UK envoy true-blue HFC fan
Talking to Telangana Today about his football connections, Dr Fleming says he has followed football keenly since the age of 10
Hyderabad: It is said that the water of Gandipet makes you a true-blue Hyderabadi. British Deputy High Commissioner to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Dr Andrew Fleming, has become more than that, and in fact, has become one of the most spirited fans and supporters of the Hyderabad Football Club during the ongoing Indian Super League.
“My love for football is well known by those engaged with it in the city. I first heard that an ISL team was coming to Hyderabad from friends associated with Fateh Hyderabad FC who I had been keenly following in the I League in 2018 and 2019. I hope post Covid, we will see them re-emerge too; the city easily has enough space for two top clubs,” he says.
Talking to Telangana Today about his football connections, Dr Fleming says he has followed football keenly since the age of 10.
“I have followed a few clubs in that time but for some years my loyalty has been with Millwall, a club in the second tier of English football from my native South London. I also love lower level football and watch a lot of grassroots clubs,” says the diplomat, who has watched matches at 815 different venues across the world to date.
Dr Fleming, who counts Liston Colaco as his favourite HFC player, given the energy Colaco brings when he takes to the field, says Hyderabad, being a new club, needs to grow its support base and build fan passion that exists in those cities with long established clubs like Kolkata.
“Investing in boys and girls football, youth football and women’s football is all incremental to achieving this. I would like to see more visibility of the club around the city and I would ultimately like the city to see the purpose-built stadium. It needs to really maximise that football experience,” he feels.
Dr Fleming is not alone in supporting the Hyderabad Football Club. “My boys are also Hyderabad fans. Alex, my older son, also supports Arsenal, while my younger one, Arran, is with me in supporting Millwall,” he says.
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