Sunderland launch official supporters club in North Korea

The overseas branch will be run by Tom Fowdy, the founder of Visit North Korea

The club hope they will become popular with North Koreans (Getty)

Sunderland have launched a branch of their official supporters’ club in North Korea.

The overseas branch will be run by Tom Fowdy, the founder of Visit North Korea, who already has an advertising deal in place with non-league side Blyth Spartans.

Fowdy, a Sunderland local, operates vists to North Korea and hopes the club can become popular with locals.

“Our plan is to raise awareness by donating a gradual flow of Sunderland merchandise to the country, including football shirts, scarfs and other memorabilia,” Fowdy said.

“We will look at donating to local schools, colleges and other institutions. North Koreans do love their football, but they have no access or resources to buy things like football shirts.

“This provides an incredible opportunity not just to develop our fanbase, but to engage in a profound act of charity as well to a people much less fortunate than our own.

“We are starting from scratch. That is the excitement of this challenge.

“They have an awareness of the Premier League and inevitably drift towards the “big teams”, but we are going to connect with them in a personal way which no club has ever yet tried.”