Tears and love for miracle man Vichai
THEY came again to remember him, thousands of supporters gathering in the heart of city to pay tribute to the man who made the unthinkable come true.
When they reached the ground, they found a white scarf on their seats, with ‘Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’ in blue letters on one side, and the words ‘Making the impossible possible’ on the other. Other scarves said ‘Forever in our hearts’. During the minute’s silence, they were held aloft to create a sea of white.
As they warmed up, the Leicester players wore T-shirts bearing that same slogan, as well as the ‘VS’ logo to indicate the former owner and chairman’s name. In the directors’ box, Vichai’s son, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, spoke to supporters and accepted their requests for selfies. During a short speech given by club ambassador Alan Birchenall before kick-off to remember Vichai, Aiyawatt appeared increasingly emotional at the glowing references to ‘The Boss’. In the stand, fans unfurled a giant banner of Vichai, with the message ‘Always in our hearts’.
It is hard to think of a club owner, past or present, who is held in such affection by supporters as Khun Vichai, as he was also known. The memory of the Premier League title victory in 2016 — perhaps the greatest football story ever told — remains as vivid in these parts as the man who did so much to make it happen.
Vichai, who was 60, was killed on October 27 last year when his helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from the King Power Stadium pitch following a 1-1 draw with West Ham. The four other people on board that night also died — staff members, Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, and pilots Izabela Roza Lechowicz and Eric Swaffer.
Further tributes are planned over the coming weeks but as this was the closest home fixture to the first anniversary, Leicester honoured their memory in fitting fashion.
It is difficult not to be impressed by the way the club and the city have moved forward since Vichai’s death. On the pitch, they are again building a team to make him proud. In Brendan Rodgers, Leicester have one of the most accomplished coaches in the country and a team playing exciting, progressive football as well as having the backbone to fashion a battling victory such as yesterday’s.
Off it, Aiyawatt, chairman of the club since his father’s death, is overseeing improvements to the club’s infrastructure. Leicester plan to move to a new £100million training ground from the start of next season and hope to increase the stadium capacity, which is currently a little more than 32,000.
The supporters will be forever grateful for 2016 yet, as Rodgers explained this week, Vichai meant much more. ‘Everyone will look from the outside at the financial input,’ he said. ‘But the feeling he gave people, the players and staff, you cannot buy that.
‘He was close to many people at the club and the players had a real affinity with him and still do.’
To see how popular Vichai was, look no further that the photos and film of the walks. The one-mile journey, starting at De Montfort University in the city centre and finishing the stadium, was attended by 50,000 people last year. It was November 10, for the first home game after Vichai’s death and — then as yesterday — Burnley were the opponents. This is a sombre period for Leicester. Yet for lifelong supporter Craig Elliott, 40, and his family, it should also be a source of great pride.
Elliott’s daughters Megan, 15, and Casey, 12, had the idea of the walk. When they wondered if they could do it this year, they again had support from local authorities as well as private entities. ‘He did so much for us,’ said Elliott. He and his fellow fans believe there is much more to come.