Bored by the lack of sport around the globe, Adelaide man Shane Robinson and his mates stumbled upon a Belarusian football team, FK Slutsk.

Key points: Aussie sports fans first noticed the Belarus team FK Slutsk because they found its name amusing

Aussie sports fans first noticed the Belarus team FK Slutsk because they found its name amusing They've since started a Facebook group to support the team after learning it's facing financial problems

They've since started a Facebook group to support the team after learning it's facing financial problems Belarus is one of just three football leagues in the world without a season postponed or cancelled

Little did they know that just weeks later they would be playing a big role in the struggling club's survival.

"We were looking for anything and one of the boys just happened to find the Belarus Premier League online," Mr Robinson said.

"FK Slutsk was the first game on and obviously with the name it created a bit of laughter, so we went, 'That'll do, we'll go with that'."

"They won the game and there were five penalties given, three scored, we thought this is a bit of fun to watch, I wonder if every game is like that?"

Shane Robinson says the club is a welcome distraction from the coronavirus crisis. ( Supplied )

Despite knowing nothing about Slutsk (pronounced Slootsk), a town of 61,000 people known more for its sugar factory than its football team, Mr Robinson started a Facebook supporter group.

The Belarus league is one of just three still running on the planet, alongside leagues in Tajikistan and Nicaragua and the Facebook group was an immediate success.

"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 group FK Slutsk Worldwide now has 4,600 members while the FK Slutsk Facebook page has 1,000.

The team's stadium holds fewer than 1,900 people.

The international interest soon caught the club's attention.

One of the group's members, American Andy Bajana, penned and then uploaded a song about the club with the chorus "We love our Slutsk, the greatest club in Belarus!"

It struck a chord and the club recorded their own version and started playing it at games.

In its home match against Vitebsk on April 11, the club put a banner of the Facebook group's name on the grandstand and an Australian flag on the touchline in prime position for the TV cameras.

It was all a lot of fun but turned more serious when the club got in touch with the group.

Financial woes

"They messaged and thanked us for making the group," Mr Robinson said.

"The club's never had this sort of attention before.

"But at the same time we'd had some Belarusian people actually join the group and that's when we started to learn more about the club and realise the sort of dire financial situation that it was in."

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.

The Facebook group started a GoFundMe page which raised over $3,000 in less than two weeks.

However it's the exposure the fans created that is of more value to the club.

"I can't say the team is very popular not only in Belarus, but even in its town," Mr Khavanski said.

"When we knew about hard times for the club we thought that it would be the end for the club but with this new wave of popularity, we have a hope now.

"The Australians liked the name of our club, they're trying to make jokes about it but then they learned that the club has financial problems they changed, it has become a group of real supporters."

The global interest prompted a Ukrainian betting company to buy advertising boards at the team's home ground and it's now negotiating to become the main shirt sponsor.

FK Slutsk celebrate another win. ( Facebook )

Success on and off the pitch

FK Slutsk has made a great start to the season and sits top of the ladder after five games.

The club's previous best finish in the top division was seventh and Mr Khavanski said the booming support was helping the players.

It's also been a godsend for fans all over the world.

"It's good almost from a mental health point of view, it's getting our minds off everything coronavirus, jobs and everything, it's just something to have a bit of a laugh at and help everyone get by," Mr Robinson said.

He is confident the connection people have formed with the club will ensure they continue to support it once the A-league, English Premier League and others return.

"It's basically keeping people sane through a really tough period."