Leeds United fan Joe Staley backing Brock Purdy and his beloved San Francisco 49ers to oust Seattle Seahawks from NFL play-offs

The San Francisco 49ers have always held a special place in the affections of American football fans in the United Kingdom.

When the sport first arrived on our screens in the 1980s, the 49ers were not only one of the most colourful franchises in their red and gold uniforms, but also the most powerful, with gunslinger quarterback Joe Montana flinging the ball to jet-heeled receiver Jerry Rice.

Four decades on, the connection is getting stronger. The 49ers were one of six franchises selected a year ago by the NFL to pursue marketing opportunities in the UK.

With the team’s links to Leeds United - 49ers enterprises own a 44 per cent stake in the Premier League club - West Yorkshire was chosen as an area to target.

Earlier this season, the 49ers held their first watch party in Leeds, allowing fans to a big gathering to enjoy a game in a city centre venue; the kick-off time coming shortly after Leeds United had played Arsenal at Elland Road was no coincidence.

And the affection is reciprocal. For when UK media were invited onto a call with a former 49ers player this week to discuss the 49ers wildcard play-off match-up with the Seattle Seahawks, the man they chose just happened to be a Leeds United fan.

“Leeds is the team for all things 49ers over here. I’m a huge Leeds supporter as well,” Joe Staley, a former offensive lineman who played in two Super Bowls with San Francisco, told The Yorkshire Post.

“My wife was a professional soccer player over here so got me into soccer when I first started dating her, so that’s my club. I pay attention to all that stuff. They’ve got a big game this Friday against Aston Villa, then we’ve got to make sure we move on in the FA Cup next week.

“So we’re very aware of everything Leeds United.”

Staley speaks with even greater authority on his beloved 49ers.

San Francisco enters the play-offs as the No 2 seed in the NFC after accumulating a 13-4 (win-loss) record in the regular season.

They have done so despite having three different quarterbacks; firstly face of the franchise Trey Lance who went down injured in week two, steady hand Jimmy Garoppolo who went down in week 13, and then Brock Purdy, ‘Mr Irrelevant’ as he is known because he was the 262nd and last player selected in April’s draft.

“I think he has shown since day one when he stepped in as a starter that Purdy can go all the way,” says Staley.

“I think it's also a very unique situation. You think about rookie quarterbacks starting in their rookie year and typically they are trying to turn the tide of a franchise.

“They don't have a lot of pieces around them. Brock has a lot of pieces around him.”

That he does. The 49ers have weapons all across the backfield; from versatile running back Christian McCaffrey who they traded for mid-season, to Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver who can carry the ball out of the backfield, to Elijah Mitchell, a second-year running back returning from injury.

“People forget how much of a success and how much of a dynamic player Elijah Mitchell is,” offers Staley.

“To have someone like that complement Christian out of the backfield, and then obviously Deebo with what he brings to the football field just in terms of ability, is huge going into the play-offs.

“They’ve created this roster on offence of a physical team.”

Staley is tipping head coach Kyle Shanahan for ‘coach of the year’ because of the adversity of being on his third quarterback and still reaching the play-offs in style.

He thinks this current team is better than the 2019 one he played on that reached the seventh Super Bowl in 49ers franchise history.

That team held a 10-point lead over the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs in Miami before the Chiefs scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“When we got down in that game and had to make a play, we didn’t have the confidence, or the ability, to go downfield,” reflects Staley, who also lost Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens.

“This year they’re much more certain in their identity, of who they are, everybody knows their role in the offence, and there’s playmakers all over the field.”

Today’s opponents (9.30pm UK time), Seattle, are the No 7 seed in the play-offs, and far removed from the great Seahawks teams of a decade ago that annually battled with the 49ers. Between them they went to three straight Super Bowls in the 2012 to 2014 seasons.

“Those games always seemed to take on so much importance down the stretch,” recalls Staley.

“I think the heyday of those rivalries were back in the mid 2000s-2010s, just because of the physicality. Their defense being the way it was, the Legion of Boom, Richard Sherman and all that. And then the way we played football too was very physical.

“You were in the ice baths a little bit longer during the week after those games. You knew going in it was just going to be one of those slugfests.

“And I expect the same game tonight.”

A San Francisco win tonight to continue their journey to another Super Bowl, allied with a few good results for Leeds United, and Joe Staley will be a very happy man.