Sport-starved Aussie football fans adopt a team from one of the world's few leagues still running and now find themselves playing a key role in helping the Belarusian team stay afloat.
Despite knowing nothing about Slutsk , a town of 61,000 people known more for its sugar factory than its football team, Mr Richardson started a Facebook supporter group.
"Within three days we had 1,000 people, within a week we had people from New Zealand, Indonesia, America, the UK, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine just about anywhere you can think of we've got someone from that country in the group," he said.The team's stadium holds fewer than 1,900 people.
"They messaged and thanked us for making the group, the club's never had this sort of attention before," Mr Richardson said. Yahor Khavanski, FK Slutsk's media manager, said the club had been funded by the local sugar mill owner but had hit financial trouble this season.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Councils battling drought and fire push for funding to keep afloat amid pandemicLocal councils say they need more help to survive the covid-19 pandemic.
Read more »
Ramadan is a time for giving but coronavirus is seeing more Australian Muslims seeking helpAn Australian Islamic charity has told SBS News it has seen a spike in requests for financial assistance due to the impacts of coronavirus, with individuals and businesses struggling as they prepare to mark the holy month of Ramadan.
Read more »
Kim Jong Un's 'dictatorship dynasty will survive' | Sky News AustraliaAustralian National University researcher Dr Leonid Petrov says the 'dictatorship dynasty will survive' regardless of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health. \n\nChairman Kim is reportedly critically ill after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure earlier this month. \n\nMr Petrov told Sky News it was very difficult to have an accurate idea of the leader’s health because North Korea “is a black box in terms of information and statistics” and South Korea was being “lukewarm” with information. \n\n“If something happens to Kim Jong Un there will be either another leader from the Kim dynasty or a collective leadership which would be equally keen to have a working relationship with the US and also good stable relationship with its immediate neighbours,' he said. \n\n“The dictatorship dynasty will survive.”\n
Read more »
'I need time to heal': Chinese-Australians speak out after racist vandal attackA Chinese-Australian family whose home was targeted in a coronavirus-related act of vandalism receives an outpouring of support from neighbours, celebrities and fellow Australians online.
Read more »
Aldi lifts restrictions on some popular itemsAldi supermarkets has announced it is lifting some product restrictions for Australian shoppers.
Read more »
A Bigger Picture: Malcolm Turnbull rips into Peter Dutton on The ProjectFormer Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pulled no punches on The Project Tuesday night.
Read more »