LEICESTER OWNER DIED IN FIREBALL
Thousands of fans lay wreaths in tribute to Thai chief
LEICESTER CITY owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four others outside the King Power Stadium on Saturday night.
Thousands of supporters flocked to the ground yesterday, laying hundreds of flowers, shirts and scarves, in a sign of the depth of feeling for the Thai businessman.
Training was cancelled for Leicester’s players, who were still in a state of shock. Tomorrow’s Carabao Cup game against Southampton will be called off.
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Vichai’s son and Leicester’s vice- chairman, known as Top, flew over from Bangkok as the club tried to come to terms with the scale of the loss. It is understood that two of Vichai’s assistants and two pilots were also killed.
Crash site investigators have been going through the wreckage since the tragedy struck at 8.30pm following Leicester’s match against West Ham. Formal identification of those on board proved a difficult process.
It is expected the cause of the crash will take time to establish. Eyewitnesses told how the Augusta AW169 helicopter, which
had landed minutes earlier after arriving from Belvoir Drive training ground, appeared to suffer a malfunction on take-off from the pitch, sending the aircraft into a tailspin just after rising above the stadium roof. It then plunged nose first into an empty patch of ground adjacent to car park E behind the east stand and burst into flames visible for half a mile.
Nobody was injured on the ground and there is a belief that the pilot may have steered the helicopter away from busy areas below to contain the impact and save potentially dozens of lives.
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was among those who ran towards the site and watched on in a state of numbness and upset. He joined Leicester the year after Srivaddhanaprabha bought the club and had a close relationship with the chairman. He stayed at the ground until after 1.30am.
It has been suggested that director of football Jon Rudkin had at one stage planned to be on the flight but ultimately decided against.
The helicopter had been heading for Luton Airport, where Srivaddhanaprabha would have taken his private jet back to Thailand.
Leicestershire Police cordoned off the crash site yesterday, and erected tarpaulin screens around the scene. Fire engines arrived, with one carrying a digger.
Fans created a sea of tributes outside the north stand, with the area growing throughout the day. Many stayed to read the notes of condolence and reflect on the man responsible for Leicester’s miraculous Premier League triumph.
Ashley Richards, a Leicester supporter of 40 years, was visibly moved as he said: ‘When Vichai first came in I had my reservations. But over the last five, six years the man has done everything. He’s virtually fetched us out of the wilderness. I’ve never heard a bad word against him. It is a big, big loss.’
Martin George, Leicester’s former chairman, said: ‘We’ve had administrations, we’ve had relegations, but nothing like this. It’s so sad. Vichai has been terrific for this club. You couldn’t ask for anybody better in charge. He is a gentleman.
‘He enjoyed the company of people who had like minds, and talked quite happily to them. But of course he had an iron will as well. I came to talk to the directors, express my feelings, and walk round.’
Daniel Connell, 18, has been attending games since 2005. He said: ‘We may not have met him individually but he’s had a massive impact on every Leicester fan’s life. I had to come here.’
The outpouring of emotion was not solely due to Srivaddhanaprabha’s contributions to Leicester as a football club but also Leicester as a city. He donated £2million to Leicester Royal Infirmary and £1m to Leicester University for medical research, among other charitable acts.
Worth £3.8billion according to the latest Forbes account, through his King Power duty-free empire in Thailand, he would regularly hand out free drinks to supporters to mark special occasions, and this April gave away 60 season tickets in celebration of his 60th birthday.
He wrote off £103m of club debt by converting it into shares, gave each player a £105,000 royal blue BMWi8 for becoming champions, and regularly sanctioned upgraded contracts for star performers.
Sven Goran Eriksson was hired and fired by Srivaddhanaprabha and said: ‘When you know him, as I did, you knew he’s a very, very generous man — to the players, people working for him, to the fans and the community. What he has done for Leicester is incredible.’
It is expected that Top, who has been chief executive of King Power in Thailand for two years, will take up the Leicester chairmanship from his father. His enthusiasm for the club is expected to remain undimmed despite this devastating tragedy.
As well as Top, Srivaddhanaprabha is survived by wife Aimon, his other son Apichet, and daughters Voramas and Aroonroong.