Tom saw it initially on Facebook and he contacted John," Michael told the YEP. "He said my dad goes to games, quite a lot of games and if you want to come I'm sure you can tag along. So I initially met John in Leeds station and he booked a hotel, so we'd drop his stuff and go for a drink and then the game, then back to his hotel. Most of the time I'd go back the next day and take him back to the station and put him back on the train home. After a few times doing it I said I've got a spare room, so rather than book a hotel when you do have to stay, you can stay at my house. And we became mates, really."
The pair have attended Leeds United games together, music concerts and Michael drove John and his wife Cath - who is also visually impaired - to Wales for a holiday. Michael also got John a radio so that he could better follow the action at Elland Road.
"I've been to the odd few away games and I've been to a lot of grounds but Elland Road is really special," said John. "The atmosphere is just unbelievable. Just to experience it, it's fantastic and with the commentary it's great to to know what's going on while the game's on. I listen to Adam Pope [on BBC Leeds], he does great commentary. He's fantastic, he's a good commentator. And the crowd is just unreal. I love it. I love being part of it. I usually sit in the Kop end so I get great atmosphere. People are great."
John has only been to two away games this season, one of which being the Sunderland game at the Stadium of Light with its unfortunate ending. He was also fortunate enough to be in the ground for the madcap ending to the home game against the same opposition, when Pascal Struijk scored two late, late headers to win it for Leeds.
"I've never experienced that, it was the best I've come across ever," said John. "There were people behind me and in front of me jumping out of seats and running to the barriers. It was absolutely unreal. I didn't think we were going to do it, but when the equaliser went in, I just had that feeling you get that something's coming, the winner was coming. Then when it happened, it was unbelievable."
Michael is John's carer for the games but he doesn't see himself as such. He says he's just John's mate, who helps him out. John describes Michael as a friend first and a carer second.
"Since 2018 we've really become great friends," said John. "And he, his wife, and his family have been fantastic. He's a really nice guy and they're a lovely family and I'm glad he came on board."
It's not a one-way thing, though. Michael enjoys the company of his pal who has a wicked catalogue of self-deprecating one liners.
"John's a great guy, he's very, very funny and always has a joke about his disability," he told the YEP. "We'll meet people and he'll say he doesn't recognise them because he's not good with faces, or say that he met his wife on a blind date. We just see him as one of us, he's always been that but initially we were just assisting him to the games. As time has gone on, we've become really good friends."
Another reassuringly heart-warming aspect to John's story is his experience of other clubs' fans when he's getting the train to and from Leeds on matchdays, proudly wearing club colours. They're 'pretty good' with him and there's no problem, despite the natural rivalry felt by seemingly just about anyone when Leeds United is mentioned.
Though they haven't managed to get match tickets, John and his pal plan to be in Plymouth for an overnight trip to end the season with what they hope will be a promotion party. Whether he's in the ground to hear it happen or not and almost regardless of how it all turns out, being able to experience the ups and downs is what matters most to John.
"I love it," he said. "I love traveling and I love that excitement when you're getting on the train going to a Leeds game. It's just everything to me."