Quiet man with the huge heart who made a city believe
John Percy pays tribute to a club owner who helped create one of football’s greatest shocks
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha will live on forever in the hearts of a city he taught to dream. He was a self-made billionaire, one of the richest men in Thailand, but still totally in touch with the traditions and history of Leicester City after completing his £39 million takeover in August 2010.
His determination to push the club forward and keep progressing it was admirable and even though he rarely spoke publicly, he possessed an aura that was felt all around the King Power Stadium whenever he visited.
The Thai tycoon never engaged with the UK media beyond mere pleasantries, preferring to let his actions speak for him – whether it was formulating plans for a new ultra-modern £100 million training ground, donating £2million to a local hospital, or providing free beer to fans before games.
There were never any grumbles from the press over the lack of access (even after Leicester won the league title in 2016), merely an unspoken understanding that this private, humble man did not want to have himself plastered all over the sports pages.
In 2014 he did undertake one interview in Thailand, insisting the ambition was to break into the Premier League’s top five and bring European football to Leicester within three years.
It sounded a familiar tale of hyperbole and over-exuberance, but 5,000-1 shots Leicester lifted the title two years later under manager Claudio Ranieri.
It is arguably the biggest shock in football’s history, certainly since it was rebranded in 1992.
The memories of that glorious period remain vivid: Ranieri standing next to Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli for Nessun Dorma before the Everton game when they lifted the trophy; those stirring European nights when Leicester performed admirably in beautiful cities including Bruges, Copenhagen and Seville. This was Srivaddhanaprabha’s dream becoming a reality.
The events of Saturday night will also be difficult to shift from the memories of those who witnessed them. I was there, along with hundreds of other stunned onlookers, watching the fireball behind the stand and the smoke billowing into the night sky.
The scorching heat from the helicopter blaze; the noise of the emergency services racing to the scene; the cries and anguish of supporters, office staff and Leicester City players; the chaos and confusion.
It was one of those dreadful nights when the severity of the situation became worse as time ticked away.
There was also the sinister, dark
‘He possessed an aura that was felt all around the King Power Stadium when he visited’
world of social media, with its inaccurate statements and certain individuals even making sick jokes about the nightmarish events which were unfolding on live television.
It was not what anyone envisaged before and after what transpired to be a forgettable 1-1 draw with West Ham United.
Talking points after the final whistle, such as Claude Puel’s future as manager of the team and striker Jamie Vardy being dropped to the bench became irrelevant, paling into insignificance as a tragedy unfolded.
True perspective only came with the dreadful news that followed just before 9pm.
Srivaddhanaprabha will be fondly remembered as one of the Premier League’s most respected chairmen and leaves a legacy that has transformed Leicester on and off the field.