Leeds United is historically one of the biggest football clubs in England. The club has won the League Championship three times, four Second Division titles, the FA Cup once, the EFL Cup once, the Charity Shield twice and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup twice.
Its most successful period came under the management of Don Revie in the 1960s and 1970s, when they won the league title twice, the FA Cup once, the League Cup once and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup twice.
Despite a relative lack of success, and spending time in the lower-reaches of English football, Leeds fans are well-known for their passion for the club, and given that the city is home to only one club just about everyone in Leeds is a fan of the ‘Peacocks’.
Like every club, Leeds also has a selection of ‘celebrity’ fans – but who are they?
Leeds United Celebrity Fans
As a major club in the top flight of English football, Leeds United boasts a host of celebrity fans, like most other famous English clubs. These include the likes of Team GB triathletes Jonny and Alistair Brownlee, DJ Chris Moyles, ex-Spice Girl Mel B, comedian Jon Richardson and Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis.
Other well-known Leeds fans are Coronation Street actor Jack P. Shepherd, golfers Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie, former Labour leader Ed Miliband, broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, Norwegian actor Rune Temte and Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who is actually a member of the Leeds United Supporters Trust.
Most Famous Leeds Fans
The most famous Leeds United fans include boxing champion Josh Warrington, Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, comedian and Father Ted actor Ardal O’ Hanlon and Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe.
But where did their love for the Whites come from? Some of the answers are more obvious than others.
1. Josh Warrington
Two-time World Featherweight champion Warrington was born and raised in Leeds and is a huge fan of the club. He is often accompanied on his ringwalks by United players past and present, and won his first IBF World Title by defeating Lee Selby in a fight held at Leeds’ home ground of Elland Road.
2. Kelly Jones
Jones is the lead singer of the hugely popular and successful Welsh rock band Stereophonics, and has often spoken of his support for Leeds United. He explained he fell in love with the club during the Don Revie era, and used to wear his older brother’s hand-me-down Leeds kits.
Other musical frontmen who are keen Leeds United fans are Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs and Tim Booth of James.
3. Ardal O’Hanlon
Best known to millions of viewers as Father Dougal Mcguire in the comedy series Father Ted, Leeds fan O’Hanlon has previously said that his favourite footballer is club legend Johnny Giles, and meeting his hero in Dublin was one of the greatest nights of his life.
4. Russell Crowe
Oscar-winning New Zealander Russell Crowe is undoubtedly the Whites’ most famous fan. His affection for Leeds dates back to his school days, when he used to watch the BBC’s Match of the Day. He adopted the club as his favourite team during the Don Revie period, and has even been linked with buying or investing in the club in the past.
Who is the Most Famous Leeds United Fan?
Russell is arguably the most famous Leeds United fan. The award-winning actor has been an avid supporter for the Whites since his youth days.
Crowe also narrated the documentary series Leeds United: Take Us Home, which charted the club’s attempts to return to the Premier League in 2019 and 2020.
